The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation
The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation is a Seattle, Washington-based private foundation that supports artists and arts organizations, arts education, and art-making programs intended to enhance quality of life for people including older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities. The foundation was formed in 2009, and its filing type is Form 990-PF (a private foundation).
Key facts about The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation
In short: The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation gave $744K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $41K), mostly in Washington. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 27-0771638
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $744,400
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- Average grant
- $41,356
- Median grant
- $25,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (3 of 13, 2025)
- Total assets
- $1,676,676
- Primary geography
- Washington (91% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.7M
-15.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$744K
+63.1% YoY
Grant Count
18
+50.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$41K
+8.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation reported a distributable amount of $120K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 13 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $71K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $42K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 106% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 626% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to inspire and educate the public regarding all forms of art and to support artists and arts organizations. Its website describes support for artist programs, youth arts education, and art-making experiences for older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities.
Examples of supported organizations include Artist Trust, which says it supports artists’ livelihoods across disciplines to help create a more vibrant and equitable Washington State; Seattle Repertory Theatre, which says it collaborates with artists on productions and programs reflecting the region’s diverse culture and perspectives; and Pratt Fine Arts Center, which says it provides access to artistic expression through an inclusive community, learning, and equipped studios. Path with Art describes its work as fostering restoration from trauma through arts engagement and community building. Museum of Glass says its mission is to ignite creativity, fuel discovery, and enrich lives through glass and glassmaking.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $744,400. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $250,000, with a median grant of $25,000. Larger awards included $250,000 to Hilltop Artists for a reserve fund grant, $75,000 to Hilltop Artists for general support, $75,000 to Seattle Repertory Theatre for Act I of its campaign, $59,000 to Artist Trust for the Artist Innovator Award, and $50,000 each to Museum of Glass and Path with Art. The 2025 filing also lists $30,000 to Classical KING FM 98.1 for general support and $25,000 to Idaho Basecamp for general support.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, 4% to New Mexico, 3% to Idaho, and 1% to the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $361K (2022) to $744K (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $744K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hilltop Artists ($325K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $729K.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 47 grants of 71 (66%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hilltop Artists Tacoma, WA | Reserve Fund Grant | $250,000 |
| Hilltop Artists Tacoma, WA | General Support | $75,000 |
| Seattle Repertory Theatre Seattle, WA | Act I of the Campaign for Seattle Rep | $75,000 |
| Artist Trust Seattle, WA | Artist Innovator Award | $59,000 |
| Museum of Glass Tacoma, WA | Hotshop Heroes: Healing with Fire Program | $50,000 |
| Path with Art Seattle, WA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Classical King FM 981 Seattle, WA | General Support | $30,000 |
| Path with Art Seattle, WA | Art Ball | $27,400 |
| Seattle Repertory Theatre Seattle, WA | General Siupport | $25,000 |
| Idaho Basecamp Ketchum, ID | General Support | $25,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,676,676 | $586,641 | $754,950 | $744,400 | 18 |
| 2024 | $1,984,228 | $566,912 | $481,747 | $456,500 | 12 |
| 2023 | $2,022,777 | $255,128 | $450,989 | $413,500 | 14 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,676,676 | $1,984,228 | $2,022,777 |
| Revenue | $586,641 | $566,912 | $255,128 |
| Expenses | $754,950 | $481,747 | $450,989 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $748,568 | $470,946 | $446,044 |
| Net Investment Income | $329,593 | $60,689 | $219,351 |
| Distributable Amount | $119,556 | $133,010 | $119,381 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dale P. Chihuly as chair, Leslie Jackson Chihuly as CEO, Michael Tobiason as president, and Marney Zellers as vice president, secretary, and treasurer.
The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation is led by Leslie Jackson Chihuly, CEO on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Leslie Jackson Chihuly
CEO
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Tobiason
President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dale P. Chihuly
Chair
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marney Zellers
Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer
Secretary & Treasurer → Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Terri Maupin (2020–2024) — Vice President
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 1111 Nw 50Th Street, Seattle, WA 98107-5120
Phone: (206) 781-8707
Website: https://www.chihulyfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation
How much does The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation give each year?
The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation gave $744K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $457K across 12 grants.
What is The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation's typical grant size?
The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $41,356, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation give grants?
The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (10 grants), Tacoma, WA (4 grants) and Santa Fe, NM (2 grants).
Does The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 33% of The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation's largest grantees?
The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Hilltop Artists ($325,000 across 2 grants), Seattle Repertory Theatre ($100,000 across 2 grants) and Path with Art ($77,400 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 67% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation?
The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $749K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $120K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to inspire and educate the public regarding all forms of art and to support artists and arts organizations. Its website describes support for artist programs, youth arts education, and art-making experiences for older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation?
The foundation 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 Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation's EIN?
The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-0771638. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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