Vadon Foundation
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
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vadon Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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
States
Cities
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
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
142 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Vadon Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Stanford University ($250,000), Wambli Ska Okolakiciye ($250,000), Oceti Sakowin Community Academy ($225,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ALL OUR KIN COLLECTIVE NEW HAVEN, CT | TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION | $25,000 |
| ALLIANCE FOR FELIX COVE OAKLAND, CA | TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION | $25,000 |
| AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH RUNNING STRONG ALEXANDRIA, VA | TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION | $100,000 |
| ARTIST TRUST SEATTLE, WA | TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION | $12,500 |
| BLACK HILLS AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION RAPID CITY, SD | TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION | $25,000 |
| BLACKFEET ECO KNOWLEDGE BROWNING, MT | TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION | $25,000 |
| CAMAS FOUNDATION USK, WA | TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION | $60,000 |
| CHEYENNE RIVER YOUTH PROJECT LINCOLN, NE | TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION | $100,000 |
| CHILDREN OF THE SETTING SUN PRODUCTIONS BELLINGHAM, WA | TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION | $200,000 |
| FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER RESEARCH CENTER SEATTLE, WA | TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION | $100,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Dave LaSarte-Meeks — Executive Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARK VADON | PRESIDENT, TREASURER, DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| MARILYN VADON | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| DAVID LASARTE-MEEKS | SECRETARY, DIRECTOR | 40 | $205,417 |
| ALLISON BARNES VADON | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| GEORGIA VADON | BOARD MEMBER | 0.5 | — |
| EVELYN BARNES | BOARD MEMBER | 0.5 | — |
Contact Information
Vadon Foundation 1201 Western Avenue, Suite 406 Seattle, Washington 98101
Phone: +1 (206) 279-5770 Website: vadonfoundation.org Email: dave@vadonfoundation.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Vadon Foundation fund?
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 visionar…
How do I apply for a grant from Vadon Foundation?
Recent grants made by the foundation include: • Oceti Sakowin Community Academy: $225,000 (2024) • Salish School of Spokane: $200,000 (2024) • Children of the Setting Sun Product: $200,000 (2024) The foundation made 26 grants totaling approximately $2,262,500 in 2024, with additional grants beyond those listed. Typical grantees include organizations such as Salish School of Spokane, Inchelium Language and Culture Association, Kalispel Language Program, Treehouse, Cedar Rising Coalition, and NDN…
Where does Vadon Foundation make 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.
What size grants does Vadon Foundation award?
In 2024, Vadon Foundation awarded 39 grants totaling $3.5M — an average of about $89K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Vadon Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Vadon Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Vadon Foundation's EIN?
Vadon Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-3669945. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Vadon 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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