Washington Research Foundation
Washington Research Foundation (WRF) is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington. It supports research and early-stage companies through grants and investments, with a stated focus on life sciences and enabling technologies.
Washington Research Foundation at a glance
In short: Washington Research Foundation gave $15.8M across 86 grants in 2025 (avg $184K), mostly in Washington. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $15,846,563
- -7.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 86
- -12.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $184,262
- +6.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $101,680
- Total assets
- $341,201,449
- -0.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (4 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (100% 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 Washington Research Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
WRF states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds, making contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its technology commercialization program separately invites eligible investigators to submit pre-proposals.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2815 Eastlake Avenue East 300, Seattle, WA 98102
Phone: (206) 336-5600
Website: https://www.wrfseattle.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Washington Research Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Washington ($7.0M across 51 grants). Together the top 10 received $15.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
674 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 404 grants of 674 (60%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
WRF’s grant programs support nonprofit research institutions in Washington state. All 2025 grant dollars were reported as going to recipients in Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 86 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Washington Research Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 10 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $308K; repeat grants $1.8M. How we count
Medians: $103K first-time, $1.4M repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 119% of 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 $9.7M (2019) to $17.0M (2024). In 2025 it made 86 grants totaling $15.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Children's Research Institute Seattle, WA | Scri: Rawlings: Ind | $3,180,000 |
| University of Washington Seattle, WA | Uw: Seabridge | $1,431,809 |
| Allen Institute Seattle, WA | Ai: Levi: Phase III | $1,000,000 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Seattle, WA | FHCRC: Technology Commercialization | $1,000,000 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Seattle, WA | FHCRC: Chapuis: Ind-Enabling | $937,500 |
| University of Washington Seattle, WA | Uw: Hicks: Phase III | $387,050 |
| University of Washington Seattle, WA | Uw: Comotion Gap Fund | $350,000 |
| University of Washington Seattle, WA | Uw: Koelle: Phase II | $275,000 |
| University of Washington Seattle, WA | Uw: Wang: Phase II | $275,000 |
| Washington State University Pullman, WA | WSU: Technology Gap Fund | $250,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $341,201,449 | $13,350,694 | $23,039,321 | $15,846,563 | 86 | $19,878,547 | $9,933,464 | $16,761,085 |
| 2024 | $344,223,391 | $16,987,498 | $22,263,056 | $17,040,138 | 98 | $20,173,102 | $10,841,030 | $16,520,883 |
| 2023 | $340,676,021 | $9,977,279 | $16,458,293 | $10,233,660 | 166 | $13,896,396 | $20,570,083 | $16,390,909 |
| 2022 | $331,486,319 | $40,434,478 | $18,858,424 | $14,370,728 | 173 | $17,884,213 | $20,512,359 | $18,720,717 |
| 2021 | $325,923,396 | $51,887,435 | $14,008,989 | $15,572,587 | 151 | — | $7,679,009 | $14,520,296 |
| 2020 | $234,092,824 | $11,586,814 | $8,978,418 | $10,281,110 | 163 | — | $5,764,859 | $11,144,861 |
| 2019 | $221,296,547 | $13,344,264 | $8,487,836 | $9,662,801 | 116 | — | $9,396,600 | $10,438,670 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Washington Research Foundation reported a distributable amount of $16.8M 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
WRF’s mission is to improve lives by funding translational research in life sciences and enabling technologies at Washington state research institutions, enabling researchers to advance discoveries, and investing in startups deploying technologies from those institutions. Its stated charitable activities also include supporting scientific education and research in the public interest in Washington.
Grant programs include technology commercialization, postdoctoral fellowships, student programs, and strategic ecosystem-building initiatives. Technology commercialization grants are intended to help develop and de-risk technologies before commercial investment. WRF describes its grantees as people, projects, and programs at nonprofit research institutions in Washington state; awards are made to institutions rather than directly to individuals.
Among 2025 recipients, the Allen Institute received $1 million. The institute describes its mission as unlocking the complexities of bioscience and advancing knowledge to improve human health. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center received awards of $1 million and $937,500; Fred Hutch describes its work as spanning foundational biology to population-level health, with a goal of a world free of cancer and related diseases.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, WRF made 86 grants totaling $15,846,563. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $3,180,000, with a median of $101,680. The largest listed award was $3,180,000 to Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Other notable awards included $1,431,809 to the University of Washington, $1 million to the Allen Institute, and $1 million and $937,500 to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
For technology commercialization, pre-proposals are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed by WRF staff, with a stated review period of three weeks. A successful pre-proposal may lead to an invitation to submit a full proposal. Phase 1 grants provide up to $100,000 in direct costs, with up to an additional 10% available for indirect costs; duration is flexible. Eligible applicants include employees and students at Washington state nonprofit research institutions. Allowable budget costs include non-salary direct project costs and certain student, research staff, postdoctoral fellow, and research faculty salaries; regular faculty salaries and, typically, intellectual-property costs are not allowed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Brooks Simpson as chairman and Thomas J. Daniel as president and CEO. Directors listed were C. Kent Carlson, Carol Dahl, Desney Tan, Connie Collingsworth, Jacqueline Brainard Emami, Kevin Cable, Sue Coliton, and Thomas J. Cable.
Washington Research Foundation is led by Thomas Daniel, President & CEO on every filing since 2023; all 11 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas Daniel
President & CEO
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$300K (2023) → $750K (2025)
Brooks Simpson
Chairman
Director → Chairman, 2021
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
$8K (2021) → $37K (2025)
C. Kent Carlson
Director
Chairman → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
$9K (2021) → $22K (2025)
Jacqueline Brainard Emami
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$5K (2021) → $25K (2025)
Kevin Cable
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$2K (2021) → $24K (2025)
Sue Coliton
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$5K (2021) → $24K (2025)
Thomas J. Cable
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$13K (2022) → $19K (2025)
Carol Dahl
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$8K (2023) → $21K (2025)
Desney Tan
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$8K (2023) → $21K (2025)
Connie Collingsworth
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
$19K (2025)
Morgan Hellar
CFO, Treasurer & Secretary
CFO → CFO, Treasurer & Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$76K (2021) → $417K (2025)
Former officers (7)
- Former: James R. Uhlir (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Adriane Brown (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: David Galas (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Susan Coliton (2022–2023) — Director & Interim CEO
- Former: Jeff Eby (2019–2021) — CFO, Acting CEO, Treasurer & Secretary
- Former: Ronald Howell (2019–2021) — CEO & President
- Former: Tom Cable (2019–2021) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $750K, to Thomas Daniel (President & CEO). 11 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Washington Research Foundation
How much does Washington Research Foundation give each year?
Washington Research Foundation gave $15.8M across 86 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $17.0M across 98 grants.
What is Washington Research Foundation's typical grant size?
Washington Research Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $101,680, and its average grant was $184,262, across 86 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Washington Research Foundation that year got $308K on average.
Where does Washington Research Foundation give grants?
Washington Research Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (71 grants), Pullman, WA (10 grants) and Bellingham, WA (2 grants).
Does Washington Research Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 86 grants with a stated purpose on Washington Research Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Washington Research Foundation's largest grantees?
Washington Research Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Washington ($7,042,847 across 51 grants), Seattle Children's Research Institute ($3,245,000 across 2 grants) and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center ($1,976,900 across 3 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Washington Research Foundation?
Washington Research Foundation reported $341.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $19.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $16.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Washington Research Foundation fund?
WRF’s mission is to improve lives by funding translational research in life sciences and enabling technologies at Washington state research institutions, enabling researchers to advance discoveries, and investing in startups deploying technologies from those institutions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Washington Research Foundation?
WRF states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds, making contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Washington Research Foundation's EIN?
Washington Research Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-4105873. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Washington Research 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 29, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Washington Research Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Washington Research Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/washington-research-foundation-morg_9a97751f8c09481f8d70e98de4d7f7d3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_464105873_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Washington Research Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/washington-research-foundation-morg_9a97751f8c09481f8d70e98de4d7f7d3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Washington Research 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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