Seattle Foundation is a community foundation based in Seattle, Washington that serves as a philanthropic intermediary for the greater Seattle region. Founded in 1946 and tax-exempt since October 1947, the organization operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity. The foundation manages approximately 600 individual, family, and corporate funds while providing comprehensive philanthropic services to over 1,200 donors, families, businesses, and nonprofits.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.4B
+9.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$177.9M
+24.7% YoY
Grant Count
5,379
-3.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$33K
+29.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Seattle Foundation's mission is to ignite powerful, rewarding philanthropy to make Greater Seattle a stronger, more vibrant community for all. The organization focuses on creating equity and opportunity while addressing systemic inequities due to racism.
The foundation's strategic approach centers on:
- Moving from a current state of growing inequities to a future state of shared prosperity in the region
- Reinforcing systems necessary to achieve and sustain this vision
- Emphasizing the importance of people and place in creating change
- Focusing on systems-oriented change led by communities most impacted
- Leveraging the foundation's assets to address fragmentation in thinking and action
The foundation manages two primary grantmaking approaches:
Donor-Recommended Grantmaking: Approximately 600 individual, family, and corporate funds through which donors direct distribution and investment of funds. This grantmaking primarily serves the greater Seattle region and Washington state, while also extending nationally and internationally.
Foundation-Directed Grantmaking: Targeted area of interest funds managed on behalf of the community in partnership with community advisory groups to support defined interest areas and geographies that have been historically underinvested in.
Grantmaking
The foundation evaluates organizations and makes grants that reflect the intended purpose of its funds. The organization frequently leads special initiatives designed to address specific community needs.
Grant Range
s:** Typical awards range from $42 to $7,000,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily serves the greater Seattle region and Washington state. Grantmaking also extends nationally and internationally, with particular focus on California and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $1,449,925,075 (2024)
Total Revenue: $314,722,382 (2024)
Total Expenses: $244,548,637 (2024)
Total Liabilities: $185,000,000 (2024)
Staffing: 68 employees (2024)
The foundation maintains a donor-advised fund through which donors can direct the distribution or investment of funds.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,449,925,075 | $1,320,217,050 | $1,193,135,889 |
| Revenue | $314,722,382 | $186,713,007 | $159,592,537 |
| Expenses | $244,548,637 | $182,608,290 | $208,182,776 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $62,689,496 | $43,260,523 | $19,423,638 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from Seattle Foundation
Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) Grant
SEATTLE FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $7,500
Deadline
Rolling / Open
The Medical Funds Grant
SEATTLE FOUNDATION
Amount
Approximately US $40,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
The Morgan Fund Grant
SEATTLE FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
President and CEO: Alesha Washington
Key Executives:
- Larry Buycks, Chief Financial Officer
- Michele Frix, Executive Vice President
- Tiffany Patterson, Chief Marketing Officer
- Mary Rennekamp, Chief Philanthropy Officer
- Stephen Andryszewski, Managing Director, Controller
- Jason Jystad, Director Information Technology Operations
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ED TAYLOR | CHAIR | 5 | — |
| KELLEY HALL | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| AMY BANOVICH | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| AMY CARTER | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| BEN DANIELSON | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| COLLEEN ECHOHAWK | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| DIANA WHITE | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| DONNA MOODIE | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| ED THOMAS | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| JANET LEVINGER | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| KARLA HORWITZ | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| KERI RHODES | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| LARRY ESTRADA | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| ROBIN LIEN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| TRISH MILLINES-DZIKO | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| ALESHA WASHINGTON | PRESIDENT & CEO | 40 | $481,225 |
| LARRY BUYCKS | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $280,708 |
| MARIEL TURNER-TAMIYASU | DIR. STRATEGIC INITIATIVES & SEC. | 40 | $118,187 |
| MICHELE FRIX DASSELL | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | 40 | $274,059 |
| MARY RENNEKAMP | CHIEF PHILANTHROPY OFFICER | 40 | $248,780 |
| KRISTINE HERMANNS | CIO (THRU 12/23), CONTRACTOR | 23.8 | $287,236 |
| THUY HUA-LY | HEALTHIERHERE CFO | 40 | — |
| JOHN KIM | HEALTHIERHERE CEO | 40 | — |
| SALLY GILLIS | CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER | 40 | $214,698 |
| MARYA GINGREY | CHIEF EQUITY & STRATEGY OFFICER | 40 | — |
| MICHAEL BROWN | EXEC-IN-RESIDENCE, COMM PS | 40 | $200,305 |
| STEVE ANDRYSZEWSKI | MANAGING DIRECTOR, CONTROLLER | 40 | $191,463 |
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has announced multiple grant initiatives and awardees, including:
2023-2024 Communities of Opportunity Systems Policy Change Awardees
Announcing the 2023-2024 Communities of Opportunity Systems ...2025 Cultural Facilities Fund Awardees
Announcing the 2025 Cultural Facilities Fund Awardees - Art BeatEnvironmental Justice Fund grants totaling $934,000
Seattle's Environmental Justice Fund Awards $934K Grants - Seattle MetroCommunity-led domestic violence response and prevention programs receiving $855,000 in investment
City of Seattle Invests\_$855,000\_in Community-Led Domestic Violence Response\The foundation publishes annual reports and impact reports documenting its financial integrity and the diversity of nonprofits it supports.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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