The Carrie Welch Trust focuses exclusively on education, with concentrated support for college access and postsecondary institutions in Washington state. Most funding goes to programs that help students transition to and succeed in college—especially through sustained support of the College Success Foundation—alongside targeted support for community college infrastructure. The foundation gives few, sizable awards rather than many small grants, and prioritizes repeat partnerships with trusted education nonprofits.
Concentrated and selective: a small number of relatively large grants, repeat funding to a primary grantee (College Success Foundation), and targeted one-off support for local higher-education institutions.
Carrie Welch Trust Dba Carrie Welch Trust concentrates its giving on education in Washington, with a clear emphasis on college access and postsecondary success. The strongest recurring relationship in the recent grants is with College Success Foundation, which received three separate $50,000 awards in 2023 and 2024. That pattern points to sustained backing for students moving into and through college rather than one-time project support. The trust also supports institutions that serve students after high school. Walla Walla Community College Foundation received $25,000 in 2025, while Whitman College received $10,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025. These repeat awards suggest a preference for multi-year support to established education organizations. Smaller grants extend that education focus to Carnegie Picture Lab and Walla Walla Symphony, both receiving funding tied to education support in recent years. Across the recent grant list, the trust’s work is tightly concentrated on Washington-based nonprofit and institutional partners serving students, especially through college readiness, student services, and postsecondary pathways.
College access and student persistence are central to the trust’s grantmaking. College Success Foundation received $50,000 in 2023, another $50,000 in 2023, and $50,000 in 2024 for education support, making it the clearest example of a repeated partnership. Postsecondary institutions also appear in the grant list. Walla Walla Community College Foundation received $25,000 in 2025 for education support, indicating support for community college infrastructure and student services. The trust also funds broader educational enrichment. Whitman College received $10,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for education, while Carnegie Picture Lab received $5,000 in 2024 and 2025 for education support. These awards show that the trust’s education focus reaches both college-level institutions and organizations supporting learning in the community.
Typical awards are modest but meaningful: the grant-size distribution sits at $6,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $20,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows a small set of repeat recipients rather than broad one-off dispersal, with the same organizations appearing across multiple years. That points to ongoing relationships and steady renewals. The trust is a private foundation rather than a donor-advised fund or operating charity, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. No application process is shown in the provided data.
$264K
$1.8M
$320K
$398K
Most grants fall between $6K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Notable grantees: College Success Foundation, Walla Walla Community College Foundation
Giving is entirely local and entirely in Washington: 100% of grants in the recent list went to recipients in the HQ state, and Washington is also the top state by grant count. Walla Walla appears repeatedly as a recipient city, including Walla Walla Community College Foundation, Whitman College, YMCA of Walla Walla, Walla Walla YWCA, YWCA of Walla Walla, Carnegie Picture Lab, and Walla Walla Symphony. Issaquah appears through College Success Foundation.
The trust supports education-focused nonprofits and institutions in Washington. Recent grants include College Success Foundation for college access and success, Walla Walla Community College Foundation for education support, Whitman College for education, and Carnegie Picture Lab and Walla Walla Symphony for education support.
Yes. The recent grant list shows 18 grants to U.S. recipients, and 100% of the grants went to recipients in Washington, which is also the top state by grant count.
Typical grants are in the mid-thousands to low tens of thousands. The distribution provided shows a 25th percentile of $6,000, a median of $10,000, and a 75th percentile of $20,000.
Yes. College Success Foundation received three $50,000 grants across 2023 and 2024, Whitman College received $10,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Carnegie Picture Lab received $5,000 in 2024 and 2025. That pattern indicates recurring support rather than one-time awards.
The clearest example is College Success Foundation, which received three separate $50,000 awards for education support. The trust also backed Walla Walla Community College Foundation with $25,000 in 2025, showing support for postsecondary institutions and student services.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | PULLMAN, WA | $325,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| COLLEGE SUCCESS FOUNDATION | ISSAQUAH, WA | $50,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| WHITMAN COLLEGE | WALLA WALLA, WA | $10,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| YMCA OF WALLA WALLA | WALLA WALLA, WA | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE SUPPORT |
| YWCA OF WALLA WALLA | WALLA WALLA, WA | $9,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE SUPPORT |
| WALLA WALLA SYMPPHONY | WALLA WALLA, WA | $5,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| CARNEGIE PICTURE LAB | WALLA WALLA, WA | $5,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| WALLA WALLA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION | WALLA WALLA, WA | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| WHITMAN COLLEGE | WALLA WALLA, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| YMCA OF WALLA WALLA | WALLA WALLA, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE SUPPORT |
| WALLA WALLA YWCA | WALLA WALLA, WA | $8,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE SUPPORT |
| CARNEGIE PICTURE LAB | WALLA WALLA, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| WALLA WALLA SYMPHONY | WALLA WALLA, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| COLLEGE SUCCESS FOUNDATION | ISSAQUAH, WA | $50,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| YMCA OF WALLA WALLA | WALLA WALLA, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE SUPPORT |
| WHITMAN COLLEGE | WALLA WALLA, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| YWCA OF WALLA WALLA | WALLA WALLA, WA | $7,500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE SUPPORT |
| CARNEGIE PICTURE LAB | WALLA WALLA, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| WALLA WALLA SYMPHONY | WALLA WALLA, WA | $2,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| COLLEGE SUCCESS FOUNDATION | ISSAQUAH, WA | $50,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| College Success Foundation | Issaquah, WA | $50,000 | 2023 | Education |
| WHITMAN COLLEGE | WALLA WALLA, WA | $10,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| Whitman College | Walla Walla, WA | $10,000 | 2023 | Education |
| YMCA OF WALLA WALLA | WALLA WALLA, WA | $6,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE SUPPORT |
| YWCA of Walla Walla | Walla Walla, WA | $6,000 | 2023 | Charitable |
WHITMAN COLLEGE
$10,000EDUCATION SUPPORT
YWCA OF WALLA WALLA
$9,000CHARITABLE SUPPORT
WALLA WALLA SYMPPHONY
EDUCATION SUPPORT
CARNEGIE PICTURE LAB
$5,000EDUCATION SUPPORT
WHITMAN COLLEGE
$10,000EDUCATION SUPPORT
WALLA WALLA YWCA
$8,000CHARITABLE SUPPORT
CARNEGIE PICTURE LAB
$5,000EDUCATION SUPPORT
WALLA WALLA SYMPHONY
$2,000EDUCATION SUPPORT
WHITMAN COLLEGE
$10,000EDUCATION SUPPORT
YWCA OF WALLA WALLA
$7,500CHARITABLE SUPPORT
CARNEGIE PICTURE LAB
$5,000EDUCATION SUPPORT
WALLA WALLA SYMPHONY
$2,000EDUCATION SUPPORT
YWCA of Walla Walla
$6,000Charitable