The Alben Foundation
The Alben Foundation is a private foundation whose 2025 filing lists Seattle, Washington, as its location. The foundation’s website says it was founded by Alex and Susan Alben in 2020 and is based in Southern California. Its stated mission is to improve people’s lives by humanizing technology and encouraging diversity in the creation of systems and applications.
The Alben Foundation at a glance
In short: The Alben Foundation gave $98K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Washington. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $97,710
- -5.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,886
- +4.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,700
- Total assets
- $558,977
- -13.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (5 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (70% 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 The Alben Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its filing lists a letter as the application material, Alex Alben as the contact, and no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Alex Alben
Mailing address: 712 Lake Washington Blvd S, Seattle, WA 98144
Phone: (206) 890-1000
Website: https://www.albenfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Alben Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Ai Forum ($52K). Together the top 10 received $92K.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 99 grants of 100 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing shows that 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, 13% to California, 6% to Idaho, 5% to Maryland, and 4% to New York. These figures describe the locations of 2025 grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Alben Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 20 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $2K repeat.
- 65% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 121% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 245% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $34K (2020) to $103K (2024). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $98K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Ai Forum Seattle, WA | Continue Foundation's Mission | $51,500 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Continue Foundation's Mission | $10,000 |
| The Sun Valley Writers Conference Ketchum, ID | Continue Foundation's Mission | $6,200 |
| American Cancer Society Hagerstown, MD | Continue Foundation's Mission | $5,000 |
| American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals New York, NY | Continue Foundation's Mission | $4,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Spokane, WA | Continue Foundation's Mission | $4,000 |
| Pawsitive Alliance Bellevue, WA | Continue Foundation's Mission | $3,650 |
| Gage Academy of the Arts Seattle, WA | Continue Foundation's Mission | $2,936 |
| Hillel at UCLA Los Angeles, CA | Continue Foundation's Mission | $2,400 |
| Fred Hutch Seattle, WA | Continue Foundation's Mission | $1,900 |
Ready to take the next step with The Alben 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 | $558,977 | $33,707 | $103,258 | $97,710 | 20 | $103,258 | $33,707 | $42,159 |
| 2024 | $642,465 | $69,344 | $123,167 | $103,300 | 22 | $123,167 | $69,344 | $42,282 |
| 2023 | $694,963 | $19,506 | $115,025 | $44,455 | 18 | $112,666 | $18,083 | $43,185 |
| 2022 | $823,633 | $89,587 | $137,744 | $44,251 | 23 | $137,744 | $88,357 | $47,873 |
| 2021 | $904,422 | $173,553 | $199,169 | $68,217 | 17 | $198,388 | $169,365 | $60,017 |
| 2020 | $1,291,719 | $151,305 | $115,845 | $33,780 | 15 | — | $143,051 | $52,430 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Alben Foundation reported a distributable amount of $42K 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 says it seeks to bridge the gap between technology’s intentions and its impact on people. Its stated values include inclusion and diversity in data science, transparency and awareness of privacy practices, and engaging citizens in their digital journeys.
The website describes a Women in Data Science initiative launched in 2020 and marked “Ended.” It focused on mentorship, scholarships, curriculum development, and helping women enter data-science careers. The website also describes a privacy-education initiative, started in Q2 2020, focused on public awareness of data protection, consent, and privacy policy.
The 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Pawsitive Alliance says its work aims to reduce euthanasia of dogs and cats in Washington through adoptions, spay-and-neuter programs, and education. Hillel at UCLA describes its mission as supporting Jewish student life, learning, and community. Other 2025 recipients include organizations whose stated missions include reducing gun violence, providing free mosaic-art workshops to low-income and formerly homeless people, and advancing the rule of law worldwide.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $97,710 through 20 grants. Grants ranged from $100 to $51,500, with a median grant of $1,700.
The largest reported grants included $51,500 to The AI Forum in Seattle, $10,000 to Stanford University, $6,200 to The Sun Valley Writers Conference, $5,000 to the American Cancer Society, and $4,000 each to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Planned Parenthood. Other listed grants included $3,650 to Pawsitive Alliance, $2,936 to Gage Academy of the Arts, $2,400 to Hillel at UCLA, and $1,900 to Fred Hutch. The filing gives the purpose for these grants as “continue foundation’s mission.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Alex Alben as president and Susan Alben as secretary.
The Alben Foundation is led by Alex Alben, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alex Alben
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Alben
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Alben Foundation
How much does The Alben Foundation give each year?
The Alben Foundation gave $98K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $103K across 22 grants.
What is The Alben Foundation's typical grant size?
The Alben Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,700, and its average grant was $4,886, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Alben Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Alben Foundation give grants?
The Alben Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (13%) and Idaho (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (8 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does The Alben Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on The Alben Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Continue Foundation's Mission" (20 grants).
Who are The Alben Foundation's largest grantees?
The Alben Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Ai Forum ($51,500), Stanford University ($10,000) and The Sun Valley Writers Conference ($6,200), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Alben Foundation?
The Alben Foundation reported $559K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $103K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $42K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Alben Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website says it seeks to bridge the gap between technology’s intentions and its impact on people. Its stated values include inclusion and diversity in data science, transparency and awareness of privacy practices, and engaging citizens in their digital journeys. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Alben Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Alben Foundation's EIN?
The Alben Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-3577266. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Alben 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Alben Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Alben Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Alben Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-alben-foundation-morg_17ad3e2446e14622a93b1eb111f3ff6b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_833577266_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Alben Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-alben-foundation-morg_17ad3e2446e14622a93b1eb111f3ff6b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 The Alben 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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