Magic Cabinet (Ken Birdwell Foundation)

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $12.5 million (2023)
Total Assets: $107.6 million
Grant Range: $1,000 - $2,500,000 (over 5 years)
Cohort Funding: ~$500,000 per year per cohort ($2.5M over 5 years)
Engagement Grant: $1,000
Geographic Focus: San Francisco Bay Area (9 counties) and Puget Sound, Washington
Application Method: Invitation only (introduce yourself via website form)
Grants Awarded: 204 grants in 2023

Contact Details

Website: www.magiccabinet.org
Email: hello@magiccabinet.org
Mailing Address: PO Box 21448, Seattle, WA 98111
Office Location: 10900 NE 4th St, Suite 1400, Bellevue, WA 98004
EIN: 82-5328231

For Introductions: Nonprofits can introduce themselves through a website form at magiccabinet.org to determine if there is a good fit for partnership.

Overview

Magic Cabinet (formerly the Ken Birdwell Foundation) was founded in 2018 by Ken Birdwell, Employee #1 at Valve Corporation, who helped create the wildly popular video games Half-Life and Portal. The foundation was established as an evolution of a 509(a)(3) nonprofit Birdwell had been running since 2011, using a portion of his wealth to create an innovative approach to philanthropy. With total assets of $107.6 million and annual giving of $12.5 million, Magic Cabinet practices a unique form of participatory grantmaking that focuses on long-term capacity building for small to medium-sized nonprofits.

Since 2019, Magic Cabinet has distributed more than $45 million in five-year, unrestricted, capacity-building grants to 21 cohorts of three nonprofits each (63 nonprofits total). The foundation's name comes from Birdwell's childhood fascination with a Pong arcade console he encountered in a Seattle mall and could only describe as a "magic cabinet." This innovative foundation is reshaping philanthropic practices by centering community knowledge, providing flexible funding, and committing to long-term partnerships rather than transactional grants.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Cohort Grants (Primary Program):

$2.5 million per cohort over five years (~$500,000 annually)
Groups of three nonprofits work collaboratively
Unrestricted, flexible capacity-building funds
Nonprofits collectively decide how funds are allocated within their cohort
Five-year commitment to each cohort

Engagement Grants:

$1,000 grant to all nonprofits completing the engagement process
Includes results of iCAT (Impact Capacity Assessment Tool)
Provides pathway to eligibility for larger Cohort grants

Fiscally-Sponsored Cohorts (New in 2024):

Supports organizations that are fiscally sponsored rather than independent 501(c)(3)s
Same five-year, capacity-building model
First cohorts launched in Puget Sound in 2024

Partnership Programs:

Native Voices Rising Partnership: $7.5 million over five years (announced 2025)
Collaborative partnerships with other foundations and funders
Recent partners include Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation and East Bay Community Foundation

Priority Areas

Magic Cabinet funds organizations focused on:

Community-led change and local engagement
Capacity building (team development, infrastructure, tools, sustainability)
Organizations serving people in their communities
Social justice and equity (reproductive justice, immigrant rights, racial equity)
Grassroots organizing and powerbuilding
Economic justice (worker rights, economic empowerment)
Native-led organizations and tribal sovereignty

Eligibility Requirements:

People-focused, locally engaged organizations
Annual budgets between $500,000 and $2.5 million
Community-trusted (serving community for 3+ years)
Learning organizations open to new ideas
501(c)(3) tax-determined nonprofits OR fiscally-sponsored organizations
Located in target geographic regions (Bay Area or Puget Sound)

Geographic Focus:

California Bay Area Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma
Washington: Puget Sound region (primarily Seattle and surrounding areas)

What They Don't Fund

Magic Cabinet does not fund:

Organizations outside their geographic focus areas
Organizations with budgets under $500,000 or over $2.5 million
Single-program initiatives (focus is on organizational capacity, not specific programs)
Organizations not rooted in community or lacking community trust
Organizations unwilling to participate in a collaborative cohort model

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors:

Ken Birdwell, Founder and Board Chair
Birdwell helped start the video game company Valve as Employee #1, contributing to Half-Life and Portal (which sold over 4 million copies). He retired from Valve in 2016 and has been active in the nonprofit sector since 1992 as a donor, volunteer, and board member. His vision for Magic Cabinet was influenced by his nonprofit work where he "saw the value of their work and the limiting nature of program-specific grants and the troubling power dynamics of much traditional funding."

Trish Millines Dziko (Elected September 2023)
Co-founder and executive director of Technology Access Foundation (TAF) in Seattle. Currently serves on the boards for InvestED, Seattle Foundation, and the National Charter Collaborative.

Leticia Landa (Elected September 2023)
Executive director of La Cocina in San Francisco. Currently serves on the Advisory Board of Kitchen Table Advisors and previously held a fellowship with Hispanics in Philanthropy. La Cocina is a past Magic Cabinet grantee.

Leadership:

Christina Engel, Chief Executive Officer (2019-2025)
Engel joined Magic Cabinet in 2019 as their first program director and became CEO. She announced in 2024 that she will step down at the end of 2025, with a new CEO expected to be announced in 2026. Engel oversees a grant-making system that centers on equity, transparency, and long-term sustainability, and has dedicated her career to developing platforms for emergent leadership, community, and creativity.

Karen Toering, Director of Advocacy (Appointed May 2023)
Previously served as Seattle Program Director before shifting to the advocacy role.

Key Philosophy from Leadership:

From a grantee quote about meeting Ken Birdwell: "Everything that we needed was really capacity-building, and nobody does that... I Googled him when we were in the room and was like, 'Okay, this is legit.' Then it was magical."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a traditional public application process. Magic Cabinet operates on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited grant applications. However, they welcome introductions from nonprofits.

Introduction Process:

Submit Introduction Form: Visit magiccabinet.org and complete the "Introduce Your Nonprofit" form
Provide Basic Information: Share information about your organization and needs to determine if there is a good fit
Wait for Foundation Contact: Magic Cabinet's engagement officers review submissions and reach out to organizations that align with their current priorities

How Organizations Are Selected: Magic Cabinet's engagement officers develop lists of possible nonprofit grantees through:

Regional research and analysis
Site visits and community conversations
Input from "grasstops folks" and "grassroots folks" in target neighborhoods
Direct connections with nonprofits
Community recommendations and networking

According to Magic Cabinet: "It's a lot more work this way. But it's worth it to us to do the work so we're not wasting nonprofits' time."

Engagement Process (for invited organizations):

Brief Application: Initial application form
iCAT Assessment: Complete Impact Capacity Assessment Tool
Site Visit: Foundation conducts site visit to learn about organization
Celebratory Gathering: Event for all participating organizations
Engagement Grant: Receive $1,000 engagement grant and iCAT results
Cohort Matching: Become eligible for placement in funded cohorts

Magic Cabinet gets to know nonprofits deeply through "site visits, surveys, facilitated discussions, document gathering, events and many follow-up conversations."

Getting on Their Radar

Magic Cabinet has specific ways organizations can connect with them:

1. Submit an Introduction Through Their Website
The foundation maintains an "Introduce Your Nonprofit" form at magiccabinet.org specifically for organizations to share information about themselves. This is the primary pathway for organizations not currently known to the foundation.

2. Attend Sector Conferences Where Magic Cabinet Participates
Magic Cabinet staff attend and engage at specific conferences including:

Philanthropy Northwest
Native Americans in Philanthropy conferences
Northern California Grantmakers events
Filantropía Puerto Rico

3. Connect Through Partner Organizations
Magic Cabinet works with several partner organizations that may provide introductions:

Communities of Opportunity
Solano Community Foundation
Northern California Grantmakers
Native Voices Rising (for Native-led organizations)

4. Network With Current or Past Grantees
Magic Cabinet values community recommendations. Their past grantees include Asian Women's Shelter, La Cocina, East Oakland Boxing Association, GOT GREEN, Planting Justice, Pogo Park, First Graduate, and others.

5. Build Visibility in Target Communities
Magic Cabinet's engagement officers actively research nonprofits in their target regions and talk to community leaders. Being visible and trusted in communities within the Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma counties) or Puget Sound region increases likelihood of being discovered.

Decision Timeline

Overall Timeline: The entire engagement and cohort selection process takes place over several months to a year, depending on when Magic Cabinet is forming new cohorts.

Engagement Process: Organizations completing the engagement process receive their $1,000 engagement grant and iCAT assessment results relatively quickly after completion.

Cohort Formation: Magic Cabinet forms cohorts on a rolling basis as they identify three compatible organizations in the same geographic area with complementary (but not overlapping) missions.

Five-Year Commitment: Once selected for a cohort, organizations receive funding for five years with annual grants totaling approximately $500,000 per year per cohort (divided among the three organizations based on their collective decisions).

Notification: Selected organizations are contacted directly by Magic Cabinet's engagement officers. There is no formal rejection notification for organizations that submit introductions but are not selected, as the foundation maintains relationships and may reach out in the future.

Success Rates

204 grants awarded in 2023 across all programs
63 nonprofits have received cohort grants since 2019 (21 cohorts of 3 organizations each)
9 fiscally-sponsored organizations selected for first fiscally-sponsored cohorts in 2024
More than $45 million distributed since 2019
All organizations completing the engagement process receive the $1,000 engagement grant

The foundation is highly selective but invests deeply in organizations they choose. Success depends heavily on alignment with their current geographic and thematic priorities and availability of cohort placement opportunities.

Reapplication Policy

Given the invitation-only model and five-year cohort commitments, traditional reapplication doesn't apply. However:

Organizations that complete the engagement process but aren't immediately placed in a cohort remain in the foundation's network
Magic Cabinet maintains ongoing relationships with organizations in their ecosystem
The foundation is open to continued conversations with organizations that have engaged with them previously
Organizations can update their information by reaching out to hello@magiccabinet.org

Application Success Factors

Based on Magic Cabinet's documented preferences and approach, organizations should focus on the following to increase their chances of partnership:

1. Demonstrate Deep Community Roots and Trust
Magic Cabinet prioritizes organizations that are "community-trusted" with at least 3 years of service. They talk to both "grasstops folks" and "grassroots folks" in neighborhoods to understand which organizations are truly serving their communities. As their materials state, they fund organizations that are "locally engaged in the Bay Area communities they serve."

2. Show Willingness to Collaborate
The cohort model requires organizations to work together with two other nonprofits, meet quarterly, and "collectively approve proposals for fund usage." Organizations need to demonstrate they are "learning organizations open to new ideas" and can work collaboratively with peers.

3. Articulate Capacity-Building Needs
As one grantee said: "Everything that we needed was really capacity-building, and nobody does that." Magic Cabinet specifically seeks organizations that need support for "team development, infrastructure, tools, and sustainability" rather than program-specific funding. Successful applicants should clearly identify capacity gaps they want to address.

4. Align with Budget Requirements
Organizations must have annual budgets between $500,000 and $2.5 million. This is a strict eligibility criterion. Being too small or too large disqualifies an organization.

5. Embrace Participatory Decision-Making
Magic Cabinet's guiding principles emphasize "participatory decisions" and "transparent relationships." Organizations should be comfortable with a model where they have significant input into how funds are used and share decision-making with their cohort partners. According to the foundation: "Ideally, members look out for each other and decide, together, who needs what."

6. Focus on People, Not Just Programs
Magic Cabinet funds "people-focused organizations" that serve communities directly. The foundation invests in organizational strength rather than specific program outcomes, providing "unrestricted, capacity-building funds to the group to spend as they see fit."

7. Be Prepared for Deep Engagement
The foundation gets to know nonprofits through "site visits, surveys, facilitated discussions, document gathering, events and many follow-up conversations." Organizations should be ready for a thorough engagement process including the iCAT assessment, site visits, and multiple conversations.

8. Demonstrate Long-Term Vision
Magic Cabinet provides "five-year capacity-building funding" because they believe in "long-term investment" that moves "beyond transactional, short-term grants." Organizations should articulate how five years of flexible funding would help them achieve sustainability and increased impact.

9. Recent Funding Examples Show Their Priorities
Recent grants illuminate what Magic Cabinet values:

GOT GREEN (Seattle): $167K for strategy, structure and leadership capacity building
Planting Justice (Oakland): $166K for admin support and marketing
Pogo Park (Richmond, CA): $166K for campaign capacity building
First Graduate (San Francisco): $161K for staff development
Asian Women's Shelter, La Cocina, East Oakland Boxing Association

These examples show emphasis on organizational infrastructure, staffing, systems, and leadership development.

10. Geographic and Thematic Alignment
Organizations must be located in and serve communities within Magic Cabinet's target areas: nine Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma) or Puget Sound, Washington. Recent thematic priorities include immigrant rights, reproductive justice, racial equity, worker rights, Native-led organizations, and grassroots powerbuilding.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Invitation-only but accessible: While Magic Cabinet doesn't accept traditional applications, they actively welcome introductions through their website form and conduct extensive community research to find potential partners. Submit an introduction and build visibility in target communities.
Five-year, unrestricted funding is transformative: Magic Cabinet provides approximately $500,000 per year for five years to cohorts of three organizations ($2.5M total per cohort), with complete flexibility in how funds are used for capacity building. This is among the most flexible funding available.
Budget sweet spot is critical: Organizations must have annual budgets between $500,000 and $2.5 million. Don't waste time if you're outside this range.
Collaboration is non-negotiable: You'll work with two other nonprofits in your cohort, meet quarterly, and make collective decisions about fund usage. Demonstrate collaborative skills and openness to peer learning.
Capacity building, not programs: Magic Cabinet funds infrastructure, staffing, systems, leadership development, and organizational sustainability—not specific programs. Frame your needs around building organizational capacity.
Community trust matters most: The foundation conducts deep community research and talks to grassroots and established leaders. Your reputation and relationships in the community are crucial to selection.
Participatory ethos shapes everything: Magic Cabinet practices "trust-based philanthropy" and cedes power to nonprofits. They value transparency, flexibility, and nonprofit decision-making authority. Embrace this collaborative partnership model rather than traditional funder-grantee dynamics.

References

Magic Cabinet Official Website - www.magiccabinet.org (Accessed January 2026)
Magic Cabinet Grantmaking Page - https://www.magiccabinet.org/grantmaking/ (Accessed January 2026)
Magic Cabinet Guiding Principles - https://www.magiccabinet.org/our-guiding-principles/ (Accessed January 2026)
Magic Cabinet 2024 Year in Review - https://www.magiccabinet.org/2024-our-year-in-review/ (Accessed January 2026)
Inside Philanthropy: "Magic Cabinet: A Matchmaking Participatory Grantmaker Helps Teams of Grantees Build Capacity" (June 2023) - https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2023-6-13-magic-cabinet-a-matchmaking-participatory-grantmaker-helps-teams-of-grantees-build-capacity
Inside Philanthropy Funder Profile - https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant-places/bay-area-grants/magic-cabinet (Accessed January 2026)
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Ken Birdwell Foundation (EIN: 82-5328231) - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/825328231 (Accessed January 2026)
GuideStar Profile - Ken Birdwell Foundation - https://www.guidestar.org/profile/82-5328231 (Accessed January 2026)
Charity Navigator Profile - Ken Birdwell Foundation - https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/825328231 (Accessed January 2026)
Cause IQ Profile - Ken Birdwell Foundation - https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/ken-birdwell-foundation,825328231/ (Accessed January 2026)
Magic Cabinet: "Magic Cabinet Commits $7.5 million to Native Voices Rising to Strengthen Native-led Organizations" (2025) - https://www.magiccabinet.org/magic-cabinet-commits-7-5-million-to-native-voices-rising-to-strengthen-native-led-organizations/
Magic Cabinet: "Magic Cabinet Elects Two New Board Members From Local Community Nonprofits" (September 2023) - https://www.magiccabinet.org/magic-cabinet-elects-two-new-board-members-from-local-community-nonprofits/
Public Profit: "Magic Cabinet: Promoting Capacity Building through Participatory, Trust-Based Philanthropy" - https://www.publicprofit.net/case-study-magic-cabinet/ (Accessed January 2026)
Catchafire Blog: "Rewriting nonprofit capacity building with Magic Cabinet" - https://blog.catchafire.org/rewriting-nonprofit-capacity-building-with-magic-cabinet (Accessed January 2026)
Magic Cabinet About Ken Birdwell - https://www.magiccabinet.org/ken-birdwell/ (Accessed January 2026)