The Russell Family Foundation

GIG HARBOR, WA EIN: 91-1663336

The Russell Family Foundation is a private independent foundation headquartered in Gig Harbor, Washington. Established in 1999 by Jane and George Russell using proceeds from the sale of Frank Russell Company to Northwestern Mutual Life, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to contribute to a sustainable and peaceful world for people, places, and communities.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$76.6M

-0.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.0M

+57.7% YoY

Grant Count

128

-7.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$15K

+71.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Russell Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Mission: The Russell Family Foundation seeks to contribute to a sustainable and peaceful world for people, places and communities.

Vision: A thriving, equitable, and sustainable Earth.

The foundation operates across three geographical areas and three thematic interests:

Geographic Areas:

Local: Grassroots leadership and selected nonprofit organizations in Tacoma and Pierce County
Regional: Western Washington, focused on environmental sustainability
Global: Select nonprofits working on issues of peace and security

Thematic Focus Areas:

Environmental Sustainability and Climate Crisis
Environmental Education
Food for Climate Solutions
Catalytic Climate Finance
Puget Sound Protection and Restoration
Community Leadership Development

The foundation has recently reimagined its focus to center on addressing the climate crisis while prioritizing equity, justice, and belonging.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$3,000 to $600,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds in three geographic areas:

Local: Tacoma and Pierce County, Washington
Regional: Western Washington (Puget Sound region and surrounding counties)
Global: Select nonprofits working on peace and security issues

Grant Distribution by State

Washington $3.0M (80%)

District of Columbia $252K (7%)

New York $138K (4%)

Oregon $112K (3%)

California $73K (2%)

Colorado $60K (2%)

Alaska $52K (1%)

Hawaii $26K (1%)

+13 more states

States

Alaska Arizona California Colorado District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Massachusetts Nebraska New Mexico New York Oregon Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Virginia Vermont Washington

Cities

AnchorageArlingtonArvadaAtlantaBainbridge IslandBelfairBellinghamBerkeleyBonney LakeBothellBoulderBrattleboroBremertonBrooklynBurienBurlingtonCarnationCharlottesvilleChicagoCordova

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets: $77.3 million (2023)

Annual Giving: $1,237,599 (2023)

Total Revenue: $1.67 million (2023)

Total Expenses: $4.6 million (2023)

Total Liabilities: $1.37 million (2023)

Staffing: 4 employees

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$76,638,299	$77,299,440	$75,360,711
Revenue	$3,558,803	$1,665,615	$-1,004,304
Expenses	$4,303,630	$4,596,433	$4,911,129
Qualifying Distributions	$4,215,812	$3,478,651	$4,234,181
Net Investment Income	$2,736,934	$3,178,173	$365,960
Distributable Amount	$3,742,575	$3,693,719	$3,776,963

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

250 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from The Russell Family Foundation

Foundation

Jane’s Fellowship Grant

THE RUSSELL FAMILY FOUNDATION

Amount

Approximately US $10,700

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Community to Community Development (c2c) Fs Institute for Washingtons Futur ($75,000), Communities in Schools of Peninsula ($50,000), Foss Waterway Seaport ($45,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
10000 YEARS INSTITUTE FORKS, WA	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$5,000
AFFILIATED TRIBES OF NORTHWEST INDIANS PORTLAND, OR	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$25,000
AFFILIATED TRIBES OF NORTHWEST INDIANS PORTLAND, OR	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR ATNI	$20,000
AFRICAN COMMUNITY HOUSING & DEVELOPMENT SEATAC, WA	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$2,000
AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM TACOMA, WA	CLASS XXXI FELLOWS ORIENTATION	$5,000
AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM TACOMA, WA	CLASS XXX WILDERNESS WEEK	$10,000
AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM TACOMA, WA	CLASS XXXI ORIENTATION	$1,000
ANCHORAGE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST ANCHORAGE, AK	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$1,000
ANDREA HAUG TACOMA, WA	JFP CLASS 11 FELLOW - ANDI HAUG	$8,500
ANESIA SMITH TACOMA, WA	JFP CLASS 11 FELLOW - ANESIA SMITH	$8,500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Chief Executive Officer: Kathleen Simpson

Grants and Operations Manager: Britta Francesconi

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
KATHLEEN SIMPSON	CEO	40	$406,806
SARAH CAVANAUGH	PRESIDENT	3	—
CHRIS RURIK	VICE PRESIDENT	1	—
TIM CAVANAUGH	TREASURER	1	—
DION RURIK	SECRETARY	1	—
JOSH CAVANAUGH	DIRECTOR	1	—
MIMI CHAU	DIRECTOR	1	—
SARAH CLEVELAND	DIRECTOR	1	—
EVLYN ANDRADE	DIRECTOR	1	$18,750
RASHAD MORRIS	DIRECTOR	1	$18,750

Contact Information

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2567 Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Office Address: 3025 Harborview Drive Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Phone: (253) 858-5050

Email: info@trff.org

Website: https://trff.org

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Russell Family Foundation fund?

**Mission:** The Russell Family Foundation seeks to contribute to a sustainable and peaceful world for people, places and communities. **Vision:** A thriving, equitable, and sustainable Earth. The foundation operates across three geographical areas and three thematic interests: **Geographic Areas:** • Local: Grassroots leadership and selected nonprofit organizations in Tacoma and Pierce County • Regional: Western Washington, focused on environmental sustainability • Global: Select nonprofits wo…

How do I apply for a grant from The Russell Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 124 grants totaling $1,237,599 in 2023 • Grant range: $3,000 to $600,000 • Over its history, the foundation has awarded more than 800 grants totaling $41 million for Puget Sound protection and restoration alone **Application Process:** • Primarily invitation-only (except for Jane's Fellowship Program) • Grant Portal: https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=russell **Programs:** *Jane's Fellowship Program:* A year-long, cohort-based program that brings togethe…

Where does The Russell Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation funds in three geographic areas: • **Local:** Tacoma and Pierce County, Washington • **Regional:** Western Washington (Puget Sound region and surrounding counties) • **Global:** Select nonprofits working on peace and security issues

What size grants does The Russell Family Foundation award?

In 2024, The Russell Family Foundation awarded 128 grants totaling $2.0M — an average of about $15K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Russell Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Russell Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.