The Biella Foundation concentrates its philanthropy exclusively on postsecondary education in the South Seattle area, providing substantial, repeated support to South Seattle College through multiple grants. Its giving suggests a strategic focus on strengthening community college capacity — likely scholarships, program support, and workforce/continuing-education initiatives that expand access to higher education for local students.
Highly concentrated giving: all funds directed to a single grantee (repeat grants) with a relatively large cumulative commitment focused on one institution rather than broad diversification.
Biella Foundation’s recent grantmaking is dominated by a repeated annual grant to South Seattle College Foundation: $408,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That recurring pattern points to a sustained commitment to postsecondary education in South Seattle rather than one-off project support. The foundation also backs a broader local safety-net ecosystem around Seattle, with grants to organizations serving students, families, housing-insecure households, seniors, and other targeted groups. Across the recent grants list, the foundation appears to use a mix of large anchor awards and a wider set of smaller operating or program grants. The largest education grants sit alongside a steady cluster of $60,000 awards to community-based nonprofits, suggesting a portfolio that combines concentrated support for a core institution with parallel funding for direct services. Seattle-area recipients include Salvation Army, Treehouse, YMCA of Greater Seattle, Solid Ground, and New Horizons Ministries. Outside Seattle proper, the list also includes organizations in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Renton, Maple Valley, Duvall, and Bothell’s broader region. All reported grants go to U.S. recipients.
Education is the clearest throughline in the recent grants. Biella Foundation gave $408,000 to South Seattle College Foundation for education in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025, indicating a long-running institutional relationship. It also gave $60,000 to Sat-7 USA for education in both 2024 and 2025. Beyond postsecondary education, the foundation funds human services and targeted support programs. It gave $100,000 to Salvation Army in 2023 for human services, then followed with $60,000 grants to Salvation Army in 2024 and 2025. The same $60,000 level appears for Solid Ground, Plymouth Housing, Recovery Cafe, Wellspring Family Services, and The Rescue Mission, all in human services. Targeted groups services show up through grants to Treehouse, Homage Senior Services, Kindering Center, and Bridge Disabilities Ministries, each supported at $60,000 in recent years.
Biella Foundation’s recent grants cluster around a few size bands. The typical grant sits at $10,000 median, with a lower quartile of $5,000 and an upper quartile of $30,000, while many of the largest recent awards are $60,000 and $408,000. The pattern includes repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, especially annual support to South Seattle College Foundation and consecutive-year grants to several human-services groups. That suggests ongoing relationship-based funding rather than isolated gifts. The foundation is a private foundation by behavior, with no individual giving and no program-related investments reported.
$3.6M
$59.3M
$4M
$5.7M
Most grants fall between $5K and $30K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$30K
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Notable grantees: South Seattle College Foundation
Biella Foundation gives overwhelmingly in Washington: 85% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the grant list is entirely U.S.-based. Seattle is the main recipient city, with multiple awards to organizations there. Other Washington recipients include Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Renton, Maple Valley, Duvall, Bothell, and Easton in Maryland as the main out-of-state recipient city listed. The geography is local and concentrated rather than national or international.
The recent grants point to three main areas: postsecondary education, human services, and targeted support for specific groups. Education includes repeated support for South Seattle College Foundation and Sat-7 USA. Human services grants go to organizations such as Salvation Army, Solid Ground, and Plymouth Housing, while targeted groups services include Treehouse, Homage Senior Services, Kindering Center, and Bridge Disabilities Ministries.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution shows a 25th percentile of $5,000, a median of $10,000, and a 75th percentile of $30,000. Recent grantmaking also includes larger recurring awards at $60,000 and a recurring $408,000 grant to one education recipient.
Yes. South Seattle College Foundation received $408,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Salvation Army received $100,000 in 2023 and $60,000 in both 2024 and 2025. Several other organizations also appear in multiple years, including Treehouse, Solid Ground, YMCA of Greater Seattle, and Bridge Disabilities Ministries.
The foundation gives most often in Washington, and 85% of its grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Seattle is the most common city in the recent grants list, with additional Washington recipients in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Tacoma, Renton, Maple Valley, Duvall, and Bothell-area organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $408,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| YWCA SEATTLE-KING-SNOHOMISH | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| THE SOPHIA WAY | BELLEVUE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| ACRES OF DIAMONDS | DUVALL, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| COMPASS HOUSING ALLIANCE | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| VINE MAPLE PLACE | MAPLE VALLEY, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| NEW HORIZONS MINISTRIES | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES |
| REAL ESCAPE FROM THE SEX TRADE | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES |
| SAT-7 USA | EASTON, MD | $60,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| HOMAGE SENIOR SERVICES | LYNNWOOD, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES |
| MARY'S PLACE | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| WELLSPRING FAMILY SERVICES | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| HOPELINK | REDMOND, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| TREEHOUSE | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES |
| SALVATION ARMY | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY INC | PHOENIX, AZ | $60,000 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| VISION HOUSE | RENTON, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| SEATTLE UNION GOSPEL MISSION | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| BRIDGE DISABILITIES MINISTRIES | BELLEVUE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES |
| PRISON FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES | LANSDOWNE, VA | $60,000 | 2025 | TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES |
| RECOVERY CAFE | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| SOLID GROUND | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| SOUND GENERATIONS | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES |
| YMCA OF GREATER SEATTLE | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| PLYMOUTH HOUSING | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| KINDERING CENTER | BELLEVUE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES |
| OPERATION NIGHTWATCH | SEATTLE, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| THE RESCUE MISSION | TACOMA, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| CRISTA MINISTRIES | SHORELINE, WA | $55,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| ANACORTES FAMILY CENTER | ANACORTES, WA | $54,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | PULLMAN, WA | $42,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | BELLINGHAM, WA | $42,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | ELLENSBURG, WA | $42,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | CHENEY, WA | $42,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $42,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE | BOONE, NC | $40,000 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| TEAM RUBICON | LOS ANGELES, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| CONVOY OF HOPE | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $40,000 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| TRANSFORMATIONS BY OLYMPIC ANGELS | PORT TOWNSEND, WA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ELIZABETH GREGORY HOME | SEATTLE, WA | $30,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| UNION GOSPEL MISSION OF YAKIMA WASH | YAKIMA, WA | $30,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| THINKSMALL | BELLEVUE, WA | $30,000 | 2025 | TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES |
| CONVOY OF HOPE | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $25,000 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF WASHINGTON | FEDERAL WAY, WA | $25,000 | 2025 | $15K SCHOOLS/$10K ADMIN |
| TEAM RUBICON | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| JONI AND FRIENDS | AGOURA HILLS, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES |
| SALVATION ARMY | SEATTLE, WA | $25,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
| HEARTBEAT SERVING WOUNDED WARRIORS | ONALASKA, WA | $24,000 | 2025 | TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES |
| TREEHOUSE | SEATTLE, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES |
| ACRES OF DIAMONDS | DUVALL, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICES |
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$408,000EDUCATION
HUMAN SERVICES
HOMAGE SENIOR SERVICES
$60,000TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES
MARY'S PLACE
$60,000HUMAN SERVICES
TREEHOUSE
$60,000TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES
SALVATION ARMY
$60,000HUMAN SERVICES
SEATTLE UNION GOSPEL MISSION
$60,000HUMAN SERVICES
BRIDGE DISABILITIES MINISTRIES
$60,000TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES
SOUND GENERATIONS
$60,000TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES
PLYMOUTH HOUSING
$60,000HUMAN SERVICES
CRISTA MINISTRIES
$55,000HUMAN SERVICES
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$42,000EDUCATION
CONVOY OF HOPE
$40,000DISASTER RELIEF
TRANSFORMATIONS BY OLYMPIC ANGELS
$30,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
UNION GOSPEL MISSION OF YAKIMA WASH
$30,000HUMAN SERVICES
THINKSMALL
$30,000TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES
CONVOY OF HOPE
$25,000DISASTER RELIEF
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF WASHINGTON
$25,000$15K SCHOOLS/$10K ADMIN
SALVATION ARMY
$25,000HUMAN SERVICES
HEARTBEAT SERVING WOUNDED WARRIORS
$24,000TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES
TREEHOUSE
$20,000TARGETED GROUPS SERVICES