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The Ellis Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Ellis Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$151k
Granted FY2025still arriving
10
Grants FY2025still arriving
2
States reached
$61k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0196% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2025.

Civil Rights$378kEnvironment$172kCommunity Improvement$105kHousing & Shelter$83kPublic Benefit$75kPhilanthropy$71kArts & Culture$59kHuman Services$53kOther$0
02FY2025 · 10 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k6 grants · $30k
  • $10k–50k3 grants · $60k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $61k
$5,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$1.8M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
THE ELLIS FOUNDATION$61,000
PUGET SOUND SAGE$25,000
350 SEATTLE$25,000
KUOW PUGET SOUND PUBLIC RADIO$10,000
YMCA$5,000
REAL CHANGE HOMELESS EMPOWERMENT$5,000
SOLID GROUND WASHINGTON$5,000
WELD SEATTLE$5,000
WASHINGTON COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK$5,000
FARESTART$5,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY20–25, $160k) land where the poverty rate runs at 9%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 8% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%URBAN SPARKS: $25k → 9%HELPLINE HOUSE: $8k → 10%URBAN SPARKS: $25k → 9%HELPLINE HOUSE: $5k → 10%URBAN SPARKS: $25k → 9%URBAN SPARKS: $20k → 9%URBAN SPARKS: $10k → 9%AFGHAN ADVANTAGE: $5k → 9%REAL CHANGE: $10k → 9%REAL CHANGE: $5k → 9%UNIVERSITY DISTRICT FOOD BANK: $8k → 9%REAL CHANGE: $5k → 9%REAL CHANGE HOMELESS EMPOWERMENT: $5k → 9%REAL CHANGE HOMELESS EMPOWERMENT: $5k → 9%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.

Which US states its grants reach

WA
MN
NY
OR
CA
AZ
DC
TX
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

85%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$957k · 31 repeat orgs$168k to everyone else

31 repeat relationships: 8 still active in FY2025, 23 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

31
18

Total granted

$957k
$102k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+1%
+20%

Still filing today

74%
83%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 56% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $66k went to new ones.

50%100%’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’20’21’22’23’24’25
Arts & CultureEnvironmentHuman ServicesEducationHousing & ShelterInternationalOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • 3S
    350 Seattle
    6× · 2020–2025 · $113k · revenue +153%
  • US
    Urban Sparks
    5× · 2020–2024 · $105k · revenue +165% · 40% of their budget
  • HC
    HOMESTEAD COMMUNITY LAND TRUST
    2× · 2021–2022 · $20k · revenue +91%

Funded once

  • Alliance for Global Justice Corp
    one grant, 2020 · $15k · revenue -25%
  • National Domestic Workers Alliance Inc
    one grant, 2020 · $10k · revenue -38%
  • ND
    NATIONAL DAY LABORER ORGANIZING
    one grant, 2020 · $10k
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Washingtonians for Public Banking

Washingtonians for Public banking promotes education and civic engagement on public banking and banking reform within Washington state. The organization organizes, educates, and advocates for the establishment of public banking, and…

Community Improvement
2
Spark Northwest

Founded in 2001, Spark Northwest accelerates the just transition to clean energy in the Pacific Northwest. Spark Northwest uses two primary strategies: (1) on-the-ground project consulting, focusing on communities with limited financial…

Environment
3
Re Sources

RE Sources mobilizes people of Northwest Washington to build just and thriving communities and to protect the land, water, and climate on which we all depend.

Environment
4
Rainier Beach Cummunity Empowerment Coalition

Rainier Beach Action Coalition is a grassroot, Black-led organization devoted to locally driven development. It promotes quality education, living wage jobs, affordable transportation and housing, and building community capacity in…

Community Improvement
5
Seattle Good Business Network Dba Good Business Network of Washington

Seattle Good Business Network connects and inspires people to buy, produce, and invest locally, so that everyone has a meaningful stake in the local economy.

Community Improvement
6
House Our Neighbors

House Our Neighbors envisions a future where all people can afford to live and thrive in vibrant, cohesive, and climate resilient communities. To achieve this, we develop, advocate, and mobilize for policy to realize social housing for the…

—
7
Washington Bikes

Washington Bikes works to ensure that all who ride a bicycle in Washington have safe comfortable and convenient places to ride. Organization advocates for bicyclists rights and shapes policies.

Recreation & Sports
8
The Urbanist

Seattle-based online publication seeking to examine and influence urban policies.

Community Improvement
9
We Heart Seattle

We Heart Seattle is an action-based, boots-on-the-ground movement that organizes trash cleanups in our public spaces and offers resources to those in need. Through our direct civic engagement we lead the way to a more compassionate and…

Community Improvement
10
Rural Peoples Platform

The Rural Peoples Platform organizes people across rural North Central Washington around local initiatives and a long-term agenda that makes economic stability possible and sustainable for all working people and families.

Community Improvement
11
The Urbanist Fund

Support Public Interest Journalism in Washington State

Public Benefit
12
Working Washington

We are workers, united across different industries to improve our working conditions and our lives. We come together as working people to build power through education, organizing, and enforcement. We work to raise and uphold standards in…

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Seattle Public Library Foundation; the most unlike its peers is Planned Parenthood. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

40 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 40 of the 53 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

1
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
6
Early backer (in before they grew)
40/40
Grantees still filing
20/40
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Washington Community Action Network: $310,000 · OtherWashington Community Action NetworkFirelands Workers United: $75,000 · OtherFirelands Workers UnitedTHE ELLIS FOUNDATION: $61,000 · OtherTHE ELLIS FOUNDATIONSOCIAL JUSTICE FUND: $38,000 · OtherSOCIAL JUSTICE FUND+28 more: $167,000 · Other+28 more350 Seattle: $113,000 · Environment350 SeattleGot Green: $55,000 · EnvironmentGot Green+3 more: $5,500 · EnvironmentUrban Sparks: $105,000 · Human ServicesUrban SparksREAL CHANGE HOMELESS EMPOWERMENT PROJECT: $30,000 · Human ServicesREAL CHANGE HOME…HELPLINE HOUSE: $12,500 · Human ServicesHELPLINE HOUSETIDES CENTER: $10,000 · Human ServicesTIDES CENTERUNIVERSITY DISTRICT SERVICE LEAGUE: $7,500 · Human Services+1 more: $5,000 · Human ServicesPUGET SOUND SAGE: $50,000 · Social ScienceHOMESTEAD COMMUNITY LAND TRUST: $20,000 · Housing & ShelterSolid Ground Washington: $19,000 · Housing & ShelterKUOW PUGET SOUND PUBLIC RADIO: $12,000 · Arts & CulturePOSITIVE FUTURES NETWORK DBA YES MEDIA: $8,000 · Arts & CultureLANGSTON: $7,500 · Arts & CultureNORTHWEST MARITIME CENTER: $5,000 · Arts & CulturePACIFIC PUBLIC MEDIA: $3,000 · Arts & CultureAlliance for Global Justice Corp: $15,000 · InternationalDIRECT RELIEF: $5,000 · International
Other$651,000Environment$173,500Human Services$170,000Social Science$50,000Housing & Shelter$39,000Arts & Culture$35,500International$20,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetWashington Community Action Network: $310,000 over 3y, 8.8% of budget350 Seattle: $113,000 over 6y, 2.8% of budgetUrban Sparks: $105,000 over 5y, 40% of budgetGot Green: $55,000 over 3y, 1.9% of budgetPUGET SOUND SAGE: $50,000 over 2y, 1.9% of budgetREAL CHANGE HOMELESS EMPOWERMENT PROJECT: $30,000 over 5y, 0.7% of budgetHOMESTEAD COMMUNITY LAND TRUST: $20,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetSolid Ground Washington: $19,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetBAINBRIDGE PERFORMING ARTS: $16,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetAlliance for Global Justice Corp: $15,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetHELPLINE HOUSE: $12,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetKUOW PUGET SOUND PUBLIC RADIO: $12,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetWELD SEATTLE: $10,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetFARESTART: $10,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetNational Domestic Workers Alliance Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetScholar Fund: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTIDES CENTER: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPOSITIVE FUTURES NETWORK DBA YES MEDIA: $8,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetLANGSTON: $7,500 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetABORTION CARE NETWORK: $7,500 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetUNIVERSITY DISTRICT SERVICE LEAGUE: $7,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCAPITAL AREA FOOD BANK INC: $7,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetDIRECT RELIEF: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSOCIAL JUSTICE FUND NORTHWEST: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNORTHWEST MARITIME CENTER: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetFOOD ROOTS: $4,000 over 3y, 0.9% of budgetRAINIER VALLEY FOOD BANK: $3,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPACIFIC PUBLIC MEDIA: $3,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetNorth Helpline: $3,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetNORTHWEST ABORTION ACCESS FUND: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetPLANNED PARENTHOOD: $2,500 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetSEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetFRIENDS OF KEXP: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetISLANDWOOD: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetBainbridge Public Library: $2,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetBike Works Seattle: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNATUREBRIDGE: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetC895 KNHC PUBLIC RADIO ASSOCIATION: $1,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Seattle FoundationThe Norcliffe Foundat…Inatai FoundationPuget Sound Energy Fo…The Russell Family Fo…Credit Unions in the …Lucky Seven FoundationArtsfundMedina FoundationThe Satterberg Founda…ImpactassetsincUnited Way of King Co…
Seattle FoundationWA43.6× affinity22 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Seattle Foundation · The Norcliffe Foundation · Inatai Foundation · Puget Sound Energy Foundation · The Russell Family Foundation · Credit Unions in the State of Washington · Lucky Seven Foundation · Artsfund · Medina Foundation · The Satterberg Foundation Inc · Impactassetsinc · United Way of King County

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization The Ellis Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Ellis Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%3%13%28%50%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →median 0%
  • Food Roots: 0% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
0get no government money at all
19report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
typical government reliance, FY20–25
How this is measured
Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
05Through Plinth

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to The Ellis Foundation?

Find your warmest path to The Ellis Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 53 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Ellis’ filings →

More from the funding graph

The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home