The Bernice A B Keyes TW foundation concentrates its giving on independent K–12 and higher education institutions in the Pacific Northwest, with a particular emphasis on sustaining core operating budgets. Most dollars flow to a small set of repeat beneficiaries—especially Charles Wright Academy—suggesting a preference for stable, ongoing support rather than one‑off project funding. The foundation’s grants are largely unrestricted general operating gifts to established schools and universities.
A defining feature of Bernice a B Keyes Tw’s giving is its repeated support for Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, including a $45,000 general operating grant in 2023, a $44,640 general operating grant in 2024, and a $27,000 scholarship grant in 2025. That pattern points to a funder that favors sustained institutional support rather than isolated awards. The foundation also backs a small group of Washington colleges and universities with both operating and scholarship dollars, including University of Washington Seattle and Pacific Lutheran University. Across the recent grants list, its support reaches independent K–12 schools, public research universities, private liberal arts institutions, and faith-affiliated colleges. The amounts are generally modest, with several awards clustered around $2,500 to $6,000, alongside larger gifts for long-term beneficiaries. Washington recipients dominate the list, and the foundation also extends some support to institutions outside that state. The overall picture is of a grantmaker centered on education, especially organizations that can use ongoing general operating funds and tuition or scholarship support.
Education is the clearest throughline in Bernice a B Keyes Tw’s grantmaking. In K–12 support, the foundation gave $44,640 to Charles Wright Academy for general operating and $27,000 to the same school for scholarship support in 2025. In higher education, it awarded $14,880 to Pacific Lutheran University for general operating, and also supported University of Washington Seattle with both general operating and scholarship dollars. The foundation’s education funding is not limited to one institution type: it reaches independent schools, public universities, private liberal arts colleges, and community colleges. It also funds student access directly, as shown by scholarship grants to Gonzaga University, Tacoma Community College, Central Washington University, University of Washington Tacoma, and University of Puget Sound. That mix shows an emphasis on both institutional stability and student aid.
Typical grants are small to mid-sized: the p25 is $2,480, the median is $2,500, and the p75 is $5,750. The recent record shows both one-off awards and repeated support to the same recipients across multiple years, especially in Washington. The foundation gives from a private family-style vehicle under the Bernice a B Keyes Tw name and also funds individuals. Its recent grants are overwhelmingly operating support, with scholarship awards layered onto that pattern. The latest 990 year on file is 2025.
$113K
$1.9M
$192K
$143K
Most grants fall between $2K and $6K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$6K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in WA.
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Concentrated portfolio: a small number of relatively large, repeat general‑operating grants to a few educational institutions rather than many small or single‑purpose awards.
Notable grantees: Charles Wright Academy, University of Washington (Seattle), Pacific Lutheran University, University of Washington (other grant entry)
Giving is national in scope, but it is heavily concentrated in Washington, which is the top state by grant count. Tacoma appears repeatedly through Charles Wright Academy, Tacoma Community College, University of Washington Tacoma, University of Puget Sound, and Bates Technical College. Seattle also shows up often through University of Washington Seattle and University of Washington. Outside Washington, recent recipients include New York University in New York, St Olaf College in Minnesota, and University of Alabama Birmingham in Alabama. All listed recent grants went to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants show a focus on education: independent K–12 schools, public research universities, private liberal arts colleges, faith-affiliated colleges, and community colleges. The foundation also makes scholarship grants, so support reaches both institutions and individual students.
Yes. Charles Wright Academy received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and University of Washington Seattle appears in both 2023 and 2025. Pacific Lutheran University and University of Washington Tacoma also appear more than once, showing repeated support rather than only one-time gifts.
The grant-size distribution is tightly clustered: p25 is $2,480, median is $2,500, and p75 is $5,750. That suggests many awards are around $2,500, with a smaller set of larger grants for ongoing institutional support.
Yes. While Washington is the top state by grant count, recent grants also went to organizations in Minnesota, Alabama, New York, Texas, California, Arizona, and Tennessee. All listed recent grants went to U.S. recipients.
General operating support appears frequently in the recent grants list, including awards to Charles Wright Academy, University of Washington Seattle, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Community College, and Western Washington University. Scholarship grants are also present, but operating support is the dominant pattern.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHARLES WRIGHT ACADEMY | TACOMA, WA | $41,400 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SEATTLE | SEATTLE, WA | $18,400 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY | S TACOMA, WA | $9,200 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| TACOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE | TACOMA, WA | $6,900 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| PIERCE COLLEGE | LAKEWOOD, WA | $4,600 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY | RENTON, WA | $4,600 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| BOSTON COLLEGE | CHESTNUT HILL, MA | $2,300 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA | TUSCALOOSA, AL | $2,300 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $2,300 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| VIRGINIA TECH | BLACKSBURG, VA | $2,300 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| HARVARD COLLEGE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $2,300 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, OH | $2,300 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY | LEBANON, OH | $2,300 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | ROCHESTER, NY | $2,300 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| SAINT MARTINS UNIVERSITY | LACEY, WA | $2,300 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | ELLENSBURG, WA | $2,300 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE | CLAREMONT, CA | $2,300 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY | ORANGE, CA | $2,300 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CHARLES WRIGHT ACADEMY | TACOMA, WA | $27,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SEATTLE | SEATTLE, WA | $16,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | ELLENSBURG, WA | $6,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| TACOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE | TACOMA, WA | $6,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND | TACOMA, WA | $6,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON TACOMA | TACOMA, WA | $6,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $2,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| SAINT MARTINS UNIVERSITY | LACEY, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| PIERCE COLLEGE | LAKEWOOD, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY | S TACOMA, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| OTTAWA UNIVERSITY | OTTAWA, KS | $2,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF OREGON | EUGENE, OR | $2,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY | RENTON, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| GONZAGA UNIVERSITY | SPOKANE, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE | ANCHORAGE, AK | $2,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY | SPOKANE, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CHARLES WRIGHT ACADEMY | TACOMA, WA | $44,640 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $14,880 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY | S TACOMA, WA | $14,880 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY | RENTON, WA | $4,960 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | BELLINGHAM, WA | $4,960 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON TACOMA | TACOMA, WA | $2,480 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,480 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $2,480 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PIERCE COLLEGE | LAKEWOOD, WA | $2,480 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY | ATLANTA, GA | $2,480 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE | OLYMPIA, WA | $2,480 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF UTAH | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $2,480 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY | ORANGE, CA | $2,480 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY | SAN DIEGO, CA | $2,480 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY | NEWBERG, OR | $2,480 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA | TAMPA, FL | $2,480 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP |
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SEATTLE
$18,400SCHOLARSHIP
PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY
$9,200SCHOLARSHIP
TACOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
$6,900SCHOLARSHIP
PIERCE COLLEGE
$4,600SCHOLARSHIP
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
$4,600SCHOLARSHIP
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
$2,300SCHOLARSHIP
VIRGINIA TECH
$2,300SCHOLARSHIP
HARVARD COLLEGE
$2,300SCHOLARSHIP
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
$2,300SCHOLARSHIP
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
$2,300SCHOLARSHIP
SAINT MARTINS UNIVERSITY
$2,300SCHOLARSHIP
CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
$2,300SCHOLARSHIP
CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE
$2,300SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SEATTLE
$16,000SCHOLARSHIP
CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
$6,000SCHOLARSHIP
TACOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
$6,000SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND
$6,000SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON TACOMA
$6,000SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP
SAINT MARTINS UNIVERSITY
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP
PIERCE COLLEGE
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP
PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP
OTTAWA UNIVERSITY
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP
GONZAGA UNIVERSITY
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP
WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$14,880GENERAL OPERATING
PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY
$14,880GENERAL OPERATING
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
$4,960GENERAL OPERATING
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON TACOMA
$2,480GENERAL OPERATING
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
$2,480GENERAL OPERATING
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
$2,480SCHOLARSHIP
GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY
$2,480SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA
$2,480SCHOLARSHIP