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The W Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The W Foundation

Its FY2024 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$32k
Granted FY2024still arriving
13
Grants FY2024still arriving
4
States reached
$6k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Arts & Culture$41kPhilanthropy$34kFood & Nutrition$18kHuman Services$18kEducation$16kHousing & Shelter$15kCivil Rights$11kCommunity Improvement$8kOther$0
02FY2024 · 13 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$2,000
Median grant
4
States reached
$231k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Sun Valley Music Festival$6,000
Pike Place Market Foundation$5,000
Mary's Place$5,000
Jewish Federation$3,500
KUOW$2,500
Northwest Harvest$2,000
St Louis Food Bank$2,000
Make A Wish$1,000
Salvation Army$1,000
Union Gospel Mission$1,000
National Air and Space$1,000
Seattle Times Fund For The Needy$1,000
Seattle Public Library$500
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 (FY19–21, $4k) land where the poverty rate runs at 9%, against an area that typically sits at 8%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 8%Jewish Family Service: $1k → 9%Sound Generations: $1k → 9%Bread of Life Mission: $500 → 9%University District Food Bank: $1k → 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.
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.

60%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$98k · 13 repeat orgs$65k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +121% since the first grant, against +75% for those funded once.

13 repeat relationships: 5 still active in FY2024, 8 since wound down; 8 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

13
34

Total granted

$98k
$47k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+121%
+75%

Still filing today

69%
29%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 41% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $19k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
Human ServicesCommunity ImprovementEducationArts & CultureHealthEnvironmentOther
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

  • SV
    SUN VALLEY SUMMER SYMPHONY INC
    5× · 2020–2024 · $18k · revenue +68%
  • DE
    Downtown Emergency Service Center
    3× · 2018–2020 · $14k · revenue +132%
  • HC
    Holocaust Center For Humanity
    5× · 2018–2022 · $9k · revenue +121%

Funded once

  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2018 · $5k
  • WR
    Wood River YMCA Foundation
    one grant, 2022 · $5k
  • JF
    JEWISH FEDERATION (#2814#2829)
    one grant, 2017 · $4k
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
Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank

Our mission is to provide food and key resources to help our neighbors and community thrive. we lead the effort to feed, educated and advocate ending hunger in the snoqualmie valley and beyond.

Food & Nutrition
2
Port Angeles Food Bank

Nourishing our community. the port angeles food bank is the main food bank in clallam county, providing food to 13 other area pantries and meal programs as well as providing food to over 5,000 individuals per month.

Food & Nutrition
3
Seattle Architectural Foundation

The Seattle Architecture Foundation connects people to the architecture, design, and history of Seattle. We believe the more you engage with design, the more you feel connected to your changing city. As a volunteer driven organization, we…

Arts & Culture
4
Renewal Food Bank

Renewal Food Bank provides food to needy and economically vulnerable individuals who live in Bellevue, Washington and surrounding communities

Human Services
5
Siff

Siff is a seattle-based 501(c)(3) arts nonprofit dedicated to the creation of vibrant experiences and spaces that champion film discovery and arts education.

Youth Development
6
Earthcorps

To cultivate leaders and community partnerships to advance environmental justice.

International
7
King County Sexual Assault Resource Center

KCSARC is the largest and most comprehensive non-profit provider of sexual assault services in King County and Washington State. Our vision is a community free of sexual violence. Our mission is to: give voice to victims, their families,…

—
8
Alaska Farmers Market Association

to promote, support and advocate for Alaska agriculture

Education
9
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
10
Disability Rights Washington

Disability rights washington's mission is to advance the dignity, equality, and self determination of people with disabilities. we work to pursue justice on matters related to human and legal rights.

Human Services
11
Portland Farmers Market

Pfm operates world-class farmers markets that contribute to the success of local food growers and producers and create vibrant community gatherings. as a trade association, success for our vendors is our primary objective. listening and…

Community Improvement
12
Spokane Parks Foundation

The Spokane Parks Foundation cultivates the health, growth, and continued enjoyment of our communities by inspiring giving and passion for our parks.

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Northwest Harvest Emm; the most unlike its peers is Maris Place. 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

24 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. 24 of the 56 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.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
8
Early backer (in before they grew)
24/24
Grantees still filing
18/24
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Jewish Federation: $20,550 · OtherJewish FederationNORTHWEST HARVEST EMM: $9,000 · OtherNORTHWEST HARVEST EMMHolocaust Center For Humanity: $8,500 · OtherHolocaust Center For HumanityNORTH SEATTLE COLLEGE: $6,269 · OtherNORTH SEATTLE COLLEGEIndividual grant recipient: $5,000 · OtherWood River YMCA Foundation: $5,000 · OtherJEWISH FEDERATION (#2814#2829): $4,400 · OtherIndividual grant recipient: $4,000 · OtherDOWNTOWN EMERGENCY SERVICE CENTER (#2824): $4,000 · Other+37 more: $38,542 · Other+37 moreSUN VALLEY SUMMER SYMPHONY INC: $18,000 · Arts & CultureSUN VALLEY SU…KUOW PUGET SOUND PUBLIC RADIO: $2,500 · Arts & CultureKUOW PUGET SO…Downtown Emergency Service Center: $13,500 · HealthALLIANCE FOR GUN RESPONSIBILITY FOUNDATION: $7,500 · Community ImprovementPIKE PLACE MARKET FOUNDATION: $5,000 · Community ImprovementWASHINGTON WOMEN'S FOUNDATION: $7,500 · PhilanthropyTHE SEATTLE TIMES COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND: $2,000 · PhilanthropyMaris Place: $5,000 · Youth DevelopmentCASA LATINA: $3,000 · EducationRAINIER SCHOLARS: $2,000 · Education
Other$105,261Arts & Culture$20,500Health$13,500Community Improvement$12,500Philanthropy$9,500Youth Development$5,000Education$5,000

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 budgetSUN VALLEY SUMMER SYMPHONY INC: $18,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetDowntown Emergency Service Center: $13,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetNORTHWEST HARVEST EMM: $9,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetHolocaust Center For Humanity: $8,500 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetWASHINGTON WOMEN'S FOUNDATION: $7,500 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetALLIANCE FOR GUN RESPONSIBILITY FOUNDATION: $7,500 over 3y, 0.8% of budgetPIKE PLACE MARKET FOUNDATION: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMaris Place: $5,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetCASA LATINA: $3,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetKUOW PUGET SOUND PUBLIC RADIO: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetARBORETUM FOUNDATION: $2,325 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetTHE SEATTLE TIMES COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetRAINIER SCHOLARS: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetST LOUIS AREA FOOD BANK INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPilgrim Africa: $1,217 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetUNIVERSITY DISTRICT SERVICE LEAGUE: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBALLARD FOOD BANK: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSOUND GENERATIONS: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetJEWISH FAMILY SERVICE: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWHITE CENTER EMERGENCY FOOD ASSOCIATION WHITE CENTER FOOD BANK: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetRAINIER VALLEY FOOD BANK: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBREAD OF LIFE MISSION: $500 over 1y, 0.0% 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.

  • Who funds SUN VALLEY SUMMER SYMPHONY INC ↗
  • Who funds Downtown Emergency Service Center ↗
  • Who funds NORTHWEST HARVEST EMM ↗
  • Who funds Holocaust Center For Humanity ↗
  • Who funds WASHINGTON WOMEN'S FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds ALLIANCE FOR GUN RESPONSIBILITY FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds PIKE PLACE MARKET FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds Maris Place ↗
  • Who funds CASA LATINA ↗
  • Who funds KUOW PUGET SOUND PUBLIC RADIO ↗
  • Who funds ARBORETUM FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds THE SEATTLE TIMES COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND ↗
  • Who funds RAINIER SCHOLARS ↗
  • Who funds ST LOUIS AREA FOOD BANK INC ↗
  • Who funds NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT ↗
  • Who funds Pilgrim Africa ↗
  • Who funds UNIVERSITY DISTRICT SERVICE LEAGUE ↗
  • Who funds BALLARD FOOD BANK ↗
  • Who funds SOUND GENERATIONS ↗
  • Who funds JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE ↗

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…Lucky Seven FoundationUnited Way of King Co…Puget Sound Energy Fo…Gates FoundationMightycause Charitabl…Gs Donor Advised Phil…Moccasin Lake Foundat…Peach FoundationBrant FoundationReal Progress Foundat…
Seattle FoundationWA27.9× affinity12 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Seattle Foundation · The Norcliffe Foundation · Lucky Seven Foundation · United Way of King County · Puget Sound Energy Foundation · Gates Foundation · Mightycause Charitable Foundation · Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management Inc · Moccasin Lake Foundation · Peach Foundation · Brant Foundation · Real Progress Foundation

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 W Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The W Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%10%20%30%40%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    11report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–40%
    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.

    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 56 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 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on W’s 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