The Seattle Foundation
95% goes to programs $0 to raise $100 Strong reserves
The Seattle Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Seattle, Washington, registered in 1947, with $314,722,382 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 95% of spending to programs.
1601 5th Ave Ste 1900, Seattle, WA, 98101 EIN 91-6013536 Since 1947
Revenue (FY2024)
$314.7M
▲ 68.6% vs prior year
Philanthropy median: $168K
Expenses (FY2024)
$244.5M
Net assets
$1.3B
Employees
68
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating95% to programs · $0 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For The Seattle Foundation: 95% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating62 mo reserves · +22% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For The Seattle Foundation: 62 mo reserves · +22% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For The Seattle Foundation: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For The Seattle Foundation: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Show this grade on your website
A live seal — it updates automatically when the grade changes and links donors to this verified profile.
Mission
Ignite powerful & rewarding philanthropy to make seattle a stronger vibrant community for all.
What they do
Community leadership: seattle foundation draws on our deep community insight and long history as a civic leader to launch and participate in cross-sector initiatives that amplify our reach and impact. led by our vision of a joyful community of shared prosperity, belonging, and justice, our role as a civic leader is to align key stakeholders around strategies to address our region's greatest collective challenges.
Foundation-directed grantmaking: seattle foundation manages targeted funds, called area of interest funds, on behalf of the community and in partnership with community advisory groups, to support defined interest areas. this includes various programs designed to enhance community well-being and support geographies that have been historically underinvested in. seattle foundation evaluates organizations and then makes grants that best reflect the intended purpose of the funds. seattle foundation frequently leads special initiatives designed to address specific community needs across the greater seattle region, including emergency response funds.
Engaged philanthropy: as part of our personalized services to philantropists, we assign a philantropic advisor to provide strategic guidance and deep community knowledge. our philanthropic advisors work with philanthropists to create strategic, impactful giving plans and engage family members across generations. we also offer regular events and learning opportunities on various philanthropy-related topics.
Contact & location
- Address
- 1601 5th Ave Ste 1900, Seattle, WA, 98101
- City
- Seattle
- State
- Washington
- Subcategory
- Public Foundations
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $112.2M (FY2013) to $314.7M (FY2024) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $185.2MNet assets $1.3B
Operating margin
22.3%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$1.4B
Total liabilities
$185.2M
Net assets
$1.3B
Salaries & benefits
$13.2M
5% of expenses
Board members
11
11 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $314,722,382▲68.6% | $244,548,637▲33.9% | $1,264,752,898▲10.0% | $1,449,925,075▲9.8% | 990 |
| 2023 | $186,713,007▲17.0% | $182,608,290▼12.3% | $1,150,040,473▲10.3% | $1,320,217,050▲10.7% | 990 |
| 2022 | $159,592,537▼43.8% | $208,182,776▼9.8% | $1,042,468,509▼18.0% | $1,193,135,889▼17.2% | 990 |
| 2021 | $283,945,398▼6.5% | $230,833,709▲10.4% | $1,271,997,686▲11.1% | $1,440,443,987▲12.4% | 990 |
| 2020 | $303,698,138▲35.6% | $209,122,509▲46.2% | $1,144,682,833▲16.0% | $1,281,544,781▲14.0% | 990 |
| 2019 | $223,919,187▲32.0% | $143,052,797▲4.3% | $987,049,332▲22.0% | $1,124,646,564▲21.8% | 990 |
| 2018 | $169,608,921▲11.0% | $137,201,909▲24.4% | $809,004,297▼6.7% | $923,672,252▼6.6% | 990 |
| 2017 | $152,742,834▲21.9% | $110,286,703▲24.6% | $867,472,486▲16.5% | $988,759,390▲15.7% | 990 |
| 2016 | $125,281,865▲23.0% | $88,478,823▲1.0% | $744,341,120▲8.7% | $854,620,728▲8.4% | 990 |
| 2014 | $101,822,637▼9.2% | $87,630,910▲29.6% | $684,767,719▲1.9% | $788,336,068▲2.1% | 990 |
| 2013 | $112,191,695 | $67,599,264▲2.7% | $672,197,944▲18.6% | $771,803,041▲17.6% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $65,812,763▲11.9% | $566,841,701▲12.6% | $656,065,293▲12.0% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $58,798,795▲8.3% | $503,498,595▼4.1% | $585,799,314▼5.6% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $54,300,936 | $525,206,189 | $620,740,894 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Alesha Washington — $481,225 (0.20% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alesha Washington | President & Ceo | 40 | $481,225 |
| Kristine Hermanns | Cio (thru 12/23), Contractor | 23.8 | $287,236 |
| Larry Buycks | Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $280,708 |
| Michele Frix Dassell | Executive Vice President | 40 | $274,059 |
| Mary Rennekamp | Chief Philanthropy Officer | 40 | $248,780 |
| Sally Gillis | Chief Impact Officer | 40 | $214,698 |
| Michael Brown | Exec-in-residence, Comm Ps | 40 | $200,305 |
| Steve Andryszewski | Managing Director, Controller | 40 | $191,463 |
| Mariel Turner-tamiyasu | Dir. Strategic Initiatives & Sec. | 40 | $118,187 |
| Amy Banovich | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Amy Carter | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Ben Danielson | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Colleen Echohawk | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Diana White | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Donna Moodie | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Ed Taylor | Chair | 5 | — |
| Ed Thomas | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Janet Levinger | Trustee | 2 | — |
| John Kim | Healthierhere Ceo | 40 | — |
| Karla Horwitz | Trustee | 2 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Ee Ventures | Consulting | $4,375,593 |
| Rsm Us LLP | It Systems Design & Build | $1,625,493 |
| Crewcial Partners LLC | Investment Consulting | $583,736 |
| Swb Strategic Solutions LLC | Consulting | $381,626 |
| Homesight | Program Support | $374,000 |
Grants received · $93.7M total
169 grants to The Seattle Foundation totaling $93.7M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Community & human services | 2024 | $1,003,500 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $647,082 |
| Tides Foundation | Healthy individuals and communities | 2024 | $421,779 |
| Episcopal Health Foundation | Program support | 2024 | $375,000 |
| Credit Unions In the State of Washington | Donation | 2024 | $325,000 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | General nonprofit support | 2024 | $150,000 |
| Impactassets Inc | General support | 2024 | $105,000 |
| Impactassets Inc | General support | 2024 | $100,500 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $100,000 |
| T Rowe Price Program For Charitable Giving Inc | Multiple | 2024 | $100,000 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc | Health care | 2024 | $75,000 |
| The Pittsburgh Foundation | Philanthropic community support | 2024 | $69,266 |
| Inatai Foundation | Core support for fiscally sponsored project | 2024 | $55,000 |
| Greater Manhattan Community Foundation | Public services | 2024 | $50,000 |
| Johnson Charitable Gift Fund | Milliman giving fund | 2024 | $25,000 |
Grants made · $177.9M in FY2024
5,379 grants totaling $177.9M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by The Seattle Foundation →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University Lutheran Church | To support project a: accessibility addition and project p: new electrical service. | $7,000,000 |
| United Way of King County | To provide general support | $6,728,848 |
| Greater Horizons | To support the niel04 fund. | $6,059,329 |
| Washington Policy Center | To provide general support | $3,500,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Od fisher charitable fund | $3,111,418 |
| University Lutheran Church | To support phase 2 project costs | $3,000,000 |
| Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle | To support the 2024 we see you awards. | $2,600,000 |
| Rei Cooperative Action Fund | To provide general support | $1,400,000 |
| Redford Center Inc | To provide support for the production of groundswell documentary | $1,250,000 |
| Rei Cooperative Action Fund | To provide general support | $1,209,636 |
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc | Resource equity funders collaborative fiscal sponsorship. | $1,000,000 |
| Global Greengrants Fund Inc | To support agroecology | $1,000,000 |
| Denver Film Society | To support exposure labs. | $1,000,000 |
| Utah Film Center DBA Salt Lake City Film Center and | To support 'porcelain war'. | $1,000,000 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center | To provide general support | $1,000,000 |
Similar organizations in Philanthropy
Philanthropy
Greater Good Charities
Seattle, WA
$311.9M
B+annual revenue
Philanthropy
United Way of King County
Seattle, WA
$67.2M
Aannual revenue
Philanthropy
Community Foundation For Southwest Washington
Vancouver, WA
$42.7M
Aannual revenue
Philanthropy
Innovia Foundation
Spokane, WA
$35.1M
Bannual revenue
Philanthropy
Blue Mountain Community Foundation
Walla Walla, WA
$31.9M
Bannual revenue
Philanthropy
Grays Harbor Community Foundation
Hoquiam, WA
$31.9M
Bannual revenue
Philanthropy
Greater Tacoma Community Foundation
Tacoma, WA
$25.2M
Bannual revenue
Philanthropy
Community Foundation of North Central Washington
Wenatchee, WA
$22.6M
Bannual revenue
Philanthropy
Gates Philanthropy Partners
Seattle, WA
$20.7M
Cannual revenue
- Philanthropy
Momsrising Education Fund
Bellevue, WA
$19.6M
C+annual revenue
Compare The Seattle Foundation
Frequently asked questions
- Is The Seattle Foundation a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. The Seattle Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 91-6013536, based in Seattle, Washington. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is The Seattle Foundation's EIN?
- The Seattle Foundation's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 91-6013536.
- How much revenue does The Seattle Foundation report?
- The Seattle Foundation reported $314,722,382 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of The Seattle Foundation's spending goes to programs?
- The Seattle Foundation spends about 95% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does The Seattle Foundation have?
- CharityIndex grades The Seattle Foundation A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does The Seattle Foundation's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on The Seattle Foundation's latest Form 990 is $481,225, paid to Alesha Washington (President & Ceo).
More nonprofits in Seattle
Explore more
Data for The Seattle Foundation (EIN 91-6013536) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.