Ellison Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 91-6557865 · since 2003ellison-foundation.org/about·Idaho, Washington·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$2.6M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$1,550 to $50,000

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$10,000

Typical grant (median)

103 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

Organisations whose work fits the foundation's medicine, education or human services priorities, and which hold 501(c)(3) status, can submit a one-page proposal by email attachment, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Organisations without 501(c)(3) status fall outside its stated eligibility.
No geographic focus is stated, but the filings show most grants going to Washington and Idaho, and the foundation says it favours highly effective regional nonprofits, so an organisation working in Washington or Idaho may find a closer fit.
Half of its grants to organisations were $10,000 or less, so a request around that size suits it, although about 8 in 10 grants fall between $1,550 and $50,000 and the largest grant was $600,000, so that band is typical rather than a ceiling.
Repeat giving is significant, with 73% of grant dollars to organisations going to groups it had funded before, so a first approach may be worth making early and building a relationship over time.

Overview

Ellison Foundation is a US private foundation based in Bellevue, 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 foundation says its mission is to support nonprofit organisations that create sustainable benefits for the people they serve. It invests in highly effective, regional nonprofit organisations and institutions involved in medicine, education and human services. Its stated interests include innovative medical research, educational initiatives impacting lifelong achievement, and organisations addressing the needs of the most vulnerable families locally. Its vision emphasises improving lives with a specific focus on the needs of women and children. In education, it points to the connection between education and access to opportunity.

Themes

Medical research
Education
Human services

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Washington and Idaho.

How to apply

Organisations whose work aligns with the foundation's priorities and hold 501(c)(3) status may submit a one-page proposal by email attachment for review.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 73% 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 282 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The foundation favours highly effective, regional nonprofit organisations and institutions involved in medicine, education and human services.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Washington89%

Idaho6%

Vermont2%

Virginia<1%

Illinois<1%

District of Columbia<1%

6 other states: 1%

The largest single recipient received 8% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 73% of grant dollars went to organisations Ellison Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
6% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

103 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $10,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 103 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k6%

$1k–$2.5k6%

$2.5k–$5k10%

$5k–$10k17%

$10k–$25k34%

$25k–$50k13%

$50k–$100k7%

$100k–$250k8%

$250k–$500k1%

Median $10,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Mary's Place · Homeless needs
$252,0002024 tax year
University of Washington Foundation · Education-brotherhood initiative
$200,0002024 tax year
Overlake Medical Center Foundation · Healthcare
$200,0002024 tax year
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research · Cancer research
$150,0002024 tax year
Sun Valley Tour de Force · Hunger
$100,0002024 tax year
Brothers for Life · Human services
$100,0002024 tax year
Seattle Children's Foundation · Homelessness prevention
$100,0002024 tax year
United Way of King County · Safety net fund
$100,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Robert Hurlbut — Foundation Director
Maureen Sue Ellison — V. President
Thomas Ellison — President

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$2,981,863	$2,705,615	$40,377,478	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$2,933,067	$2,647,304	$42,488,087	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$2,964,484	$2,593,481	$45,927,607	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

ellison-foundation.org/about

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