Seeding Justice
Seeding Justice is a public charity based in Portland, Oregon. Formed in 1976, it was originally known as the McKenzie River Gathering Foundation and changed its name to Seeding Justice in 2021. It funds grassroots movements and emerging organizations working toward justice and liberation, with grantmaking grounded in trust, relationships, partnership, and community leadership.
Seeding Justice at a glance
In short: Seeding Justice gave $5.8M across 153 grants in 2025 (avg $38K), mostly in Oregon. 52% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,781,280
- -67.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 153
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $37,786
- -67.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $29,270,789
- -5.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 52% first-time grantees (78 of 151, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Oregon (63% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Seeding Justice
- Contact
Mailing address: 510 Sw 3Rd Ave Ste 300, Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 289-1517
Website: https://seedingjustice.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
8 open opportunities from Seeding Justice
Immigrant Rights and Advocacy Fellowship
Seeding Justice
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Lilla Jewel Awards Grant
Seeding Justice
Amount
US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Seeding Advocacy
Seeding Justice
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Seeding Justice funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Latino Network ($223K). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
622 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 457 grants of 622 (73%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Oregon recipients accounted for 63% of grant dollars, Washington for 12%, Idaho for 9%, Illinois for 3%, and Montana for 3%. Seeding Justice’s General Fund Grants require an Oregon presence and work benefiting people who call Oregon home. Its Immigrant Rights and Advocacy Fellowship supports advocacy work within Oregon. The listed 2025 grants also include recipients in Nevada and California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 153 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Seeding Justice open to new grantees?
52%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 78 of 151 grantees (52%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $44K; repeat grants $32K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $20K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $524K (2019) to $22.2M (2023). In 2025 it made 153 grants totaling $5.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Latino Network Portland, OR | Operating Support = $500; Project Support = $222,666 | $223,166 |
| The Raven Collective Grayslake, IL | Project Support | $200,000 |
| Burns Paiute Tribe Burns, OR | Project Support | $150,000 |
| Coeur D'Alene Tribe Plummer, ID | Project Support | $150,000 |
| Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Pablo, MT | Project Support | $150,000 |
| Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation Toppenish, WA | Project Support | $150,000 |
| Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Nespelem, WA | Project Support | $150,000 |
| Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon Grand Ronde, OR | Project Support | $150,000 |
| Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Pendleton, OR | Project Support | $150,000 |
| Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Warm Springs, OR | Project Support | $150,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Seeding Justice?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $29,270,789 | $10,716,880 | $9,700,717 | $5,781,280 | 153 | $374,826 |
| 2024 | $30,958,925 | $31,319,382 | $22,478,362 | $17,808,776 | 153 | $312,482 |
| 2023 | $52,280,746 | $25,654,415 | $25,793,681 | $22,169,472 | 119 | $597,693 |
| 2022 | $22,366,853 | $5,863,441 | $4,803,510 | $2,879,506 | 95 | $192,356 |
| 2021 | $17,520,565 | $8,839,824 | $6,052,898 | $4,803,133 | 102 | $842,287 |
| 2020 | $12,170,827 | $3,891,670 | $3,699,170 | $2,605,580 | 122 | $560,032 |
| 2019 | $10,774,644 | $5,628,449 | $1,294,106 | $523,759 | 56 | $269,182 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Seeding Justice’s stated mission is to build collective power by transforming philanthropy and funding movements in pursuit of justice and liberation for all communities. It says the communities most impacted by injustice are best equipped to solve the issues they face.
For General Fund Grants, Seeding Justice prioritizes small, emergent, and grassroots organizations, especially those led by Black and Indigenous people and other communities of color, including people with intersecting identities. Its stated priorities include building community power, dismantling oppression, addressing root causes, and articulating clear problems and strategies. General Fund eligibility requires an Oregon presence and work that benefits Oregon residents, as well as 501(c)(3) status or a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor. The eligibility page says organizations that received a General Fund grant in Spring 2023 are eligible to apply.
The funder’s 2024 filing describes awards for projects and environmental justice organizations working to restore, protect, and maintain the Columbia River Basin and its tributaries; grants to grassroots social change organizations; and awards through the Reproductive Health and Equity Fund to advance sexual, reproductive, and birthing health equity.
Examples of grantees’ stated missions illustrate the kinds of organizations supported. Latino Network says it promotes social change by cultivating the power of the Latino community through education equity, parent engagement, reducing minority over-representation in the justice system, and civic leadership and advocacy. The Urban League of Portland says it works to empower African Americans and others to achieve equality in education, employment, and economic security. Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment says it works to protect treaty areas, educate tribal members and youth about environmental issues, develop environmental leaders, and promote activism within tribes.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Seeding Justice reported 153 grants totaling $5,781,280. Grants ranged from $5,600 to $223,166, with a median of $20,000. The largest listed award was $223,166 to Latino Network in Portland, comprising $222,666 for project support and $500 for operating support. Other notable 2025 awards included $200,000 to The Raven Collective and $150,000 each to Burns Paiute Tribe, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, Nez Perce Tribe, and Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation.
Other 2025 grants included $110,542 to Salem-Keizer Coalition for Equality; $100,000 each to Consejo Hispano, Micronesian Islander Community, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation; $90,000 to Oregon Progress Forum; and $85,901 to Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment.
Seeding Justice’s website describes Rapid Response Grants as small grants for current grantees responding to emergencies and opportunities; the listed opportunity is noted as closed. The Tenant Outreach Fund offers Urgent Needs Grants of $10,000 to $50,000 for short-term projects educating and supporting tenants, including practical support such as back rent. The website also describes the Immigrant Rights and Advocacy Fellowship as supporting individuals’ professional development and immigrant-rights advocacy work in Oregon. The Lilla Jewel Awards support Oregon-based artists of marginalized genders who advance a social-change message through their work.
The funder’s 2024 filing says it checks in with grantees for relationship-building and project status through methods including meetings, calls, and grantee reporting, and follows up when it has questions or identifies inconsistencies.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jaylyn Suppah as chair, Monica Sho Brewer as secretary, and Crystallee Crain as board treasurer, each through June 17, 2025. It also lists Ana Molina as a board director through June 17, 2025; Laurie Trieger as a board director through September 2024; and Esperanza Tervalon, Ricardo Lujan-Valerio, Tamia Deary, Abigail Sarmac, and Judith Faustima as board directors.
Seeding Justice is led by Se-Ah-Dom Edmo, Executive Director since 2022 (on filings since 2019); 7 of 23 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Se-Ah-Dom Edmo
Executive Director
Executive Di → Executive Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
37 hrs/week
$4K (2019) → $436K (2025)
Jaylyn Suppah
Chair
Treasurer → Treasurer & Chair, 2024
Treasurer & Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$780 (2022) → $0 (2025)
Ana Molina
Board Director
Director → Board Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
$2K (2022) → $0 (2025)
Sandee Huang
Finance & Ops Director
Finance → Finance & Operations Director, 2022
Finance & Operations Director → Finance & Ops Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
32 hrs/week
$35K (2022) → $149K (2025)
Jody Marshall
Program Director
On filings since 2024
32 hrs/week
$111K (2024) → $127K (2025)
Ramon Valdez
Strategic Initiative Director
On filings since 2024
32 hrs/week
$106K (2024) → $126K (2025)
Samantha Bakall
Communication Director
On filings since 2024
32 hrs/week
$108K (2024) → $129K (2025)
Violeta Rubiani
Program Director
On filings since 2024
32 hrs/week
$123K (2024) → $140K (2025)
Esperanza Tervalon
Board Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laurie Trieger
Board Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ricardo Lujan-Valerio
Board Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tamia Deary
Board Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Abigail Sarmac
Board Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George Cheung
Board Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Judith Faustima
Board Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julia Przedworski
Board Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kina Chadwick
Board Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rhodes Perry
Board Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ubaldo Hernndez
Board Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Willa Powless
Board Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Monica Sho Brewer
Secretary
Director → Board Director, 2022
Board Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$650 (2023) → $0 (2025)
Amanda Whalen
Chief of Staff
New on the 2025 filing
34 hrs/week
$162K (2025)
Crystallee Crain
Board Treasurer
Chair → Chair & Treasurer, 2024
Chair & Treasurer → Board Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (15)
- Former: Liz Fouther-Branch (2019–2024) — Board Director
- Former: Ryan Curren (2019–2024) — Board Director
- Former: Dena Zaldua (2024) — Development Director
- Former: Dani Bernstein (2019–2022) — Board Director
- Former: Kim Thomas (2019–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Lindy Walsh (2019–2022) — Finance & Oper. Director
- Former: Lizzie Martinez (2020–2022) — Chair
- Former: Esperanza Tervalon-Garrett (2021–2022) — Board Director
- Former: Oblio Stroyman (2021–2022) — Board Director
- Former: Ricardo Lujan Valerio (2021–2022) — Board Director
- Former: Mario Fregoso (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Catherine Martinez (2019) — Co-Chair
- Former: Kelly Weigel (2019) — Interim Executive
- Former: Roberta Phillip-Robbins JD (2019) — Executive Di
- Former: S. Brooks Nelson (2019) — Finance
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 $436K, to Se-Ah-Dom Edmo (Executive Director (See Sch J)). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Seeding Justice
How much does Seeding Justice give each year?
Seeding Justice gave $5.8M across 153 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $17.8M across 153 grants.
What is Seeding Justice's typical grant size?
Seeding Justice's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $37,786, across 153 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Seeding Justice that year got $44K on average.
Where does Seeding Justice give grants?
Seeding Justice gives mostly in Oregon: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Washington (12%) and Idaho (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, OR (48 grants), Seattle, WA (10 grants), Eugene, OR (8 grants) and Salem, OR (5 grants).
Does Seeding Justice give general operating support?
Yes: 49% of Seeding Justice's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (75 of 153) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Project Support" (78 grants).
Who are Seeding Justice's largest grantees?
Seeding Justice's largest 2025 grantees include Latino Network ($223,166), The Raven Collective ($200,000) and Burns Paiute Tribe ($150,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 10% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Seeding Justice?
Seeding Justice reported $29.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $10.7M.
What does Seeding Justice fund?
Seeding Justice’s stated mission is to build collective power by transforming philanthropy and funding movements in pursuit of justice and liberation for all communities. It says the communities most impacted by injustice are best equipped to solve the issues they face. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Seeding Justice?
Seeding Justice has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check seedingjustice.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Seeding Justice's EIN?
Seeding Justice's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-0691187. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(9)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 30, 2026)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 30, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Seeding Justice's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Seeding Justice funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/seeding-justice-morg_a5d4b761c70549d3823cf93807ee1f8e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_930691187_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Seeding Justice funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/seeding-justice-morg_a5d4b761c70549d3823cf93807ee1f8e},
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 Seeding Justice'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.
Seeding Justice down — hundreds of funders to go?