The Russell Family Foundation
The Russell Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Gig Harbor, Washington. It invests in people and places to advance environmental sustainability and address the climate crisis.
The Russell Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Russell Family Foundation gave $2.0M across 128 grants in 2024 (avg $15K), mostly in Washington. 42% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,951,250
- +57.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 128
- -7.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $15,244
- +71.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $8,500
- Total assets
- $76,638,299
- -0.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (40 of 96, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Washington (82% 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 Russell Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Letters of inquiry are received through the foundation’s online grantmaking program, and applicants may be invited to submit full proposals. Requested materials vary by program and typically include project details, a budget, and lists of key staff and board members. The foundation prefers unrestricted grants but also considers project support aligned with its priorities. It rarely funds 100% of a project budget, and applicants should show that they are seeking or have received other funding. The foundation does not fund overhead or indirect costs for colleges and universities; directly related project administrative costs may be considered if itemized. Employee matching gifts and discretionary grants must go to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or be completed through expenditure responsibility for a charitable purpose.
- Review Cycle
- Grant-cycle deadlines are listed on the foundation’s website.
- Deadline
- Grant-cycle deadlines are listed on the foundation’s website.
- Contact
Application contact: Britta Francesconi
Mailing address: PO Box 2567, Gig Harbor, WA 98335
Phone: (253) 857-1679
Website: https://www.trff.org
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 Russell Family Foundation
Who The Russell Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Community to Community Development (C2C) FS Institute for Washingtons Futur ($75K). Together the top 10 received $680K.
Organizations only. It also paid 16 grants to individuals ($128,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
828 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 760 grants of 828 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its work as serving a 12-county region. Its environmental program focuses on Puget Sound waters and the surrounding region, while Jane’s Fellowship serves leaders actively working in Pierce County, Washington. In 2024, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington; smaller shares went to recipients in DC, California, Oregon, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 128 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Russell Family Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 40 of 96 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 45% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 36% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 113% 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 $1.2M (2023) to $6.4M (2020). In 2024 it made 128 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community to Community Development (C2C) FS Institute for Washingtons Futur Bellingham, WA | Support for cooperativa tierra y libertad, a communally-owned model for organic, regenerative and climate-resilient farming | $75,000 |
| Pierce Conservation District Puyallup, WA | Harvest Pierce County | $75,000 |
| Puget Sound Restoration Fund Bainbridge Island, WA | General Operating Support | $75,000 |
| Restaurant 2 Garden (Fiscal Sponsor Seattle Parks Foundation) Seattle, WA | Restaurant 2 Garden Expansion | $75,000 |
| Viva Farms Mount Vernon, WA | Agpark Market Center Construction | $75,000 |
| Kulshan Carbon Trust Bellingham, WA | Expanding farmer access to regenerative soil amendments through the community biochar program | $70,000 |
| Washington Water Trust Seattle, WA | Farms and fish: climate-resilient and fish-friendly water for farming in the sammamish valley | $60,000 |
| Communities in Schools of Peninsula Vaughn, WA | Lazarus Fund | $50,000 |
| VC Include a Project of Tides Center Los Angeles, CA | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| Washington Maritime Blue Seattle, WA | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
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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 | $76,638,299 | $3,558,803 | $4,303,630 | $1,951,250 | 128 | $4,215,812 | $2,736,934 | $3,742,575 |
| 2023 | $77,299,440 | $1,665,615 | $4,596,433 | $1,237,599 | 139 | $3,478,651 | $3,178,173 | $3,693,719 |
| 2022 | $75,360,711 | $-1,004,304 | $4,911,129 | $2,220,273 | 159 | $4,234,181 | $365,960 | $3,776,963 |
| 2021 | $102,077,149 | $6,093,203 | $6,940,923 | $3,057,416 | 149 | $2,480,209 | $5,578,291 | $2,494,418 |
| 2020 | $163,076,402 | $4,942,450 | $8,873,831 | $6,369,825 | 253 | — | $6,690,157 | $7,686,027 |
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 September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to invest in people and places to advance environmental sustainability and address the climate crisis. Its programs include environmental education for youth in grades 5 through 12, Food for Climate Solutions, and Jane’s Fellowship, a year-long leadership-development experience for grassroots leaders. Its broader program areas are Environment, Community, and Leadership.
Food for Climate Solutions supports organizations working on farmland stewardship, farm-business sustainability, farmer empowerment, regional food-system infrastructure, and adaptive, organic, and regenerative farming. The foundation prioritizes opportunities serving underserved communities and small- to medium-sized farmers.
Examples of grantees illustrate the range of work it supports. Puget Sound Restoration Fund, which received $75,000 in 2024, describes its mission as restoring habitat, water quality, and native species in Puget Sound. Viva Farms, also awarded $75,000, says it empowers aspiring and limited-resource farmers through bilingual training and access to land, infrastructure, equipment, marketing, and capital. Washington Water Trust, awarded $60,000, describes its work as protecting and restoring Washington rivers and streams and promoting sustainable freshwater management.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 128 grants totaling $1,951,250. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $75,000, with a median of $8,500. Examples of larger awards included $75,000 each to Community to Community Development for support of a communally owned organic and regenerative farming model, Pierce Conservation District for Harvest Pierce County, Puget Sound Restoration Fund for general operating support, Restaurant 2 Garden for expansion, and Viva Farms for AgPark Market Center construction. Other awards included $70,000 to Kulshan Carbon Trust for its Community Biochar Program and $60,000 to Washington Water Trust for a climate-resilient, fish-friendly water project in the Sammamish Valley.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kathleen Simpson as CEO; Sarah Cavanaugh as president; Chris Rurik as vice president; Tim Cavanaugh as treasurer; Dion Rurik as secretary; and Josh Cavanaugh, Mimi Chau, Sarah Cleveland, Evlyn Andrade, and Rashad Morris as directors.
The Russell Family Foundation is led by Kathleen Simpson, CEO on every filing since 2020; 3 of 10 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kathleen Simpson
CEO
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$366K (2020) → $407K (2024)
Sarah Cavanaugh
President
Director → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Cleveland
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$25K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Evlyn Andrade
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
$19K (2024)
Rashad Morris
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
$19K (2024)
Mimi Chau
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Josh Cavanaugh
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Rurik
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dion Rurik
Secretary
Vice President → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Cavanaugh
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Ron Sims (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Chet Tchozewski (2020) — Director
- Former: Eric Russell (2020) — President
- Former: Jileen Russell (2020) — Director
- Former: Marcee Russell (2020) — Director
- Former: Nick Russell (2020) — Director
- Former: Richard Russell (2020) — Director
- Former: Yvonne Sanchez (2020) — Secretary
- Former: Zachary Russell (2020) — Treasurer
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $407K, to Kathleen Simpson (CEO). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Russell Family Foundation
How much does The Russell Family Foundation give each year?
The Russell Family Foundation gave $2.0M across 128 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.2M across 139 grants.
What is The Russell Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Russell Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $8,500, and its average grant was $15,244, across 128 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Russell Family Foundation that year got $23K on average.
Where does The Russell Family Foundation give grants?
The Russell Family Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Tacoma, WA (24 grants), Seattle, WA (22 grants), Gig Harbor, WA (6 grants) and Washington, DC (5 grants).
Does The Russell Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 56% of The Russell Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (72 of 128) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Russell Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Russell Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Community to Community Development (C2C) FS Institute for Washingtons Futur ($75,000), Pierce Conservation District ($75,000) and Puget Sound Restoration Fund ($75,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 16 grants to individuals ($128,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 12% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Russell Family Foundation?
The Russell Family Foundation reported $76.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Russell Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to invest in people and places to advance environmental sustainability and address the climate crisis. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Russell Family Foundation?
Letters of inquiry are received through the foundation’s online grantmaking program, and applicants may be invited to submit full proposals. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Russell Family Foundation's EIN?
The Russell Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1663336. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
Live grants for the work The Russell Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Russell Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-russell-family-foundation-morg_beb8f9f66c59419ba854a2765050b667
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_911663336_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Russell Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-russell-family-foundation-morg_beb8f9f66c59419ba854a2765050b667},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-25. 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 Russell 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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