The Cooper-Newell Foundation concentrates its funding on arts, cultural heritage, and education institutions, with a clear emphasis on museums and maritime learning in the Pacific Northwest. Grants are large and targeted, often supporting capital, program expansion, or institutional strengthening for cultural organizations and alternative higher-education models. The foundation favors a small number of significant investments rather than broad, shallow grantmaking.
A $1,000,000 grant to the National Nordic Museum stands out in Cooper-newell Foundation’s recent record and captures the scale of its approach: the foundation makes a small number of large, targeted awards to cultural, educational, and environmental institutions. Across the grant list, its support reaches museums, maritime learning, arts organizations, and a few education-focused nonprofits, often with restricted-purpose grants tied to programs, capital, or institutional strengthening. That pattern appears again in the foundation’s backing of the Northwest Maritime Center, which received $650,000 in 2024 and $120,000 in 2023. The repeated support suggests a continuing relationship with organizations that combine education and heritage preservation. Other sizeable awards, including grants to College Unbound and Wakefield Museum Association, show that the foundation also funds nontraditional higher education and local history institutions, not just arts and maritime groups. The result is a grantmaking profile centered on institutions rather than individuals, with clear attention to Nordic heritage, maritime education, museum development, and cross-disciplinary education projects. The foundation’s recent grants also include several smaller awards that reinforce those priorities at the program level.
In Nordic cultural heritage and museum development, Cooper-newell Foundation supported the National Nordic Museum with $25,000 in 2024 after a $1,000,000 grant in 2023. That pairing points to sustained investment in a museum tied to heritage, education, and arts programming. Maritime education is another clear thread. The Northwest Maritime Center received $650,000 in 2024 and $120,000 in 2023, both listed under education, which aligns with the foundation’s interest in sailing training and maritime learning. The foundation also backs local history institutions. Wakefield Museum Association received $136,365 in 2023 and $100,000 in 2024, while Jefferson County Historical Society received $10,500 in 2024 and $5,000 in 2023. In education, Cooper-newell Foundation gave $200,000 to College Unbound in 2024, supporting an alternative college-completion model.
Cooper-newell Foundation’s typical grant size sits at a $5,000 25th percentile, $10,000 median, and $40,000 75th percentile, but its recent awards include a few much larger commitments. The pattern is selective rather than broad: the same recipients appear across multiple years, including the Northwest Maritime Center, Wakefield Museum Association, Audubon Washington, Ballard Senior Center, Early Music Seattle, Puget Soundkeeper, Jefferson County Historical Society, Burke Museum Girls in Science Camp, UNICEF (ukranian Childrens Fund), Dunn Historic Garden Trust, and Daci. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$2.1M
$21.3M
$890K
$2.4M
Most grants fall between $5K and $40K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$40K
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Cooper-Newell Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 61 | $5.8M | 92.4% |
| 2 | Canada |
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a few organizations (including repeat funding), focused on regional cultural institutions and select education initiatives rather than many small awards.
Notable grantees: National Nordic Museum, Northwest Maritime Center, College Unbound, Wakefield Museum Association
Grantmaking is concentrated in Washington, which accounts for 71% of grants to recipient organizations. Seattle appears repeatedly, including National Nordic Museum, Audubon Washington, Ballard Senior Center, Early Music Seattle, Puget Soundkeeper, Burke Museum Girls in Science Camp, Dunn Historic Garden Trust, and Pacific Music Works. Port Townsend also appears more than once through the Northwest Maritime Center and Jefferson County Historical Society. Outside Washington, the foundation’s recent grants reach Providence, Wakefield, New York, Los Angeles, Oakland, Hamden, Philadelphia, and Toronto, with Canada representing one recipient-country presence in the recent list.
The recent grant list centers on arts, cultural heritage, education, and environmental organizations. Named recipients include National Nordic Museum, Northwest Maritime Center, Wakefield Museum Association, College Unbound, Audubon Washington, and Early Music Seattle.
Its stated grant-size distribution is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $40,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants also include larger awards such as $1,000,000 to National Nordic Museum and $650,000 to Northwest Maritime Center.
Yes. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Northwest Maritime Center, Wakefield Museum Association, Audubon Washington, Ballard Senior Center, Early Music Seattle, Puget Soundkeeper, Jefferson County Historical Society, Burke Museum Girls in Science Camp, UNICEF (ukranian Childrens Fund), Dunn Historic Garden Trust, and Daci.
Washington is the top state by grant count, with 71% of grants going to recipients in the state. Seattle and Port Townsend appear frequently among the recipient cities.
No. Cooper-newell Foundation is listed as not funding individuals and not making program-related investments. Its grantmaking is through regular grants to organizations.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
| 5 |
| $120K |
7.6% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIDELITY CHARITABLE | CINCINNATI, OH | $2,000,000 | 2026 | COOPER-NEWELL DONOR ADVISED FUND |
| NATIONAL NORDIC MUSEUM | SEATTLE, WA | $30,000 | 2026 | FOR USE ON EAST GARDEN PROJECTS |
| DACI | TORONTO, ON | $30,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT OF RESEARCH, TWINNING AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES PRECEDING THE 2027 DACI CONFERENCE IN MALAYSIA |
| NATIONAL NORDIC MUSEUM | SEATTLE, WA | $325,600 | 2025 | EDUCATION, ARTS, ENVIRONMENT |
| NORTHWEST MARITIME CENTER | PORT TOWNSEND, WA | $200,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| EARTHJUSTICE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENT |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF GREATER WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO | YAKIMA, WA | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| GRIST MAGAZINE INC | SEATTLE, WA | $50,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENT |
| SUNSET HILL COMMUNITY HALL | SEATTLE, WA | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION, ARTS |
| EARLY MUSIC GUILD OF SEATTLE | SEATTLE, WA | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION, ARTS |
| RENEWABLE NORTHWEST PROJECT | PORTLAND, OR | $25,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENT |
| WASHINGTON CONSERVATION ACTION EDUCATION FUND | SEATTLE, WA | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| NORTHWEST ABORTION ACCESS FUND | PORTLAND, OR | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| VOTER REGISTRATION PROJECT | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| COMMON POWER FUTURE | SEATTLE, WA | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY | PORT TOWNSEND, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SOUND GENERATIONS | SEATTLE, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| PUGET SOUNDKEEPER ALLIANCE | SEATTLE, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENT |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENT |
| E B DUNN HISTORIC GARDEN TRUST | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENT |
| UNITED STATES FUND FOR UNICEF | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BURKE MUSEUM ASSOCIATION | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SEATTLE BACH FESTIVAL | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION, ARTS |
| MEDIEVAL WOMENS CHOIR | SEATTLE, WA | $2,500 | 2025 | ARTS |
| BALLARD HISTORICAL SOCIETY | SEATTLE, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| NORTHWEST MARITIME CENTER | PORT TOWNSEND, WA | $650,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| COLLEGE UNBOUND | PROVIDENCE, RI | $200,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| WAKEFIELD MUSEUM ASSOCIATION | WAKEFIELD, KS | $100,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| AUDUBON WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $50,000 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENT |
| DACI | TORONTO, ON | $30,000 | 2024 | ARTS, EDUCATION |
| NATIONAL NORDIC MUSEUM | SEATTLE, WA | $25,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION, ARTS, ENVIRONMENT |
| EARLY MUSIC SEATTLE | SEATTLE, WA | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION AND ARTS |
| BALLARD SENIOR CENTER | SEATTLE, WA | $20,000 | 2024 | ARTS EDUCATION |
| TIDES FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| ACLU | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY | PORT TOWNSEND, WA | $10,500 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| ELI WHITNEY MUSEUM | HAMDEN, CT | $10,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| PUGET SOUNDKEEPER | SEATTLE, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENT |
| CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY MUSIC | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| DUNN HISTORIC GARDEN TRUST | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENT |
| UNICEF (UKRANIAN CHILDRENS FUND) | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| PACIFIC MUSIC WORKS | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | ARTS |
| BURKE MUSEUM GIRLS IN SCIENCE CAMP | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| MEDIEVAL WOMENS CHOIR | SEATTLE, WA | $2,500 | 2024 | ARTS |
| BALLARD HISTORICAL SOCIETY | SEATTLE, WA | $2,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| SOUND ACTION | VASHON, WA | $1,000 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENT |
| NATIONAL NORDIC MUSEUM | SEATTLE, WA | $1,000,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION, ARTS, ENVIRONMENT |
FIDELITY CHARITABLE
$2,000,000COOPER-NEWELL DONOR ADVISED FUND
DACI
$30,000SUPPORT OF RESEARCH, TWINNING AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES PRECEDING THE 2027 DACI CONFERENCE IN MALAYSIA
EDUCATION
SUNSET HILL COMMUNITY HALL
$25,000EDUCATION, ARTS
EARLY MUSIC GUILD OF SEATTLE
$25,000EDUCATION, ARTS
NORTHWEST ABORTION ACCESS FUND
$25,000EDUCATION
JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$20,000EDUCATION
SOUND GENERATIONS
$20,000EDUCATION
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY INC
$10,000ENVIRONMENT
E B DUNN HISTORIC GARDEN TRUST
$5,000ENVIRONMENT
SEATTLE BACH FESTIVAL
$5,000EDUCATION, ARTS
MEDIEVAL WOMENS CHOIR
$2,500ARTS
BALLARD HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$2,000EDUCATION
WAKEFIELD MUSEUM ASSOCIATION
$100,000EDUCATION
DACI
$30,000ARTS, EDUCATION
EARLY MUSIC SEATTLE
$20,000EDUCATION AND ARTS
BALLARD SENIOR CENTER
$20,000ARTS EDUCATION
TIDES FOUNDATION
$20,000EDUCATION
JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$10,500EDUCATION
ELI WHITNEY MUSEUM
$10,000EDUCATION
PUGET SOUNDKEEPER
$10,000ENVIRONMENT
CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
$10,000EDUCATION
DUNN HISTORIC GARDEN TRUST
$5,000ENVIRONMENT
UNICEF (UKRANIAN CHILDRENS FUND)
$5,000EDUCATION
PACIFIC MUSIC WORKS
$5,000ARTS
MEDIEVAL WOMENS CHOIR
$2,500ARTS
BALLARD HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$2,000EDUCATION
SOUND ACTION
$1,000ENVIRONMENT