Seeding Justice is a philanthropic grantmaking foundation based in Portland, Oregon, founded in 1976. Originally known as the McKenzie River Gathering Foundation (MRG Foundation), the organization rebranded to Seeding Justice in 2021. The organization describes itself as Oregon's leading funder of social change organizing, supported by hundreds of donors throughout the state.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$31.0M
-40.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$17.8M
-19.7% YoY
Grant Count
153
+28.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$116K
-37.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: Seeding Justice builds collective power by transforming philanthropy and funding movements in the pursuit of justice and liberation for all communities. Programs are based on trust, relationships, and partnership, founded on the belief that communities most impacted by injustice are best equipped to solve the issues they face.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Social, racial, economic, disability, gender, and environmental justice
- Reproductive and birthing health services
- Child care capacity building
- Grassroots social change organizing
- Poverty, war, racism, homophobia, and environmental destruction
Grantmaking
Seeding Justice operates a participatory grantmaking program that cedes decision-making power to those most impacted by injustice. Activist grantmakers award grants to grassroots groups, with an emphasis on seed funding and support for emerging organizations.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Seeding Justice primarily funds organizations in Oregon, with additional grantmaking activity in Washington and California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $30,958,925
- Total Giving: $18,172,403
- Total Revenues: $31,319,382
- Total Expenses: $22,478,362
Historical Financial Data (2021-2022):
- 2022 Assets: $17,520,565
- 2022 Revenue: $8,839,824
- 2022 Expenses: $6,052,898
Rating: Seeding Justice holds a Four-Star rating with a 96% score, reflecting strong accountability and financial practices.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $30,958,925 | $52,280,746 | $22,366,853 |
| Revenue | $31,319,382 | $25,654,415 | $5,863,441 |
| Expenses | $22,478,362 | $25,793,681 | $4,803,510 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $312,482 | $597,693 | $192,356 |
| 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
8 open opportunities from Seeding Justice
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Basic Rights Oregon Education Fund ($500,000), Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon ($500,000), Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation ($500,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACCENT NETWORK LAKE OSWEGO, OR | PROJECT SUPPORT | $70,776 |
| ACCESS MEDFORD, OR | PROJECT SUPPORT | $15,733 |
| ACLU FOUNDATION OF OREGON PORTLAND, OR | PROJECT SUPPORT | $11,250 |
| AHIVOY DUNDEE, OR | OPERATING SUPPORT | $15,000 |
| ANGELS PLAY HOUSE SALEM, OR | CHILDCARE PROGRAM SERVICES SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| APANO COMMUNITIES UNITED FUND PORTLAND, OR | PROJECT SUPPORT | $145,478 |
| BASIC RIGHTS OREGON EDUCATION FUND PORTLAND, OR | PROJECT SUPPORT | $500,000 |
| BELOVED BUILDERS FLORENCE, MA | PROJECT SUPPORT | $19,000 |
| BETTER TOGETHER CENTRAL OREGON REDMOND, OR | PROJECT SUPPORT | $45,000 |
| BEYOND THESE WALLS PORTLAND, OR | OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Se-ah-dom Edmo - Executive Director
- Jody Marshall - Co-Director
- Chris Baker - Grantmaker
- Davis Esther Rose - Grantmaker
- Abigail Sarmac - Board Member
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JAYLYN SUPPAH | TREASURER/CHAIR | 2 | $900 |
| MONICA SHO BREWER | SECRETARY | 2 | $900 |
| LIZ FOUTHER-BRANCH | BOARD DIRECTOR | 2 | $900 |
| ANA MOLINA | BOARD DIRECTOR | 4 | $2,680 |
| CRYSTALLEE CRAIN | CHAIR/TREASURER | 4 | — |
| ESPERANZA TERVALON | BOARD DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| RICARDO LUJAN-VALERIO | BOARD DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| RYAN CURREN | BOARD DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| LAURIE TRIEGER | BOARD DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| TAMIA DEARY | BOARD DIRECTOR | 4 | — |
| SE-AH-DOM EDMO | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 32 | $183,192 |
| SANDEE HUANG | FINANCE AND OPERATIONS DIRECTOR | 32 | $126,276 |
| DENA ZALDUA | DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR | 32 | $127,909 |
| VIOLETA RUBIANI | PROGRAM DIRECTOR | 32 | $122,583 |
| SAMANTHA BAKALL | COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR | 32 | $107,835 |
| RAMON VALDEZ | STRATEGIC INITIATIVE DIRECTOR | 32 | $105,633 |
| JODY MARSHALL | PROGRAM DIRECTOR | 32 | $111,199 |
Contact Information
- Phone: 503-289-1517
- Email: info@seedingjustice.org
- Address: 510 SW 3rd Ave Ste 300, Portland, OR 97204-2508
- Website: seedingjustice.org
- EIN: 93-0691187
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Seeding Justice fund?
**Mission Statement:** Seeding Justice builds collective power by transforming philanthropy and funding movements in the pursuit of justice and liberation for all communities. Programs are based on trust, relationships, and partnership, founded on the belief that communities most impacted by injustice are best equipped to solve the issues they face. **Primary Focus Areas:** • Social, racial, economic, disability, gender, and environmental justice • Reproductive and birthing health services • Ch…
How do I apply for a grant from Seeding Justice?
**Participatory Grantmaking Model:** Seeding Justice operates a participatory grantmaking program that cedes decision-making power to those most impacted by injustice. Activist grantmakers award grants to grassroots groups, with an emphasis on seed funding and support for emerging organizations. **Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $6,000 to $1,800,000. **Annual Giving:** The organization awards over $500,000 each year through its core participatory grantmaking program. **Active Grant O…
Where does Seeding Justice make grants?
Seeding Justice primarily funds organizations in Oregon, with additional grantmaking activity in Washington and California.
What size grants does Seeding Justice award?
In 2024, Seeding Justice awarded 153 grants totaling $17.8M — an average of about $116K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
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 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Seeding Justice's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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