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Vadon Foundation

SEATTLE, WA EIN: 46-3669945 Website

Vadon Foundation is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington, established in 2014 and designated as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The foundation supports innovative community-based initiatives focused on strengthening and sustaining healthy, thriving indigenous nations.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$53.6M

+7.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$3.5M

-14.8% YoY

Grant Count

39

+8.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$89K

-21.4% YoY

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's mission is to support innovative community-based initiatives that sustain healthy thriving indigenous nations in perpetuity. The foundation works to ensure that every successive generation of indigenous people and culture will face an increasingly brighter future of healthy self-determination, autonomy, evolution, and sustainability.

Recognizing that multi-generational problems require multi-generational solutions, the foundation believes that developing and supporting visionary changemakers within native communities provides the most proven path for fostering long-term progress.

The foundation funds programming across three primary focus areas:

Language Revitalization — Supporting immersion schools and language preservation programs that power cultural renewal and build stronger, healthier communities.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S) — Addressing violence against Native communities through support networks and innovative solutions focused on sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation, suicide prevention, and systemic failures in child welfare and criminal justice.

Innovative Community Leadership — Supporting Indigenous-led organizations dedicated to building Indigenous power through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change.

Grantmaking

Recent grants made by the foundation include:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking focuses on Native communities, with documented support for organizations serving indigenous populations in the Pacific Northwest and broader Native American communities.

Grant Distribution by State

22states
+14 more states

Cities

AlbuquerqueAlexandriaArcataArleeAsh GroveBellinghamBlack HawkBox ElderBrowningCambridgeEagle ButteFlagstaffFort YatesFriday HarborGarryowenGreshamHerrickIncheliumKailua KonaKapolei

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

  • Total Assets: $53,630,403
  • Total Revenues: $2,698,481
  • Total Expenses: $4,237,879

As of 2023:

  • Total Assets: $50.1M
  • Total Revenues: $1.47M
  • Total Expenses: $4.58M
  • Total Liabilities: $0
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$1M$3M$4M$6M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$53,630,403$50,108,627$46,251,931
Revenue$2,698,481$1,466,701$1,156,155
Expenses$4,237,879$4,576,591$3,153,842
Qualifying Distributions$3,761,478$4,339,646$2,925,466
Net Investment Income$2,264,013$1,236,714$1,030,041
Distributable Amount$2,564,336$2,322,280$2,478,742

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M$4M2 grants202033 grants202132 grants202236 grants202339 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

STANFORD UNIVERSITY$250KWAMBLI SKA OKOLAKICIYE$250KOCETI SAKOWIN COMMUNITY …$225KCHILDREN OF THE SETTING …$200KSALISH SCHOOL OF SPOKANE$200KTREEHOUSE$175KINCHELIUM LANGUAGE AND C…$160KKNIFE CHIEF BUFFALO NATI…$140KAMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH RU…$100KCHEYENNE RIVER YOUTH PRO…$100K

Grant Size Distribution

142 grants across all recorded years

55<$50K37$50–100K43$100–250K5$250–500K$500K–1M2$1–5M$5M+

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from Vadon Foundation

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Dave LaSarte-Meeks — Executive Director

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

DAVID LASARTE-MEEKSSECRETARY, DIRECTOR$205K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
MARK VADONPRESIDENT, TREASURER, DIRECTOR0.5
MARILYN VADONDIRECTOR0.5
DAVID LASARTE-MEEKSSECRETARY, DIRECTOR40$205,417
ALLISON BARNES VADONDIRECTOR0.5
GEORGIA VADONBOARD MEMBER0.5
EVELYN BARNESBOARD MEMBER0.5

Contact Information

Vadon Foundation 1201 Western Avenue, Suite 406 Seattle, Washington 98101

Phone: +1 (206) 279-5770 Website: vadonfoundation.org Email: dave@vadonfoundation.org

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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