The Dimmer Family Foundation
The Dimmer Family Foundation is based in Tacoma, Washington. Founded in 1993 by John C. and Marilyn J. Dimmer, it supports charitable organizations primarily in Tacoma-Pierce County and has awarded more than $15 million since its founding.
Key facts about The Dimmer Family Foundation
In short: The Dimmer Family Foundation gave $305K across 82 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), mostly in Washington. 9% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 91-1622059
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $305,280
- Grants made (2024)
- 82
- Average grant
- $3,723
- Median grant
- $2,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (7 of 82, 2024)
- Total assets
- $14,486,375
- Primary geography
- Washington (77% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The application process is closed. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; 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 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$14.5M
+3.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$305K
-57.7% YoY
Grant Count
82
-6.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$4K
-54.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Dimmer Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $802K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Dimmer Family Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 82 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 83% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 21% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 46% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its giving includes a range of charitable fields and reflects the diverse interests of family members.
The 2024 grantees illustrate that breadth. For example, GreenTrike describes its mission as honoring children and youth and championing play; Mary Bridge Children’s Foundation says it partners for healing and a healthy future through philanthropy; and College Success Foundation describes providing supports and scholarships to help underserved, low-income students finish high school and graduate from college. Other 2024 recipients included organizations whose own missions concern animal care, military remembrance, veterans’ well-being, and support for people with ALS and their families.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 82 grants totaling $305,280. Grants ranged from $250 to $25,000, with a median of $2,500.
Invitation Only
is closed. The Board considers a few new requests each year. Interested organizations are encouraged to inquire by email; if an organization meets the foundation’s geographic criteria and there is interest, it may be invited to meet with the Executive Director or submit an application without a meeting. Requests submitted without an invitation from the Executive Director or a Board member are generally not considered. The Board meets at least twice a year, with most grants made at its spring meeting in the second quarter and another meeting in the fourth quarter. In unusual urgent cases, the foundation may consider a request between meetings. Invited applications should include a 1–2 page cover letter identifying the organization and specific request, a board list, an IRS tax-exempt letter if the organization is not a prior recipient, and an organizational budget plus a project or improvement budget where applicable. Previously supported organizations are encouraged to provide periodic updates or schedule a meeting with the Executive Director; they are not asked to request a grant every year.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Dimmer Family Foundation
Ready to take the next step with The Dimmer Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it generally considers organizations serving Tacoma-Pierce County. Its 2024 grant dollars went primarily to Washington recipients (77%) and Oregon recipients (16%); smaller shares went to Virginia (2%), North Carolina (2%), and Georgia (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 82 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $294K (2022) to $721K (2023). In 2024 it made 82 grants totaling $305K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Oregon ($25K). Together the top 10 received $115K.
Grant Size Distribution
464 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 458 grants of 464 (99%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Oregon Eugene, OR | General | $25,000 |
| Lewis & Clark Law School Portland, OR | General | $15,000 |
| Greentrike Tacoma, WA | General | $13,830 |
| Mary Bridge Children's Foundation Tacoma, WA | General | $10,100 |
| Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound Tacoma, WA | General | $10,000 |
| College Success Foundation Tacoma, WA | General | $10,000 |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Coe Tacoma, WA | General | $10,000 |
| YMCA of Pierce & Kitsap Counties Tacoma, WA | General | $9,200 |
| Humane Society of Pierce County Tacoma, WA | General | $6,000 |
| Rotary Club of Tacoma #8 Tacoma, WA | General | $5,900 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $14,486,375 | $1,876,771 | $573,147 | $305,280 (82 grants) |
| 2023 | $14,049,671 | $9,519,790 | $947,216 | $721,119 (88 grants) |
| 2022 | $5,162,643 | $91,139 | $423,669 | $293,809 (84 grants) |
The filing type is 990T.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $14,486,375 | $14,049,671 | $5,162,643 |
| Revenue | $1,876,771 | $9,519,790 | $91,139 |
| Expenses | $573,147 | $947,216 | $423,669 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $368,880 | $790,143 | $355,189 |
| Net Investment Income | $495,205 | $74,403 | $72,381 |
| Distributable Amount | $801,540 | $317,252 | $212,045 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Diane C. Dimmer as Executive Director and Secretary, John B. Dimmer as President and Treasurer, and Carolyn Dimmer as Vice-President.
The Dimmer Family Foundation is led by Diane C. Dimmer, Executive Director & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Diane C. Dimmer
Executive Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $0 (2024)
John B. Dimmer
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Dimmer
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Marilyn Dimmer (2020–2022) — Vice President
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 2023 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $50K, to Diane C Dimmer (Executive Director).
Contact
Mailing address: 950 Pacific Ave 710, Tacoma, WA 98402-4492
Phone: (253) 572-4607
Website: https://dimmerfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about The Dimmer Family Foundation
How much does The Dimmer Family Foundation give each year?
The Dimmer Family Foundation gave $305K across 82 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $721K across 88 grants.
What is The Dimmer Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Dimmer Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $3,723, across 82 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Dimmer Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Dimmer Family Foundation give grants?
The Dimmer Family Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Oregon (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Tacoma, WA (51 grants), Lakewood, WA (4 grants), Portland, OR (3 grants) and Seattle, WA (3 grants).
Does The Dimmer Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Dimmer Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (82 of 82) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Dimmer Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Dimmer Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University of Oregon ($25,000), Lewis & Clark Law School ($15,000) and Greentrike ($13,830), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Dimmer Family Foundation?
The Dimmer Family Foundation reported $14.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $369K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $802K (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 Dimmer Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its giving includes a range of charitable fields and reflects the diverse interests of family members. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Dimmer Family Foundation?
The application process is closed. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Dimmer Family Foundation's EIN?
The Dimmer Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1622059. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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