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Washington · Private foundation

Vadon 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.

$3.5M
Granted FY2024(still arriving)
39
Grants FY2024
34
Organizations funded FY2023
44%
First-time grantees FY2023
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2024
$75,000
Largest grant, FY2024
$250,000
Organizations funded a year
1 to 34
FY2017 to FY2023
States reached, FY2024
14
Total assets, FY2024
$54M
Applications
Preselected organizations only
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2023, 44% of the organizations Vadon Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 22% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 78% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $836k went to new ones.

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

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

’18’20’21’22’23
Arts & CultureEducationHuman ServicesInternationalHealthPhilanthropyOther
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.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2024still arriving37$3.2M27%
FY202334$3.8M44%
FY202230$2.4M43%
FY202131$1.9M81%
FY20201$25k100%
FY201813$551k77%
FY20175$1.3Mn/a
94% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Education$4.4MArts & Culture$3.1MYouth Development$1.4MHuman Services$1.2MCivil Rights$972kPhilanthropy$710kHealth$305kAnimals$187kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

WA
ID
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
MA
OR
SD
CT
CA
CO
NE
VA
AZ
NM
NC
DC
HI
OK

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Salish School of Spokane$1,001,274512%
Inchelium Language and Culture Association$747,513584%
Children of the Setting Sun Product$540,00047%
The Yarrow Project$460,0002n/a
Indigenous Peoples Power Project Inc$300,000331%
Oceti Sakowin Community Academy$300,000226%
Blue Bird LifeWays$260,000423%
Ndn Collective Inc$252,16930%
National Indigenous Womens Resource Center Inc$240,00022%
Spokane Language House$235,000354%
Show all 56 grantees
All grantees of Vadon Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Salish School of Spokane$1,001,274512%
Inchelium Language and Culture Association$747,513584%
Children of the Setting Sun Product$540,00047%
The Yarrow Project$460,0002n/a
Indigenous Peoples Power Project Inc$300,000331%
Oceti Sakowin Community Academy$300,000226%
Blue Bird LifeWays$260,000423%
Ndn Collective Inc$252,16930%
National Indigenous Womens Resource Center Inc$240,00022%
Spokane Language House$235,000354%
Knife Chief Buffalo Nation Society$230,000257%
Saad K'idilye'$215,00039%
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center$200,0002n/a
Mahchiwminahnahtik Chippewa and Cree Language Revitalization$185,000225%
University of Washington$160,0002n/a
Naca-Inspired Schools Network$150,00021%
Tanka Fund$150,00029%
Red Eagle Soaring$145,000319%
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center$140,00012%
Camas Foundation$135,000318%
Potlatch Fund$125,877110%
Makoce Agriculture Development$125,00024%
American Indian Youth Running Strong Inc$125,00021%
Not an Alternative Inc$120,000213%
Na'ah Illahee Fund$110,00012%
Oaye Luta Okolakiciye$105,00028%
Bertschi School$100,31421%
Lakota Youth Development$75,000113%
Kwu Cnxi$75,000246%
United Indians of All Tribes Foundation$61,50012%
Chief Seattle Club$50,23711%
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement$50,00010%
Endazhi-Nitaawiging Qalicb Inc$50,0001n/a
Artist Trust$50,00041%
Haida Roots$50,000218%
Se Si Le$45,000218%
Zuni Youth Enrichment Project$40,00012%
Center Pole$40,00011%
Nakoa Foundation$40,000382%
South Dakota Education Equity Coalition$35,000115%
Hopi School Inc$35,00017%
Standing Rock Community Development$35,0001n/a
Medicine Fish Corp$35,00017%
Thresh Inc$35,000114%
Uplift International Inc$30,0001n/a
The Ciesla Foundation$25,00014%
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College$25,0001n/a
Blackfeet Eco Knowledge$25,00014%
Hearts Gathered$25,00016%
Piegan Institute$25,00016%
Cultural Survival Inc$20,00010%
Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples Inc$20,00010%
Northwest Justice Project$15,50030%
The University of Montana Foundation$5,00010%
Childhaven$2,00010%
The Young Men's Christian Association of Greater Seattle (6871)$1,50020%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 23 recipients with no EIN on record ($5.2M), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Vadon Foundation supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 8 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 49 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetSalish School of Spokane: $1,001,274 over 5y, 12% of budgetInchelium Language and Culture Association: $747,513 over 5y, 84% of budgetChildren of the Setting Sun Product: $540,000 over 4y, 7.2% of budgetIndigenous Peoples Power Project Inc: $300,000 over 3y, 31% of budgetOceti Sakowin Community Academy: $300,000 over 2y, 26% of budgetBlue Bird LifeWays: $260,000 over 4y, 23% of budgetNdn Collective Inc: $252,169 over 3y, 0.4% of budgetNational Indigenous Womens Resource Center Inc: $240,000 over 2y, 2.0% of budgetSpokane Language House: $235,000 over 3y, 54% of budgetKnife Chief Buffalo Nation Society: $230,000 over 2y, 57% of budgetSaad K'idilye': $215,000 over 3y, 8.9% of budgetMahchiwminahnahtik Chippewa and Cree Language Revitalization: $185,000 over 2y, 25% of budgetNaca-Inspired Schools Network: $150,000 over 2y, 1.3% of budgetTanka Fund: $150,000 over 2y, 8.9% of budgetRed Eagle Soaring: $145,000 over 3y, 19% of budgetIndian Pueblo Cultural Center: $140,000 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetCamas Foundation: $135,000 over 3y, 18% of budgetPotlatch Fund: $125,877 over 1y, 9.7% of budgetMakoce Agriculture Development: $125,000 over 2y, 3.8% of budgetAmerican Indian Youth Running Strong Inc: $125,000 over 2y, 1.2% of budgetNot an Alternative Inc: $120,000 over 2y, 13% of budgetNa'ah Illahee Fund: $110,000 over 1y, 2.5% of budgetOaye Luta Okolakiciye: $105,000 over 2y, 8.5% of budgetBertschi School: $100,314 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetLakota Youth Development: $75,000 over 1y, 13% of budgetKwu Cnxi: $75,000 over 2y, 46% of budgetUnited Indians of All Tribes Foundation: $61,500 over 1y, 1.9% of budgetChief Seattle Club: $50,237 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetCouncil for Native Hawaiian Advancement: $50,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetArtist Trust: $50,000 over 4y, 1.3% of budgetHaida Roots: $50,000 over 2y, 18% of budgetSe Si Le: $45,000 over 2y, 18% of budgetZuni Youth Enrichment Project: $40,000 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetCenter Pole: $40,000 over 1y, 1.2% of budgetNakoa Foundation: $40,000 over 3y, 82% of budgetSouth Dakota Education Equity Coalition: $35,000 over 1y, 15% of budgetHopi School Inc: $35,000 over 1y, 7.1% of budgetMedicine Fish Corp: $35,000 over 1y, 7.0% of budgetThresh Inc: $35,000 over 1y, 14% of budgetThe Ciesla Foundation: $25,000 over 1y, 3.6% of budgetBlackfeet Eco Knowledge: $25,000 over 1y, 3.7% of budgetHearts Gathered: $25,000 over 1y, 6.0% of budgetPiegan Institute: $25,000 over 1y, 5.7% of budgetCultural Survival Inc: $20,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetSeventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples Inc: $20,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNorthwest Justice Project: $15,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetThe University of Montana Foundation: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetChildhaven: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 49.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

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.

First Nations Development InstituteCO53.7× affinity25 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: First Nations Development Institute · Ndn Collective Inc · Novo Foundation · Common Counsel Foundation · Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples Inc · Northwest Area Foundation · The Schmidt Family Foundation · Potlatch Fund · Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc · Seattle Foundation · Charlotte y Martin Foundation-Ima · Inatai 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.

Compare Vadon Foundation with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Vadon Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Vadon 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.

About Vadon Foundation

How much does Vadon Foundation give?
Vadon Foundation reported 39 grants totaling $3,472,500 in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 1 and 34 organizations a year over FY2017 to FY2023.
What does Vadon Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2024, its largest causes are Education (23%), Arts & Culture (16%), Youth Development (7%).
Who are Vadon Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2024: Salish School of Spokane ($1.0M), Inchelium Language and Culture Association ($748k), Children of the Setting Sun Product ($540k).
Does Vadon Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2023, 44% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does Vadon Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and does not take unsolicited requests. Check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
Which funders back the same organizations as Vadon Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include First Nations Development Institute, Ndn Collective Inc, Novo Foundation.
Where is Vadon Foundation based?
Vadon Foundation is based in WA.

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 83 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

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