Who funds Seattle Art Museum?
66 private foundations reported grants to Seattle Art Museum in Seattle, Washington totaling $5.8 million across 72 grants in tax years 2023 to 2025. The largest funder was The Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation, with $2.9 million.
From the funders' IRS Form 990-PF filings.
- Foundation funders66
- Grants reported72
- Total received$5.8 million
- Funders taking applications12
Funders of Seattle Art Museum that accept applications
If your organization does similar work, these foundations are prospects: they already fund work like Seattle Art Museum's and say in their IRS filings that they accept applications.
- B & M Wright Foundation
- Blakemore Foundation
- The Foster Foundation
- E Rhodes and Leona B Carpenter Foundation
- The WLS Spencer Foundation
- Wyeth Foundation for American Art
- BNSF Railway Foundation
- Joshua Green Foundation Inc
- Moccasin Lake Foundation
- Whatley Foundation
- Lippes Family Charitable Foundation
- Tillie & Alfred Shemanski Foundation
Foundations that fund Seattle Art Museum
| Foundation | Purpose given | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation | $250,000 for Ai Weiwei 2025 exhibition support; $100,000 for Contributors Circles 2024-2025; $2,500,000 for Connect Art to Life pledge pmt 1 of 4 | 1 | $2.9 million |
| The Kim and Jon Shirley Foundation | $5,000 for Silver Sponsorship Fall Into Art 2025 - FULL DONATION; $580,435 for Following Space: Mosley & Calder | 1 | $585,435 |
| Charles Edward Stuart Charitable Foundation | Unrestricted general | 1 | $528,741 |
| Herman & Faye Sarkowsky Charitable Foundation | General support | 2 | $382,685 |
| Allen Family Philanthropies | To support free first thursday evenings at sam | 1 | $259,910 |
| The Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Family Foundation | Sam forward campaign | 1 | $235,000 |
| Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc | Fci 2024 implementation | 1 | $100,000 |
| Lady Foundation | General fund | 1 | $83,333 |
| B & M Wright Foundation | Operating funds | 1 | $83,333 |
| Blakemore Foundation | Musuem internships for university of washington students during 2024/2025 academic year | 2 | $65,028 |
| Jacob & Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation | Support arts and education | 1 | $55,000 |
| The Foster Foundation | General | 1 | $50,000 |
| Tew Foundation | Tariqa waters exhibition | 1 | $50,000 |
| Linda Nordstrom Family Foundation | Operating | 2 | $40,000 |
| E Rhodes and Leona B Carpenter Foundation | Help with the costs of purchasing conservation supplies and materials for its new atsuhiko and ina goodwin tateuchi conservation center | 1 | $35,000 |
| The WLS Spencer Foundation | To support the "ai, rebel: the art and activism of ai weiwei" exhibition and associated programming | 1 | $31,186 |
| Janet Wright Ketcham Foundation | To provide support to exempt organization | 1 | $30,000 |
| The Firoz and Najma Lalji Foundation | Membership & committee expenses, persident circle, general expenses | 1 | $28,000 |
| Wyeth Foundation for American Art | Grant in support of beyond mysticism: the modern northwest exhibition | 1 | $25,000 |
| Kulakala Point Foundation | To support the leading visual art institution in the Pacific Northwest | 1 | $25,000 |
| The Berwick Degel Family Foundation | Annual fund - operating budget | 1 | $25,000 |
| Grousemont Foundation | General & unrestricted | 4 | $22,700 |
| The Macrae Foundation | Support art museum | 1 | $17,000 |
| Bobo Foundation | Further charitable goals | 1 | $14,366 |
| Norberg Family Foundation | Financial support | 1 | $11,500 |
| Raman Family Foundation | Conservation and Maintenance of Art | 1 | $11,000 |
| BNSF Railway Foundation | Cultural | 1 | $10,000 |
| Kennedy-Ries Family Foundation | General support | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Rieschel Foundation | General support | 1 | $10,000 |
| Brant Foundation | General support | 1 | $10,000 |
| Keith & Mary Kay McCaw Family Found | Annual fund | 1 | $10,000 |
| Apex Foundation | Arts, culture, and history | 1 | $10,000 |
| Real Progress Foundation | Community enhancement grant | 1 | $10,000 |
| Joshua Green Foundation Inc | General fund donation | 1 | $10,000 |
| DV & Ida McEachern Charitable Tr | General operating | 1 | $10,000 |
| Barton Family Foundation | General and unrestricted | 1 | $7,725 |
| Peg and Rick Young Foundation | To assist in carrying out the org. Charitable purpose | 1 | $6,000 |
| Thanksgiving Foundation Bessemer Trust Company NA | General exempt purpose | 1 | $5,000 |
| Rodman Foundation | General operating support | 1 | $5,000 |
| Moccasin Lake Foundation | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $5,000 |
| Raven Trust Fund | General support for all public charities | 1 | $5,000 |
| Satya and Rao Remala Foundation | To share its global collections, powerful exhibitions, and dynamic programs to engage, educate, and inspire. | 1 | $5,000 |
| Lester and Phyllis Epstein Foundation Inc | General Support Fine and Decorative Arts | 1 | $4,000 |
| Leslie Fund Inc | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $3,000 |
| The Gary & Connie Kunis Foundation | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $3,000 |
| Whatley Foundation | Social services | 1 | $2,500 |
| Dean Foundation Inc | General | 1 | $2,000 |
| The Bernstein Family Foundation | General support | 1 | $1,800 |
| Stevens Family Foundation | Public garden | 1 | $1,500 |
| Abbott B and Joan M Lipsky Fund | Geral operating needs | 1 | $1,500 |
| Start It Foundation | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $1,500 |
| Akila and S Somasegar Family Foundation | For exempt purposes | 1 | $1,500 |
| Stroum Family Foundation | General support | 1 | $1,500 |
| Allison Foundation Trust Tai | General operating | 1 | $1,000 |
| The Cleaves and Mae Rhea Foundation | General Support | 1 | $1,000 |
| Archarios Foundation | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $1,000 |
| Nakajima Foundation | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $1,000 |
| Carl L Hossman Jr Family Foundation | Further charitable purpose | 1 | $1,000 |
| Peggy and Brian Sassi Charitable Foundation Inc | Public support of organization mission | 1 | $726 |
| Lippes Family Charitable Foundation | Chartiable | 1 | $500 |
| The Scott and Nancy Atherton Foundation | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $500 |
| Grant and Dorrit Saviers Foundation | Educational | 1 | $500 |
| Charles & Emma Frye Free Public Art | General support | 1 | $250 |
| Tillie & Alfred Shemanski Foundation | Unrestricted general | 1 | $100 |
| Amazonsmile Foundation | General support | 1 | $79 |
| Alzheimers Research Association | Educational | 1 | $56 |
Using this list
A foundation that already gives to Seattle Art Museum gives in its field and region, so the list doubles as a prospect list for similar organizations in Seattle. Open a foundation to see its application rules, typical grant and every other grant it paid.
Questions people ask
Who funds Seattle Art Museum?
The Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation, The Kim and Jon Shirley Foundation, Charles Edward Stuart Charitable Foundation, Herman & Faye Sarkowsky Charitable Foundation and Allen Family Philanthropies, and 61 more, according to their IRS Form 990-PF filings.
How much does Seattle Art Museum get from foundations?
$5.8 million in 72 reported grants from 66 private foundations in tax years 2023 to 2025. Government grants and gifts from individuals are not included.
Which of these funders accept applications?
B & M Wright Foundation, Blakemore Foundation, The Foster Foundation, E Rhodes and Leona B Carpenter Foundation and The WLS Spencer Foundation say in their filings that they accept applications.