The Helen Johnston Foundation
The Helen Johnston Foundation is a private foundation based in Snohomish, Washington. Its 2024 filing records contributions to selected charitable organizations, including support for museum activity and an elementary-school artwork installation.
The Helen Johnston Foundation at a glance
In short: The Helen Johnston Foundation gave $97K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in Washington. 31% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $97,050
- -17.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -27.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,465
- +14.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $2,220,563
- +8.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (4 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (67% 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 Helen Johnston 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: 721 Bailey Ave, Snohomish, WA 98290
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Helen Johnston Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Mohai ($27K). Together the top 10 received $95K.
Grant Size Distribution
56 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 56 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 67% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, 26% to recipients in Massachusetts, and 7% to recipients in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Helen Johnston Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 13 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 69% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 92% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% 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 $51K (2021) to $118K (2023). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $97K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mohai Seattle, WA | Suppport of the Museum OPF History and Industry | $27,450 |
| Road Scholarelder Hostel Boston, MA | Support of Travel for the Elderly | $25,000 |
| Bennett Elementary Bellevue, WA | Cirriculum Development | $20,600 |
| Cascadia Art Museum Edmonds, WA | Suupport of Display of Richard Bennetts Artwork | $5,000 |
| Home Together Seattle, WA | Suoport of st housing for families for lt patients | $5,000 |
| Tunnels to Towers Staten Island, NY | Assistance for Disabled War Vets and 1ST Responder | $4,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Medical Aid Throughout the World | $3,000 |
| Riverside Elementary PT0 Snohomish, WA | Ciriculum Development | $2,000 |
| St Michael Parish Olympia, WA | Support of the Catholic Faith | $2,000 |
| Camp Prime Time Seattle, WA | Overnight Camping for Children Impacted by Cancer | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Helen Johnston 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 | $2,220,563 | $98,034 | $132,107 | $97,050 | 13 | $108,344 | $68,680 | $114,150 |
| 2023 | $2,038,433 | $90,955 | $143,533 | $117,500 | 18 | $117,500 | $53,527 | $110,561 |
| 2022 | $2,119,075 | $66,587 | $105,520 | $78,850 | 13 | $84,760 | $38,119 | $115,283 |
| 2021 | $2,157,505 | $203,968 | $77,025 | $50,500 | 8 | $50,500 | $38,888 | $119,952 |
| 2020 | $2,090,003 | $15,994 | $75,989 | $51,000 | 4 | — | $34,149 | $107,629 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Helen Johnston Foundation reported a distributable amount of $114K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants supported organizations and activities involving history and museums, education, travel for older adults, housing assistance, veterans and first responders, international medical aid, faith, arts, and community services. These examples describe its recorded giving, not a stated foundation mission.
Cascadia Art Museum, which received $5,000 in 2024, describes itself as an educational nonprofit celebrating the visual arts of the Northwest through exhibitions, public programs, and educational outreach. This is the grantee’s description of its own mission.
Grantmaking
The foundation awarded 13 grants totaling $97,050 in 2024. Grants ranged from $500 to $27,450, with a median grant of $3,000. Its largest reported grants were $27,450 to MOHAI for support of the Museum of History and Industry, $25,000 to Road Scholar/Elderhostel for travel for older adults, and $20,600 to Bennett Elementary for curriculum development. Other reported grants included $5,000 to Cascadia Art Museum and $5,000 to Home Together.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michael Green as director and Patricia Green as president, director, and treasurer.
The Helen Johnston Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michael Green
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patricia Green
Presdirsectreas
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$6K (2022) → $0 (2024)
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 $6K, to Patricia Green (Presdirsectreas).
Frequently asked questions about The Helen Johnston Foundation
How much does The Helen Johnston Foundation give each year?
The Helen Johnston Foundation gave $97K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $118K across 18 grants.
What is The Helen Johnston Foundation's typical grant size?
The Helen Johnston Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $3,000, and its average grant was $7,465, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Helen Johnston Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Helen Johnston Foundation give grants?
The Helen Johnston Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (26%) and New York (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (5 grants).
Does The Helen Johnston Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Helen Johnston Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Helen Johnston Foundation's largest grantees?
The Helen Johnston Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Mohai ($27,450), Road Scholarelder Hostel ($25,000) and Bennett Elementary ($20,600), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Helen Johnston Foundation?
The Helen Johnston Foundation reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $108K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $114K (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 Helen Johnston Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants supported organizations and activities involving history and museums, education, travel for older adults, housing assistance, veterans and first responders, international medical aid, faith, arts, and community services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Helen Johnston 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 Helen Johnston Foundation's EIN?
The Helen Johnston Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-5189521. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Helen Johnston 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Helen Johnston Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-helen-johnston-foundation-morg_0c840f743516470f914cded6b63f7d11
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_465189521_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Helen Johnston Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-helen-johnston-foundation-morg_0c840f743516470f914cded6b63f7d11},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Helen Johnston 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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