The Darby Foundation
The Darby Foundation is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington.
The Darby Foundation at a glance
In short: The Darby Foundation gave $625K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $42K), mostly in New York. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $624,500
- -14.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $41,633
- -14.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Total assets
- $1,121,121
- +12.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (50% 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 Darby 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2201 Fairview Ave E 3, Seattle, WA 98102
Phone: (360) 306-8566
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Darby Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lambda Legal ($150K). Together the top 10 received $585K.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 74 (73%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in multiple states. New York received 50% of grant dollars, Washington 13%, Maryland 10%, the District of Columbia 7%, and New Jersey 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Darby Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 15 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $44K. How we count
Medians: $26K first-time, $35K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 132% 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 $625K (2025) to $985K (2023). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $625K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lambda Legal New York, NY | LGBTQ+ Rights | $150,000 |
| Artistic Freedom Initiative Brooklyn, NY | Protection of Artists from Political Persecution | $90,000 |
| Rainforest Foundation US Brooklyn, NY | Environmental Protection | $75,000 |
| Polaris Village Ministries Easton, MD | Socially Just Early Education | $60,000 |
| North Cascades Institute Sedro-Woolley, WA | Environmental Education | $50,000 |
| Share My Meals Princeton, NJ | Food Support | $40,000 |
| World Food Program Washington, DC | Food Support | $40,000 |
| Harwich Conservation Trust South Harwich, MA | Land Preservation | $35,000 |
| Grand Canyon Trust Flagstaff, AZ | Colorado Plateau Environmental Advocacy | $30,000 |
| American Indian College Fund Denver, CO | Educational Scholarships | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Darby 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 | $1,121,121 | $756,048 | $632,574 | $624,500 | 15 | $629,722 | $756,048 | $478,679 |
| 2024 | $997,647 | $625,333 | $754,656 | $730,000 | 15 | $734,951 | $625,333 | $538,837 |
| 2023 | $1,126,970 | $1,046,396 | $996,889 | $985,000 | 14 | $989,800 | $1,046,396 | $491,777 |
| 2022 | $1,077,463 | $674,022 | $649,315 | $635,000 | 15 | $639,400 | $674,022 | $456,327 |
| 2021 | $1,052,756 | $839,893 | $700,710 | $677,500 | 15 | $681,901 | $839,893 | $569,312 |
| 2020 | $913,573 | $965,057 | $923,107 | $899,960 | 20 | — | $965,057 | $491,224 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Darby Foundation reported a distributable amount of $479K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in several fields. For example, Artistic Freedom Initiative says it assists artists whose freedom of expression has been restricted; North Cascades Institute says it inspires environmental stewardship through learning experiences in nature; and Share My Meals says it works to address food insecurity and food waste. The American Indian College Fund says it invests in Native students and tribal college education.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $624,500. Individual grants ranged from $5,000 to $150,000, with a median of $35,000. Notable grants included $150,000 to Lambda Legal for LGBTQ+ rights, $90,000 to Artistic Freedom Initiative for protection of artists from political persecution, $75,000 to Rainforest Foundation US for environmental protection, and $60,000 to Polaris Village Ministries for socially just early education. Other reported grants included $50,000 to North Cascades Institute, $40,000 each to Share My Meals and the World Food Program, and $35,000 to Harwich Conservation Trust.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Maureen E Ryan as president and board chair, Christopher Wade as secretary and director, and Kara Nygaard as treasurer and director.
The Darby Foundation is led by Maureen E. Ryan, President & Board Chair since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Maureen E. Ryan
President & Board Chair
Executive Director & Board → President & Board Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kara Nygaard
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Wade
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2023
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Carolyn McBride (2020–2022) — Secretary & Director
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 Darby Foundation
How much does The Darby Foundation give each year?
The Darby Foundation gave $625K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $730K across 15 grants.
What is The Darby Foundation's typical grant size?
The Darby Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $35,000, and its average grant was $41,633, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Darby Foundation that year got $26K on average.
Where does The Darby Foundation give grants?
The Darby Foundation gives mostly in New York: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Washington (13%) and Maryland (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Brooklyn, NY (2 grants), Easton, MD (2 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Seattle, WA (2 grants).
Does The Darby Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on The Darby Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Darby Foundation's largest grantees?
The Darby Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Lambda Legal ($150,000), Artistic Freedom Initiative ($90,000) and Rainforest Foundation US ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Darby Foundation?
The Darby Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $630K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $479K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Darby Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in several fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Darby 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 Darby Foundation's EIN?
The Darby Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 80-0089734. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Darby 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 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Darby Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Darby Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-darby-foundation-morg_acdcf50960d6428f8437f73e4e273ef4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_800089734_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Darby Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-darby-foundation-morg_acdcf50960d6428f8437f73e4e273ef4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Darby 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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