The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation
The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2007 and based in Seattle, Washington. The foundation concentrates its philanthropic work on public-policy influence through strategic grants to research organizations, policy labs, and progressive media that shape economic and democratic debate.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$10.6M
+6.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$570K
+32.5% YoY
Grant Count
10
-16.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$57K
+59.0% YoY
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving strategy emphasizes large, strategic grants rather than many small community grants. Their support prioritizes:
- Progressive economic policy research and advocacy (e.g., Economic Policy Institute, American Economic Liberties Project)
- Democratic thought leadership and essay/journal platforms (e.g., Democracy Journal, Roosevelt Forward)
- Labor and employment policy initiatives (e.g., National Employment Law Project, WorkMoney Inc)
- Progressive media and fact-checking/narrative-shaping organizations (e.g., Media Matters for America)
- Public-interest research and consultancy organizations that inform policy (e.g., The RAND Corporation, New Venture Fund)
The foundation favors a mix of flagship, high-dollar investments and repeat funding for a small set of aligned institutions, with occasional gifts to arts or international cultural partners.
Grantmaking
The foundation employs a concentrated, strategic giving approach focused on organizations that produce research, analysis, and public-facing narrative work to influence policy debates.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on the District of Columbia, Washington, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Data (2023-2024):
- Total Assets: $10.6 million
- Annual Giving: $3.3 million
- Total Revenue: $1.5 million
- Total Expenses: $741,000
Historical Data (2023):
- Revenue: $597,000
- Expenses: $598,000
- Total Assets: $9.95 million
- Total Liabilities: $0
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $10,618,342 | $9,945,631 | $9,523,029 |
| Revenue | $1,521,470 | $597,323 | $320,871 |
| Expenses | $741,057 | $598,057 | $2,514,142 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $569,879 | $430,047 | $2,331,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,383,542 | $302,563 | $165,979 |
| Distributable Amount | $536,224 | $541,952 | $586,697 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Media Matters for America ($150,000), Democracy Journal ($115,000), Royal Albert Hall America Inc ($100,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CLIMATE SOLUTIONS SEATTLE, WA | CONTRIBUTION | $25,000 |
| Democracy Journal WASHINGTON, DC | CONTRIBUTION | $115,000 |
| ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE WASHINGTON, DC | CONTRIBUTION | $65,000 |
| National Employment Law Project SEATTLE, WA | CONTRIBUTION | $25,000 |
| WASHINGTON STATE BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER SEATTLE, WA | CONTRIBUTION | $25,000 |
| Royal Albert Hall America Inc New York, NY | CONTRIBUTION | $100,000 |
| The American Prospect Inc Washington, DC | CONTRIBUTION | $25,000 |
| Capital and Main Los Angeles, CA | CONTRIBUTION | $25,000 |
| Media Matters for America WASHINGTON, DC | CONTRIBUTION | $150,000 |
| The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Menlo Park, CA | CONTRIBUTION | $14,879 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Nick Hanauer – Director
- Leslie Hanauer – Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| NICK HANAUER | DIRECTOR | 1.25 | — |
| LESLIE HANAUER | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation maintains active grantmaking operations with recent Form 990 filings through 2024-2025, indicating ongoing philanthropic activity in its core focus areas of economic policy, democratic thought leadership, labor policy, and progressive media.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation fund?
The foundation's giving strategy emphasizes large, strategic grants rather than many small community grants. Their support prioritizes: • **Progressive economic policy research and advocacy** (e.g., Economic Policy Institute, American Economic Liberties Project) • **Democratic thought leadership and essay/journal platforms** (e.g., Democracy Journal, Roosevelt Forward) • **Labor and employment policy initiatives** (e.g., National Employment Law Project, WorkMoney Inc) • **Progressive media and …
How do I apply for a grant from The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation?
The foundation employs a concentrated, strategic giving approach focused on organizations that produce research, analysis, and public-facing narrative work to influence policy debates. **Grant Characteristics:** • Typical awards range from $1,000 to $1,000,000 • Emphasis on relatively large grants (several six-figure gifts) • Repeat grants to core policy and media grantees **Notable Grantees:** WorkMoney Inc, The RAND Corporation, Economic Policy Institute, Democracy Journal, Media Matters for …
Where does The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on the District of Columbia, Washington, and California.
What size grants does The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation award?
In 2024, The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation awarded 10 grants totaling $570K — an average of about $57K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation reported a distributable amount of $536K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Nick and Leslie Hanauer Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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