The Autzen Foundation
The Autzen Foundation is a private foundation based in Portland, Oregon. Since 1951, it has supported charitable work intended to make Oregon a better place, primarily through grants to smaller nonprofit organizations.
The Autzen Foundation at a glance
In short: The Autzen Foundation gave $1.8M across 305 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), mostly in Oregon. 45% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,818,840
- +9.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 305
- -7.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,963
- +18.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $24,919,861
- +213.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (135 of 299, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Oregon (98% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Autzen Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Submit an application through the online grants management system during an open cycle. The foundation’s website describes an initial letter of inquiry (LOI) deadline followed by a full application deadline.
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 cycle deadlines are: Spring—LOI January 5 and full application January 12; Summer—LOI May 29 and full application June 12; Fall—LOI September 4 and full application September 11. The website lists awards as announced by April 1, September 1, and December 1, respectively.
- Deadline
- The 2026 cycle deadlines are: Spring—LOI January 5 and full application January 12; Summer—LOI May 29 and full…
- Contact
Application contact: Gretchen Kent Executive Grants Admi
Mailing address: 2455 Nw Marshall Street Suite 9, Portland, OR 97210
Phone: (503) 226-6051
Email: gretchen@autzenfoundation.org
Website: https://autzenfoundation.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 The Autzen Foundation
Who The Autzen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Oregon Foundation ($30K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $147K.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 individual scholarships ($60,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
1,414 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1,414 grants of 1,414 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s eligibility criteria require applicants to serve residents of Oregon or southwest Washington’s Clark County. In 2024, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oregon, 2% to California, and less than 1% to Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 305 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Autzen Foundation open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 135 of 299 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 33% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+5%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.5M (2020) to $1.8M (2022). In 2024 it made 305 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $50,000 |
| University of Oregon Foundation Eugene, OR | 2024 General Scholarship Fund | $25,000 |
| St John Fisher School Portland, OR | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Seaside Kids Inc Seaside, OR | Seaside kids lighthouse field development - perimeter and backstop fencing project | $15,000 |
| California Trout San Francisco, CA | General Operation Support | $15,000 |
| Wildlife Center of the North Coast Astoria, OR | Native wildlife rehabilitation and conservation education at wildlife center of the north coast | $11,667 |
| St Patrick School Larkspur, CA | General Operating Support | $11,500 |
| Nehalem Bay Health Center & Pharmacy Wheeler, OR | Improving Rural Health Care on Oregons North Coast | $10,892 |
| North Portland Soccer Club Portland, OR | North Portland Schools Fields Project | $10,832 |
| Borland Free Clinic Tualatin, OR | Borland free clinic women's health program: closing gaps in cancer screening for women | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $24,919,861 | $19,090,734 | $2,235,544 | $1,818,840 | 305 | $1,899,147 | $19,018,756 | $1,822,128 |
| 2023 | $7,950,301 | $1,291,376 | $1,830,293 | $1,665,621 | 331 | $1,751,107 | $1,229,236 | $1,810,839 |
| 2022 | $8,515,948 | $3,445,597 | $2,010,150 | $1,831,266 | 264 | $1,903,562 | $3,386,236 | $1,821,339 |
| 2021 | $7,065,374 | $1,762,573 | $1,868,987 | $1,724,725 | 266 | $1,791,837 | $1,709,119 | $1,886,053 |
| 2020 | $7,155,686 | $991,021 | $1,614,137 | $1,487,054 | 248 | — | $940,856 | $1,531,402 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Autzen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2024 — 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 mission is “supporting charitable work that makes Oregon a better place.” It primarily awards grants to small nonprofit organizations working in social services, arts and culture, education, environmental initiatives, and youth-centered fields.
Examples of 2024 grantees illustrate the range of supported work. The Wildlife Center of the North Coast describes its mission as wildlife rehabilitation, education, and research; North Portland Soccer Club focuses on making youth soccer accessible and developing players’ skills; and Ethos describes its mission as promoting music and music-based education for youth in underserved communities. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not additional statements of the foundation’s own priorities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 305 grants totaling $1,818,840. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
Among the largest 2024 awards were $25,000 each to Portland State University Foundation, University of Oregon Foundation, and Oregon State University Foundation for scholarship support; $15,000 to St John Fisher School for general operating support; and $15,000 to Seaside Kids Inc. for a field development project. Other notable awards included $11,667 to Wildlife Center of the North Coast for wildlife rehabilitation and conservation education and $10,892 to Nehalem Bay Health Center & Pharmacy to improve rural health care on Oregon’s North Coast.
Applicants may include IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charities in good standing, churches and religious organizations meeting the IRS definition, and governmental entities such as public schools, municipalities, and state agencies. A 501(c)(3) organization must have held that status for at least two years. Applicants must provide services directly to Oregon or southwest Washington residents. The foundation does not accept applications through fiscal sponsors; the applying organization must be the one receiving and managing the grant.
Applications are submitted through the online grants management system. The filing lists requested materials including a board of directors listing, organization budget, statement of activities, and most recent Form 990 filing. Grants are for a single year; multi-year commitments are not made. Organizations may apply once per year, and returning grantees must submit a final report before reapplying. The foundation does not fund individuals, fundraising events, or projects primarily seeking to influence elections or legislation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Peter Ulman as president; Zachary Patton as vice president; Kristen Patton as secretary/treasurer; and Matt Patton and Thomas J. Autzen as directors.
The Autzen Foundation is led by Peter Ulman, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); all 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Peter Ulman
President
Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$595 (2020) → $595 (2024)
Matt Patton
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$595 (2020) → $595 (2024)
Thomas J. Autzen
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$595 (2020) → $595 (2024)
Zachary Patton
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$595 (2020) → $595 (2024)
Kristen Patton
Secretary & Treasurer
Director → Treasurer & Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$595 (2021) → $595 (2024)
Former officers (6)
- Former: Phillip Patton (2020–2023) — President
- Former: Robert Patton (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Wendy Ulman (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Sam Houser (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Christina A. Grady (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Kristen Story (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $595, to Peter Ulman (President). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Autzen Foundation
How much does The Autzen Foundation give each year?
The Autzen Foundation gave $1.8M across 305 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.7M across 331 grants.
What is The Autzen Foundation's typical grant size?
The Autzen Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,963, across 305 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Autzen Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Autzen Foundation give grants?
The Autzen Foundation gives mostly in Oregon: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, OR (104 grants), Eugene, OR (28 grants), Bend, OR (12 grants) and Astoria, OR (7 grants).
Does The Autzen Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 13% of The Autzen Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (39 of 305) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Autzen Foundation's largest grantees?
The Autzen Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University of Oregon Foundation ($30,000 across 2 grants), Seaside Kids Inc ($20,000 across 2 grants) and St John Fisher School ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 4 individual scholarships ($60,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 4% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Autzen Foundation?
The Autzen Foundation reported $24.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Autzen Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is “supporting charitable work that makes Oregon a better place.” It primarily awards grants to small nonprofit organizations working in social services, arts and culture, education, environmental initiatives, and youth-centered fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Autzen Foundation?
Submit an application through the online grants management system during an open cycle. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Autzen Foundation's EIN?
The Autzen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-6021333. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Autzen Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Autzen Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-autzen-foundation-morg_060d03de3a254e338ab7eb3fa7ab556e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_936021333_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Autzen Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-autzen-foundation-morg_060d03de3a254e338ab7eb3fa7ab556e},
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 The Autzen 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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