The Peterson Family Foundation
The Peterson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Camas, Washington. In its 2025 filing, it reported 17 grants totaling $242,800, including grants to educational institutions and organizations whose missions address public policy, liberty, and community services.
The Peterson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Peterson Family Foundation gave $243K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in Washington. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $242,800
- +70.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $14,282
- +70.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $13,931
- +304.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (3 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (76% 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 Peterson Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2401 Nw Walden Drive, Camas, WA 98607
Phone: (360) 816-1840
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Peterson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Discovery Institute ($100K). Together the top 10 received $237K.
Grant Size Distribution
103 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 96 grants of 103 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that 76% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, 16% to California, and 7% to Texas. The listed grants also included recipients in Oregon and the District of Columbia. These figures describe the locations of 2025 recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Peterson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 17 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 65% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 33% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $126K (2021) to $360K (2022). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $243K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Institute Seattle, WA | General Fund | $100,000 |
| Walla Walla University College Place, WA | General Fund | $50,000 |
| Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA | General Fund | $35,000 |
| Young Americans for Liberty Austin, TX | General Fund | $16,700 |
| Ourganda Vancouver, WA | General Fund | $15,000 |
| Freedom Foundation Olympia, WA | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Riverside Christian School Washougal, WA | General Fund | $7,000 |
| Cascade Policy Institute Portland, OR | General Fund | $1,000 |
| Cato Institute Washington, DC | General Fund | $1,000 |
| Clark County Food Bank Vancouver, WA | General Fund | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Peterson Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $13,931 | $255,000 | $244,510 | $242,800 | 17 | $243,708 | $984 |
| 2024 | $3,441 | $141,000 | $143,916 | $142,040 | 17 | $142,994 | $936 |
| 2023 | $6,357 | $240,000 | $248,280 | $248,185 | 23 | $248,185 | $2,385 |
| 2022 | $14,637 | $370,000 | $361,237 | $360,100 | 23 | $361,207 | $2,635 |
| 2021 | $6,874 | — | $127,185 | $125,970 | 23 | $127,185 | $4,867 |
| 2020 | $134,159 | $300,000 | $175,537 | $174,200 | 27 | — | $7,922 |
| 2019 | $9,696 | $100,121 | $240,687 | $239,200 | 24 | — | $4,751 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Peterson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $984 for 2025 — 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included universities, a school, policy and legal organizations, and a food bank. These grants show the kinds of organizations it supported that year, but do not establish a stated foundation-wide focus.
The grantees describe their own missions in varied terms. For example, Discovery Institute says it advances “a culture of purpose, creativity, and innovation” through education, research, and analysis. Walla Walla University describes its aim as imparting broad knowledge and translating academic achievement into responsible citizenship and service. Young Americans for Liberty says it recruits, trains, educates, and mobilizes students around liberty and the Constitution.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $242,800. Grants ranged from $500 to $100,000, with a median of $1,000. The largest listed grants were $100,000 to Discovery Institute, $50,000 to Walla Walla University, $35,000 to Loma Linda University, $16,700 to Young Americans for Liberty, and $15,000 to Ourganda. Each was designated for general fund.
Other listed 2025 grants included $10,000 to Freedom Foundation and $7,000 to Riverside Christian School. The filing also lists $1,000 grants to Cascade Policy Institute, Cato Institute, Clark County Food Bank, Community Foundation of SW Washington, and Independent Institute. Pacific Legal Foundation is described as receiving $1,000 in 2025.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kenneth D. Peterson Jr. as president and Claudia J. Peterson as secretary/treasurer.
The Peterson Family Foundation is led by Kenneth D. Peterson Jr., President on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kenneth D. Peterson Jr.
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Claudia J. Peterson
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Peterson Family Foundation
How much does The Peterson Family Foundation give each year?
The Peterson Family Foundation gave $243K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $142K across 17 grants.
What is The Peterson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Peterson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $14,282, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Peterson Family Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does The Peterson Family Foundation give grants?
The Peterson Family Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (16%) and Texas (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Vancouver, WA (3 grants) and Seattle, WA (2 grants).
Does The Peterson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Peterson Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Peterson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Peterson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Discovery Institute ($100,000), Walla Walla University ($50,000) and Loma Linda University ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Peterson Family Foundation?
The Peterson Family Foundation reported $14K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $244K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $984 (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Peterson Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included universities, a school, policy and legal organizations, and a food bank. These grants show the kinds of organizations it supported that year, but do not establish a stated foundation-wide focus. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Peterson Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Peterson Family Foundation's EIN?
The Peterson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1746622. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Peterson Family 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 26, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
Live grants for the work The Peterson Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Peterson Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Peterson Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-peterson-family-foundation-morg_382b22be66d84716a4e25dd95e2c95c7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_911746622_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Peterson Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-peterson-family-foundation-morg_382b22be66d84716a4e25dd95e2c95c7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Peterson Family 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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