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Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.7M
Grant Range
$25K - $0.6M

Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,729,787 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $33.4 million (2024)
  • Grant Range: $25,000 (median) - $600,000
  • Number of Grants: 44-65 grants annually
  • Geographic Focus: National, with emphasis on Seattle/Washington state and New York
  • Application Method: Invitation only - does not accept unsolicited applications
  • Foundation Type: Private Foundation (501(c)(3))
  • EIN: 94-3163120

Contact Details

Address: 300 East Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98122

Phone: (206) 832-1480

Agent Contact: C/o Jerold T. Everard

Note: The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Overview

The Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation was established in 1992 by Jon A. Shirley, former President and COO of Microsoft (1983-1990), and his late wife Mary Shirley, who passed away in 2013. Jon Shirley was instrumental in transforming Microsoft from a 350-employee company with $50 million in revenue into a billion-dollar powerhouse, overseeing the company's initial public offering in 1986 and building the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington. The foundation operates as a private grantmaking organization with approximately $33.4 million in assets and distributed $2.7 million in grants in 2024. The foundation focuses primarily on arts and cultural institutions, particularly art museums, while also supporting educational institutions and select human services organizations addressing youth mental health, homelessness, and community needs. The Shirleys are widely recognized as transformative philanthropists in the Seattle arts community, having spearheaded the creation of the Olympic Sculpture Park with a $30 million endowment gift and more recently donated a $200 million Alexander Calder collection to the Seattle Art Museum.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through a selective, trustee-directed grantmaking approach rather than formal grant programs. Grant amounts vary significantly based on the relationship with the organization and the scope of the project:

  • Major Institutional Support: $200,000 - $600,000+ (significant capital projects, endowments, major acquisitions)
  • Program Support: $100,000 - $250,000 (ongoing institutional programs, strategic initiatives)
  • General Operating Support: $25,000 - $100,000 (median grant size: $25,000)

Priority Areas

Arts & Culture (Primary Focus):

  • Art museums and galleries
  • Sculpture parks and public art
  • Museum endowments and capital campaigns
  • Art acquisition funds
  • Cultural programming and exhibitions
  • Arts education facilities

Education:

  • Independent schools (particularly The Hill School, Jon Shirley's alma mater)
  • STEM education initiatives
  • Arts education programs (Cornish College of the Arts)
  • Educational facilities and infrastructure

Human Services (Secondary Focus):

  • Youth mental health initiatives
  • Services for homeless and working poor
  • Community relief efforts
  • Disaster response

Geographic Priorities:

  • Seattle and King County, Washington (primary)
  • National institutions with Seattle connections
  • Organizations in Pennsylvania (The Hill School)
  • New York institutions (particularly Calder Foundation)

What They Don't Fund

Based on their grantmaking patterns, the foundation does not appear to fund:

  • Unsolicited grant requests
  • Organizations without established relationships with the trustees
  • General fundraising campaigns
  • Political organizations or lobbying activities
  • Religious organizations (except where serving broader community needs)
  • Individual scholarships or fellowships
  • International organizations (focus is domestic U.S.)

Governance and Leadership

Jon A. Shirley (Founder and Trustee): Born April 12, 1938, Jon Shirley graduated from The Hill School in Pennsylvania and MIT. After a 25-year career with Radio Shack/Tandy Corporation, where he rose to lead their European expansion and computer division, he joined Microsoft in 1983 as President, COO, and director. He retired as president in 1990 and from Microsoft's board in 2008. Shirley is an avid collector of vintage cars and modern art, particularly works by Alexander Calder. He currently serves as Vice President on the Seattle Art Museum board and previously served as board chairman from 2000-2008.

Mary Shirley (1940-2013, Co-Founder): Mary Shirley was deeply committed to arts philanthropy in the Seattle region. She and Jon together led transformative gifts to the Seattle Art Museum, including the Olympic Sculpture Park project. The foundation continues to honor her legacy through ongoing support of arts and cultural institutions.

Current Leadership: Jon Shirley married Kim Richter Shirley in 2016. Kim, a retired attorney and CPA, has been a Seattle Art Museum trustee since 2011 and serves on SAM's Audit, Equity, and Finance Committees. Together they continue the foundation's philanthropic work, though Kim and Jon have also established a separate foundation (The Kim and Jon Shirley Foundation, founded in 2018).

Agent: Jerold T. Everard serves as the foundation's agent.

Governance Note: The foundation operates with no full-time employees and functions through trustee direction. According to IRS filings, no officer compensation is reported.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation does not have a public application process. According to their official foundation materials: "The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

This means:

  • The foundation proactively identifies and selects organizations to support
  • Unsolicited grant proposals are not accepted or reviewed
  • Funding decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees
  • Organizations must have pre-existing relationships with the foundation or its trustees

Getting on Their Radar

Given the foundation's invitation-only model and the specific information available about how they operate, organizations seeking to eventually be considered for funding should note:

Jon and Kim Shirley's Known Affiliations:

  • Seattle Art Museum: Both Jon and Kim serve on the board of trustees (Jon as Vice President, Kim since 2011). Organizations working in partnership with SAM or on initiatives aligned with SAM's mission may come to the foundation's attention through these board connections.

  • The Hill School: Jon Shirley is an alumnus and major donor to The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The school received a $5 million gift and continues to receive foundation support.

  • Arts Leadership Community: Jon served as chairman of Seattle Art Museum's board (2000-2008) and chaired the Olympic Sculpture Park building committee. Involvement in Seattle's arts community through board service and collaborative initiatives appears to be how organizations enter the foundation's sphere.

  • President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities: Kim Richter Shirley was appointed by President Biden to this committee in 2023, signaling national-level arts connections.

Important: This foundation's approach suggests that grants flow from the trustees' direct personal involvement and long-term relationships with institutions rather than from formal application processes. Organizations in the arts sector, particularly museums and cultural institutions in Seattle, or educational institutions with connections to the Shirleys' interests may be considered through trustee initiative.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation operates on a trustee-directed timeline rather than application cycles or deadlines.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications, as none are accepted.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - organizations cannot submit initial applications or reapplications.

Application Success Factors

Since the Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation does not accept applications, traditional "success factors" do not apply. However, analyzing their grantmaking patterns reveals what the foundation values:

Areas of Demonstrated Commitment:

  1. Long-term Institutional Relationships: The foundation's largest grants go to institutions where the trustees have sustained personal involvement. Seattle Art Museum, where both Jon and Kim Shirley serve on the board, has received multiple grants totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years, plus major art donations valued at over $200 million.

  2. Transformative Impact: The Shirleys are drawn to projects that fundamentally change institutions or communities. Their $30 million endowment gift created the Olympic Sculpture Park, transforming Seattle's waterfront. Their $5 million gift to The Hill School funded an entirely new STEM facility and curriculum. These aren't incremental improvements but game-changing investments.

  3. Arts and Cultural Excellence: The foundation's primary focus is evident in their consistent support for art museums, with particular emphasis on contemporary art and sculpture. The Seattle Times noted in 1999: "Jon and Mary Shirley are quietly becoming some of the region's most generous supporters of visual arts."

  4. Endowment and Sustainability: Rather than just funding programs, the foundation supports long-term sustainability. Their gifts often include endowment components - the Olympic Sculpture Park endowment ensures free admission "in perpetuity," and their Calder collection gift included a $10 million endowment plus annual commitments of $250,000-$500,000 for programming and research.

  5. Education and Youth: Beyond arts, the foundation supports educational institutions and youth-focused initiatives. Recent grants include $250,000 to New York-Presbyterian Fund for youth mental health (honoring Jon Shirley's late son, Erick) and $600,000 to The Hill School.

  6. Community Impact: According to historical reports, the foundation has supported "agencies that offer meals, shelter and services to the homeless and working poor," showing attention to critical community needs beyond the arts.

Giving Philosophy Based on Public Statements:

Jon Shirley told media: "We didn't want the park named after ourselves" (regarding Olympic Sculpture Park), demonstrating a focus on community benefit rather than recognition. This suggests the foundation values projects that serve broad public good over donor recognition.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No application process exists: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant proposals. They identify and select their grantees proactively.

  • Board-level relationships matter: Analysis of giving patterns shows grants flow to institutions where Jon and/or Kim Shirley have direct board involvement (Seattle Art Museum, The Hill School) or deep personal connections (Calder Foundation for their Calder collection).

  • Arts institutions with excellence and ambition: If your organization is an art museum or cultural institution with transformative vision, building relationships within Seattle's arts leadership community where the Shirleys are active could eventually lead to consideration.

  • Think endowment and sustainability: The foundation's major gifts typically include endowment components or long-term funding commitments, not just one-time project grants.

  • Seattle-area focus with select exceptions: While the foundation supports national institutions, there's clear preference for Seattle/Washington state organizations, with exceptions for institutions with personal significance (The Hill School, Calder Foundation).

  • Patient relationship building: The foundation's pattern suggests grants result from years-long relationships and demonstrated excellence, not opportunistic asks.

  • Two separate foundations: Note that Jon Shirley now operates two foundations - the Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation (established 1992) and The Kim and Jon Shirley Foundation (established 2018 with current wife Kim). Each may have different focuses and grantmaking patterns.

References

  1. Cause IQ - Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation Profile. Retrieved from https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/jon-and-mary-shirley-foundation,943163120/ (Accessed January 2026)

  2. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Jon And Mary Shirley Foundation. Retrieved from https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/943163120 (Accessed January 2026)

  3. Grantmakers.io - Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation Profile. Retrieved from https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/943163120-jon-and-mary-shirley-foundation/ (Accessed January 2026)

  4. Wikipedia - Jon Shirley. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Shirley (Accessed January 2026)

  5. Seattle Times - "A Singular Passion For Contemporary Art -- Jon And Mary Shirley Are Quietly Becoming Some Of The Region's Most Generous Supporters Of Visual Arts" (February 28, 1999). Retrieved from https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19990228&slug=2946620 (Accessed January 2026)

  6. Seattle Times - "Mary Shirley made big mark on art scene in Seattle, Eastside". Retrieved from https://www.seattletimes.com/business/mary-shirley-made-big-mark-on-art-scene-in-seattle-eastside/ (Accessed January 2026)

  7. Seattle Times - "Former Microsoft exec and wife donate $200M worth of art to Seattle Art Museum". Retrieved from https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/visual-arts/former-microsoft-exec-and-wife-donate-200-million-of-art-to-seattle-art-museum/ (Accessed January 2026)

  8. ARTnews - "Seattle Art Museum Gets Major 48-Work Gift of Alexander Calder Works and $10 M. Endowment from Former Microsoft President". Retrieved from https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/seattle-art-museum-jon-shirley-donation-alexander-calder-1234663088/ (Accessed January 2026)

  9. ARTnews - "Jon Shirley and Kim Richter Shirley - ARTnews Top 200 Collector". Retrieved from https://www.artnews.com/art-collectors/top-200-profiles/jon-shirley-kim-richter-shirley/ (Accessed January 2026)

  10. Inspiration Lab - "Jon Shirley, Former President of Microsoft, Makes $5 Million Gift to The Hill School". Retrieved from https://inspirationlab.org/story/7269 (Accessed January 2026)

  11. NewYork-Presbyterian - "NewYork-Presbyterian Announces Transformative $10 Million Gift from Kim and Jon Shirley". Retrieved from https://www.nyp.org/news/nyp-announces-transformative-10-million-gift-from-kim-and-jon-shirley-to-address-and-help-prevent-youth-suicide (Accessed January 2026)

  12. HistoryLink.org - "Seattle Art Museum opens its Olympic Sculpture Park". Retrieved from https://www.historylink.org/file/8130 (Accessed January 2026)

  13. SAM Stories - "Supporting the Arts: SAM Trustees Called to Serve the White House". Retrieved from https://samblog.seattleartmuseum.org/2023/05/sam-trustees-and-the-white-house/ (Accessed January 2026)

  14. Candid Foundation Directory - The Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation Profile. Retrieved from https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=SHIR007 (Accessed January 2026)

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