Sanders Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered; the sensible first step is to find a connection who can introduce your work.
- Its filed grants have gone mainly to universities, secondary schools, medical and humanitarian charities and social-service organisations, with the most recorded purposes in university athletics and football-centre enhancement, so check that your work sits within that range before approaching it.
- Most of its grants fall between $30,000 and $500,000 and the median is $55,000, so a request in that region fits its giving, though this band is typical rather than a limit, since its largest grant was $785,000.
- Repeat recipients received all of its grant dollars to organisations in its most recent filing, so a new organisation should expect to be a minority of its giving.
- Its filings show most grants in Oregon and Washington, but no geographic focus is stated, so location alone should not rule your organisation out.
Overview
Sanders Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in West Linn, OR.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation's filed grants have gone to universities, secondary schools, medical and humanitarian charities, and social-service organisations. The recorded purposes include football-centre enhancement and athletic department support, tuition assistance, restricted teacher salaries, unrestricted general support and Fanconi anaemia research. The purpose records are concentrated in university athletics and football-centre enhancement, while school grants support tuition and teacher salaries. Other grants support medical, humanitarian and social-service work. The filings do not state a general funding remit or applicant eligibility. They do not identify a geographic priority; the recipient-state records show most grants went to Oregon, with others in Washington and Maryland.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Oregon and Washington.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 100% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 31 grants to organisations were $55,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 45% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 100% of grant dollars went to organisations Sanders Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 10 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $57,500 (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Oregon State University Foundation · Valley football center enhancement$750,0002025 tax year
- University of Oregon Foundation · Athletic department fund$500,0002025 tax year
- Seton Catholic High School · Tuition assistance$115,0002025 tax year
- Saint Thomas More School · Tuition assistance$80,0002025 tax year
- Eastside Catholic School · Restricted-teacher salaries$80,0002025 tax year
- Medical Teams International · Unrestricted general fund$35,0002025 tax year
- Partners In Health · Unrestricted general fund$30,0002025 tax year
- Salvation Army · Unrestricted general fund$30,0002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Samuel Sanders — Director
- Daniel Sanders — President
- Molly Sanders — Secretary
- Robert T Sanders — Treasurer
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $1,959,036 | $1,755,000 | $34,370,880 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,910,312 | $1,665,000 | $35,820,379 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $1,908,806 | $1,665,000 | $38,710,252 | Filing for 2025 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Sanders Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- West Linn, OR
Applying to Sanders Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- West Linn, OR