Vadon Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work is Native-led community initiative, especially Native language revitalisation, addressing violence against Native women, girls and Two-Spirit people, or innovative community leadership, it matches the themes the foundation describes.
- Applications are rolling, and the foundation asks that you first email or call to discuss your programme, after which you and the foundation decide together what further materials would help.
- Typical grants fall between $20,000 and $225,000, with a median of $75,000, so a request in that region is realistic, although that band is not a ceiling, since the largest grant was about $1,000,000.
- In the filing, 77% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups the foundation had funded in earlier years, so the foundation appears to be relationship-led; a new applicant should still make the call, but should expect a first approach to take time to build trust.
- The filing states no geographic focus; past grants went mainly to Washington, South Dakota, Montana, California and New Mexico, but that is a pattern of giving, not a rule on who may apply.
Overview
Vadon Foundation is a US private foundation based in Seattle, WA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Vadon Foundation supports innovative community-based initiatives that sustain healthy, thriving Indigenous nations and help successive generations of Indigenous people and cultures build self-determination, autonomy and sustainability. Its stated focus areas include revitalising Native languages, addressing violence against Native women, girls and Two-Spirit people through grassroots leadership, and fostering innovative community leadership. It looks for leaders who aspire to break multi-generational cycles and create better possibilities for future generations. The foundation emphasises visionary changemakers within Native communities and collaborative, grantee-centric philanthropy, aiming to reduce the administrative burden on potential partners.
Themes
- Language revitalisation
- MMIWG2S
- Innovative community leadership
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Washington, South Dakota, Montana, California and New Mexico.
How to apply
Interested grantees should first email or call to discuss their programme. If collaboration seems possible, the foundation and applicant determine together what further materials or information would be useful.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 77% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 107 grants to organisations were $75,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The foundation looks for leaders who aspire to break multi-generational cycles and create better possibilities for future generations.
- The foundation favours developing and supporting visionary changemakers within Native communities.
- The foundation describes its approach as collaborative, grantee-centric philanthropy.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 11%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 3%
- The largest single recipient received 10% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 77% of grant dollars went to organisations Vadon Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- <1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Canada).
- 6% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 39 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $75,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Stanford University · To support organization$250,0002024 tax year
- Wambli Ska Okolakiciye · To support organization$250,0002024 tax year
- Oceti Sakowin Community Academy · To support organization$225,0002024 tax year
- Children of the Setting Sun Productions · To support organization$200,0002024 tax year
- Salish School of Spokane · To support organization$200,0002024 tax year
- Treehouse · To support organization$175,0002024 tax year
- Inchelium Language and Culture Association · To support organization$160,0002024 tax year
- Knife Chief Buffalo Nation Society · To support organization$140,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Georgia Vadon — Board Member
- Allison Barnes Vadon — Director
- David Lasarte-Meeks — Secretary, Director
- Marilyn Vadon — Director
- Mark Vadon — President, Treasurer, Director
- Evelyn Barnes — Board Member
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $3,153,842 | $2,687,887 | $46,251,931 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $4,576,591 | $4,076,913 | $50,108,627 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $4,237,879 | $3,472,500 | $53,630,403 | Filing for 2024 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Vadon Foundation?
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Applying to Vadon Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required