The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation
The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington. Its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations working in areas including media, economic policy, the arts, climate solutions, and employment policy.
The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation at a glance
In short: The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation gave $570K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $57K), mostly in District of Columbia. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $569,879
- +32.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- -16.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $56,988
- +59.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $10,618,342
- +6.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (62% 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 Nick and Leslie Hanauer 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: 1301 Second Ave Suite 2850, Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: (206) 624-1057
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Media Matters for America ($150K). Together the top 10 received $570K.
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 47 grants of 79 (59%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
For 2024 grant dollars, the reported recipient-state shares were 62% for the District of Columbia, 18% for New York, 13% for Washington, and 7% for California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $66K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $45K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 45% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $430K (2023) to $3.7M (2020). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $570K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Media Matters for America Washington, DC | Contribution | $150,000 |
| Democracy Journal Washington, DC | Contribution | $115,000 |
| Royal Albert Hall America Inc New York, NY | Contribution | $100,000 |
| Economic Policy Institute Washington, DC | Contribution | $65,000 |
| Climate Solutions Seattle, WA | Contribution | $25,000 |
| National Employment Law Project Seattle, WA | Contribution | $25,000 |
| Washington State Budget and Policy Center Seattle, WA | Contribution | $25,000 |
| The American Prospect Inc Washington, DC | Contribution | $25,000 |
| Capital and Main Los Angeles, CA | Contribution | $25,000 |
| The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Menlo Park, CA | Contribution | $14,879 |
Ready to take the next step with The Nick and Leslie Hanauer 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 | $10,618,342 | $1,521,470 | $741,057 | $569,879 | 10 | $569,879 | $1,383,542 | $536,224 |
| 2023 | $9,945,631 | $597,323 | $598,057 | $430,047 | 12 | $430,047 | $302,563 | $541,952 |
| 2022 | $9,523,029 | $320,871 | $2,514,142 | $2,331,000 | 17 | $2,331,000 | $165,979 | $586,697 |
| 2021 | $10,697,807 | $980,397 | $1,201,122 | $1,031,984 | 16 | $1,031,984 | $836,259 | $670,188 |
| 2020 | $10,695,610 | $802,972 | $3,915,942 | $3,744,840 | 24 | — | $645,214 | $568,127 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation reported a distributable amount of $536K 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
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Media Matters for America says it works to monitor, analyze, and correct conservative misinformation in U.S. media. The Economic Policy Institute says it uses economics to bring the interests of low- and middle-income workers into policy discussions and to support progressive policy change. The American Prospect says it advances ideas through independent journalism intended to strengthen democracy. Climate Solutions says it works to accelerate clean-energy solutions to the climate crisis and promote a thriving, equitable Northwest. Royal Albert Hall America says it supports access to arts participation and appreciation, particularly music and live performance, through education and outreach.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $569,879. Grant amounts ranged from $14,879 to $150,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest awards were $150,000 to Media Matters for America, $115,000 to Democracy Journal, $100,000 to Royal Albert Hall America, and $65,000 to the Economic Policy Institute. Other reported recipients included Climate Solutions, National Employment Law Project, Washington State Budget and Policy Center, The American Prospect, Capital and Main, and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Nick Hanauer and Leslie Hanauer as directors.
The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Leslie Hanauer
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nick Hanauer
Director
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation
How much does The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation give each year?
The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation gave $570K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $430K across 12 grants.
What is The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation's typical grant size?
The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $56,988, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation give grants?
The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (18%) and Washington (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants) and Seattle, WA (3 grants).
Does The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Contribution" (10 grants).
Who are The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation's largest grantees?
The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Media Matters for America ($150,000), Democracy Journal ($115,000) and Royal Albert Hall America Inc ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation?
The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation reported $10.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $570K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $536K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Media Matters for America says it works to monitor, analyze, and correct conservative misinformation in U.S. media. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Nick and Leslie Hanauer 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 Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation's EIN?
The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1593306. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Nick and Leslie Hanauer 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-nick-and-leslie-hanauer-foundation-morg_2b27db1925794b6fa5a3771f342f5656
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261593306_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-nick-and-leslie-hanauer-foundation-morg_2b27db1925794b6fa5a3771f342f5656},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Nick and Leslie Hanauer 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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