Real Progress Foundation
Real Progress Foundation is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington. Created in 2024 through the merger of the Glaser Progress Foundation and the RealNetworks Foundation, it funds strategic initiatives in climate, democracy, and community.
Real Progress Foundation at a glance
In short: Real Progress Foundation gave $366K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in District of Columbia. 58% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $365,590
- +89.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,280
- +107.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $14,362,888
- +4.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 58% first-time grantees (11 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (63% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Real Progress Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 568 1St Ave S Ste 600, Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: (206) 728-1050
Website: https://realprogressfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Real Progress Foundation
Who Real Progress Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Indivisible Civics ($231K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $351K.
Grant Size Distribution
365 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 360 grants of 365 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Seattle. In 2025, 63% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC, and 31% went to recipients in Washington state. Smaller shares went to California (5%), Iowa (1%), and Massachusetts (0%, as reported).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Real Progress Foundation open to new grantees?
58%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 19 grantees (58%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $28K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 26% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 122% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 151% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $138K (2023) to $2.2M (2020). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $366K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Indivisible Civics Washington, DC | Campaign Director Position | $180,815 |
| Indivisible Civics Washington, DC | Security Project | $50,000 |
| ACLU-Wa Seattle, WA | Community Enhancement Grant | $25,000 |
| Mary's Place Seattle, WA | Community Enhancement Grant | $25,000 |
| Benefits Law Center Seattle, WA | Community Enhancement Grant | $10,000 |
| Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Kuow Seattle, WA | Community Enhancement Grant | $10,000 |
| Northwest Harvest Seattle, WA | Community Enhancement Grant | $10,000 |
| Seattle Art Museum Seattle, WA | Community Enhancement Grant | $10,000 |
| Songs of Black Folk Renton, WA | RN Employee Matching Grant | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Real Progress Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $14,362,888 | $2,853,835 | $1,076,015 | $365,590 | 20 | $977,158 | $2,771,151 | $646,618 |
| 2024 | $13,814,297 | $2,686,044 | $815,018 | $193,420 | 22 | $709,931 | $924,553 | $632,076 |
| 2023 | $11,194,546 | $400,700 | $501,489 | $137,531 | 94 | $428,177 | $320,296 | $522,002 |
| 2022 | $10,407,040 | $277,266 | $483,714 | $164,954 | 107 | $383,270 | $194,840 | $535,144 |
| 2021 | $12,313,294 | $977,519 | $584,200 | $251,481 | 122 | $491,532 | $899,561 | $580,233 |
| 2020 | $11,843,655 | $812,743 | $2,480,291 | $2,179,056 | 180 | — | $723,032 | $571,916 |
| 2019 | $13,091,541 | $577,807 | $1,430,459 | $1,123,591 | 209 | — | $531,571 | $645,220 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Real Progress Foundation reported a distributable amount of $647K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website describes its work in three areas: climate, democracy media, and local nonprofits. Its climate work aims to frame climate change as a global health emergency; its democracy media work supports independent voices; and its local nonprofit work has historically prioritized direct human services, employment, and training.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of work. Indivisible Civics says it builds civic leadership and grassroots capacity to advance progressive values and policies. Benefits Law Center says it provides legal advocacy to people with disabilities seeking financial and medical stability. Treehouse says it supports children who have experienced foster care, while Seattle Art Museum describes its role as a cultural and educational resource for the region.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 20 grants totaling $365,590. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $180,815, with a median of $10,000.
The largest reported awards included $180,815 to Indivisible Civics for a campaign director position and $50,000 to the same organization for a security project. ACLU-WA and Mary’s Place each received $25,000 for a community enhancement grant. Other reported awards included $10,000 each to Benefits Law Center, KUOW, Northwest Harvest, Seattle Art Museum, Treehouse, and Songs of Black Folk; the latter was identified as an RN employee matching grant.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert D. Glaser as board chair and trustee, Michael Parham as treasurer and trustee, Martin Collier as executive director through February 2025, and Ben Klasky as interim executive director. The foundation’s website identifies Rob Glaser as founder and chairman of the board and Michael Parham as a board member.
Real Progress Foundation is led by Martin Collier, Executive Director on every filing since 2024; 2 of 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Martin Collier
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$102K (2024) → $16K (2025)
Ben Klasky
Interim Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
20 hrs/week
$120K (2025)
Robert D. Glaser
Board Chair & Trustee
Trustee → Board Chair & Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Parham
Treasurer & Trustee
Vice President & Director → Treasurer, 2024
Treasurer → Treasurer & Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Cary Baker (2019–2024) — Treasurer & Director
- Former: Drew Markham (2019–2024) — Secretary & Director
- Former: Marjorie Thomas (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Kathryn Shields (2019–2023) — Foundation Manager · Filing note: Term ended July '23
- Former: Rob Glaser (2019–2023) — President & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $120K, to Ben Klasky (Interim Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Real Progress Foundation
How much does Real Progress Foundation give each year?
Real Progress Foundation gave $366K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $193K across 22 grants.
What is Real Progress Foundation's typical grant size?
Real Progress Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $18,280, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Real Progress Foundation that year got $28K on average.
Where does Real Progress Foundation give grants?
Real Progress Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Washington (31%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (9 grants) and Washington, DC (3 grants).
Does Real Progress Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 5% of Real Progress Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Community Enhancement Grant" (7 grants) and "RN Employee Matching Grant" (6 grants).
Who are Real Progress Foundation's largest grantees?
Real Progress Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Indivisible Civics ($230,815 across 2 grants), ACLU-Wa ($25,000) and Mary's Place ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Real Progress Foundation?
Real Progress Foundation reported $14.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $977K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $647K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Real Progress Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website describes its work in three areas: climate, democracy media, and local nonprofits. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Real Progress Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Real Progress Foundation's EIN?
Real Progress Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-2033075. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Real Progress Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 24, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Real Progress Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Real Progress Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/real-progress-foundation-morg_9f52b13cfd884c44bc7273cc3c731fd6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_912033075_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Real Progress Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/real-progress-foundation-morg_9f52b13cfd884c44bc7273cc3c731fd6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Real Progress Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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