The Baker Foundation
The Baker Foundation is a private foundation based in Tacoma, Washington. It supports 501(c)(3) organizations primarily serving youth in Pierce County, with funding directed to education, fine arts, and health care.
The Baker Foundation at a glance
In short: The Baker Foundation gave $262K across 34 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in Washington. 22% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $261,750
- -1.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,699
- -1.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,375
- Total assets
- $6,583,290
- +4.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (7 of 32, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Washington (100% 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 Baker Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Submit a proposal letter if applying for the first time or if declined for funding in the past year. Applicants invited to proceed should complete the foundation-provided application form and include the required materials listed above.
- Review Cycle
- The filing states there is no deadline. The grant program description says proposal letters are accepted year-round; formal application deadlines are not specified in the available information.
- Deadline
- The filing states there is no deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Sydney Parker
Mailing address: 1201 Pacific Avenue Suite 1475, Tacoma, WA 98402
Phone: (253) 383-7055
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 Baker Foundation
Who The Baker Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lindquist Dental ($35K). Together the top 10 received $137K.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($24,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
165 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 165 grants of 165 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated restrictions focus on organizations dedicated primarily to youth in Pierce County, Washington. All grant dollars reported for 2024 went to recipients in Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Baker Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 32 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 63% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 20% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 93% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $218K (2021) to $279K (2022). In 2024 it made 34 grants totaling $262K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lindquist Dental Tacoma, WA | Outreach | $35,000 |
| Tacoma Little Theater Tacoma, WA | Educational | $25,000 |
| Lincoln High School Tacoma, WA | Educational | $16,000 |
| Foss Waterway Tacoma, WA | Outreach | $10,000 |
| Northwest Furniture Bank Tacoma, WA | Outreach | $10,000 |
| Pacific Science Center Seattle, WA | Educational | $10,000 |
| 3 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $24,000 |
| Peninsula High School Wauna, WA | Scholarships | $8,000 |
| Stadium High School Tacoma, WA | Scholarships | $8,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound Tacoma, WA | DBM Memorial Golf Tournament/Project Learn | $7,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Baker 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,583,290 | $748,583 | $508,903 | $261,750 | 34 | $376,425 | $616,105 | $405,973 |
| 2023 | $6,327,888 | $263,578 | $513,041 | $265,000 | 34 | $381,781 | $186,695 | $375,778 |
| 2022 | $6,573,052 | $431,321 | $537,829 | $278,500 | 35 | $392,668 | $285,967 | $387,288 |
| 2021 | $6,670,644 | $1,241,943 | $467,720 | $218,000 | 30 | $333,116 | $524,139 | $403,070 |
| 2020 | $5,885,849 | $364,168 | $472,230 | $235,500 | 32 | — | $239,944 | $333,496 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Baker Foundation reported a distributable amount of $406K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated funding restrictions identify 501(c)(3) organizations dedicated primarily to Pierce County youth and addressing education, fine arts, or health care.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports. For example, Hilltop Artists in Residence describes its work as providing glass-arts instruction for students ages 12–25, while Living Voices describes its work as presenting educational programs that combine live theater, media, and discussion. Rebuilding Hope Sexual Assault Center says it provides advocacy and therapy for people affected by sexual assault, abuse, and commercial sexual exploitation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 34 grants totaling $261,750. Grants ranged from $500 to $35,000, with a median grant of $6,375. The largest awards included $35,000 to Lindquist Dental for outreach, $25,000 to Tacoma Little Theater for educational purposes, and $16,000 to Lincoln High School for educational purposes. Other awards included $10,000 each to Foss Waterway and Northwest Furniture Bank for outreach, and $10,000 to Pacific Science Center for educational purposes. Several high schools received $8,000 grants for scholarships.
The grant program description lists awards of $2,500–$10,000 for programs and $25,000 for capital projects. It says new applicants, or applicants declined in the past year, should submit a proposal letter summarizing the project. Proposal letters are accepted year-round; approval to submit a formal application may take up to six months. The filing says applicants should contact Sydney Parker and use an application form provided by the foundation. Required materials are a copy of the organization’s 501(c)(3) letter, a current financial statement or budget, a list of board members, and the director’s résumé. The filing’s stated restriction is that applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations dedicated primarily to Pierce County youth and specifically addressing education, fine arts, or health care.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert W Bethke as executive director and Melissa Nelson, Jay Prince, and Debra Prince as directors.
The Baker Foundation is led by Robert W. Bethke, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Robert W. Bethke
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$63K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Debra Prince
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jay Prince
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Nelson
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 2020 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2020 filing was $63K, to Robert W Bethke (Executive DIR).
Frequently asked questions about The Baker Foundation
How much does The Baker Foundation give each year?
The Baker Foundation gave $262K across 34 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $265K across 34 grants.
What is The Baker Foundation's typical grant size?
The Baker Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $6,375, and its average grant was $7,699, across 34 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Baker Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does The Baker Foundation give grants?
The Baker Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Tacoma, WA (26 grants) and Seattle, WA (3 grants).
Does The Baker Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 34 grants with a stated purpose on The Baker Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational" (11 grants), "Outreach" (10 grants) and "Scholarships" (5 grants).
Who are The Baker Foundation's largest grantees?
The Baker Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Lindquist Dental ($35,000), Tacoma Little Theater ($25,000) and Lincoln High School ($16,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($24,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Baker Foundation?
The Baker Foundation reported $6.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $376K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $406K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Baker Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated funding restrictions identify 501(c)(3) organizations dedicated primarily to Pierce County youth and addressing education, fine arts, or health care. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Baker Foundation?
Submit a proposal letter if applying for the first time or if declined for funding in the past year. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Baker Foundation's EIN?
The Baker Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3027892. 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 October 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 Baker Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Baker Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-baker-foundation-morg_1b56b907af8a474f91556fdeef82c74e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943027892_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Baker Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-baker-foundation-morg_1b56b907af8a474f91556fdeef82c74e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Baker 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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