The Jackson Foundation
The Jackson Foundation is a private foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations that were overwhelmingly located in Oregon, including arts and culture organizations, public media, and a food bank.
The Jackson Foundation at a glance
In short: The Jackson Foundation gave $800K across 150 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Oregon. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $800,000
- +54.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 150
- +42.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,333
- +8.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,500
- Total assets
- $12,175,808
- +0.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (28 of 149, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Oregon (93% 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 Jackson Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. A formal application is available on request. Grants are made only to 501(c)(3) organizations classified as non-private foundations whose exemption letter shows them to be Oregon organizations. Requests may be submitted at any time and are reviewed at spring, fall, and winter meetings. The foundation says requests for general operating purposes, staff salaries, and similar costs do not generally have the same priority as requests for one-time special projects or developmental projects.
- Contact
Application contact: The Jackson Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 3168, Portland, OR 97208
Phone: (503) 275-6564
Website: https://jackson-foundation.com
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 Jackson Foundation
Who The Jackson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Portland Art Museum ($21K). Together the top 10 received $176K.
Grant Size Distribution
661 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 661 grants of 661 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oregon. California received 3%, while Texas, Arkansas, and Washington each received 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 150 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Jackson Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 28 of 149 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 43% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 114% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $517K (2024) to $800K (2025). In 2025 it made 150 grants totaling $800K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Portland Art Museum Portland, OR | General Operating | $21,000 |
| OPB Portland, OR | General Operating | $20,000 |
| Oregon Symphony Association Portland, OR | General Operating | $20,000 |
| All Classical Radio Portland, OR | General Operating | $20,000 |
| Oregon Arts Watch Portland, OR | General Operating | $20,000 |
| Literary Arts Portland, OR | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Oregon Shakespeare Festival Ashland, OR | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Portland Opera Association Portland, OR | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Patricia Reser Center for the Arts Beaverton, OR | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Tides Foundation San Francisco, CA | General Operating | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Jackson 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 | $12,175,808 | $1,020,055 | $985,195 | $800,000 | 150 | $824,618 | $862,474 | $722,613 |
| 2024 | $12,125,897 | $435,824 | $692,693 | $517,440 | 105 | $541,198 | $250,784 | $667,824 |
| 2023 | $12,385,748 | $428,116 | $921,785 | $682,031 | 138 | $705,780 | $276,901 | $647,013 |
| 2022 | $12,879,417 | $2,923,872 | $850,684 | $654,000 | 133 | $679,477 | $2,753,192 | $745,526 |
| 2021 | $10,801,762 | $658,168 | $777,239 | $581,500 | 135 | — | $496,938 | $751,161 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Jackson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $723K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
An earlier profile describes the foundation’s purpose as promoting the welfare of the public of Portland or Oregon, or both. Its grants show support for a range of Oregon organizations, but the available information does not establish a formal list of funding areas.
Grantee missions illustrate the kinds of organizations it has supported. The Portland Art Museum says its mission is to engage diverse communities through art and film and to collect, preserve, and educate. Oregon Arts Watch describes its work as independent, professional arts and culture journalism and criticism. The Oregon Food Bank is also among the foundation’s largest 2025 grantees.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $800,000 through 150 grants. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $21,000, with a median of $3,500. The largest listed grants included $21,000 to the Portland Art Museum; $20,000 each to OPB, Oregon Symphony Association, All Classical Radio, and Oregon Arts Watch; and $15,000 each to several organizations, including Literary Arts, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Opera Association, Tides Foundation, OMSI, and Oregon Food Bank. The listed grants were designated for general operating purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Julie Vigeland and Emily Karr as co-trustees and US Bank N A as trustee.
The Jackson Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Emily Karr
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$12K (2021) → $12K (2025)
Julie Vigeland
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$12K (2021) → $12K (2025)
US Bank N A
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$136K (2023) → $147K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: US Bank NA (2021–2022) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $147K, to US Bank N a (Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Jackson Foundation
How much does The Jackson Foundation give each year?
The Jackson Foundation gave $800K across 150 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $517K across 105 grants.
What is The Jackson Foundation's typical grant size?
The Jackson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,500, and its average grant was $5,333, across 150 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Jackson Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Jackson Foundation give grants?
The Jackson Foundation gives mostly in Oregon: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, OR (115 grants), Oregon City, OR (4 grants), Tigard, OR (3 grants) and Beaverton, OR (3 grants).
Does The Jackson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 99% of The Jackson Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (148 of 150) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Jackson Foundation's largest grantees?
The Jackson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Portland Art Museum ($21,000), OPB ($20,000) and Oregon Symphony Association ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 8% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Jackson Foundation?
The Jackson Foundation reported $12.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $825K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $723K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Jackson Foundation fund?
An earlier profile describes the foundation’s purpose as promoting the welfare of the public of Portland or Oregon, or both. Its grants show support for a range of Oregon organizations, but the available information does not establish a formal list of funding areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Jackson Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Jackson Foundation's EIN?
The Jackson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-6020752. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Jackson Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Jackson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-jackson-foundation-morg_8ca95b985ad54b978504486bcd805e34
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_936020752_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Jackson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-jackson-foundation-morg_8ca95b985ad54b978504486bcd805e34},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Jackson 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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