The Eleanor and Henry Jansen Foundation is a locally focused family foundation that concentrates its giving in Whatcom County, WA, funding youth development, basic needs and community-serving organizations. Grants tend to support program delivery and modest capital or operational needs — especially for early learning, after-school and enrichment programs, food security, and services for vulnerable families. The foundation favors established local nonprofits and arts/community infrastructure, often making repeat gifts to the same organizations.
The Eleanor and Henry Jansen Foundation’s recent grantmaking is anchored by repeated support for youth-serving infrastructure in Whatcom County, including two $25,000 grants to the Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County for outdoor playground equipment and for the purchase of the Bellingham Early Learning Center. That pattern places early learning, youth development, and local facility needs at the center of the foundation’s giving. Across the latest grants, the foundation backed a mix of program delivery and organizational support. Chuckanut Health Foundation received $21,861 for operational support, while Whatcom Family YMCA was awarded $20,000 for Girls on the Run. The foundation also funded community-serving groups such as Jansen Art Center, Bellingham Technical College Foundation, Wild Bird Charity, and Opportunity Council, showing a consistent interest in organizations that serve residents through education, recreation, basic needs, and family support. The grant list suggests a practical approach: support for programs, capital improvements, scholarships, and operating capacity all appear in the same portfolio. Most awards are modest in size, but the pattern includes several larger gifts for facilities, student support, and core services. The overall picture is a foundation focused on local nonprofits that deliver direct services in Bellingham, Lynden, Ferndale, and nearby communities.
Youth development is a central theme. The foundation gave $20,000 to Whatcom Family YMCA for the Girls on the Run Program and $10,000 to Skookum Kids for Camp Skookum, alongside $25,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County for outdoor playground equipment. Early childhood and parent support also appear repeatedly. Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County received $25,000 for the purchase of the Bellingham Early Learning Center, and Lydia Place was funded twice for its parent support program, with grants of $7,500 and $5,500. Education and workforce preparation show up through Bellingham Technical College Foundation, which received $15,000 for Auto & Diesel Tech scholarships and another $15,000 for Diesel and Auto Tech student scholarship support. Basic needs funding includes $15,000 to Wild Bird Charity for the Weekend Food Bag Program and $7,000 to Miracle Food Network for program support.
$304K
$5.4M
$83K
$398K
Most grants fall between $8K and $16K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$16K
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Modest-to-mid sized, geographically concentrated grants with several repeat recipients; mix of program support, small capital/ facility improvements, scholarships and general operating funding rather than large multi-year endowments.
Notable grantees: Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County, Bellingham Technical College Foundation, Wild Bird Charity, Opportunity Council, Jansen Art Center
Typical grant size is $7,875 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $16,250 at the 75th percentile. The recent list shows a mix of smaller operating and program grants with a few larger awards for facilities, scholarships, and equipment. The foundation also appears to support some organizations across multiple years. Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County, Wild Bird Charity, Opportunity Council, and Lydia Place each received grants in more than one year. The funder is a public charity, and the grants are made locally rather than through a broad geographic spread.
Giving is concentrated in Washington, with 100% of grants to recipients in the state. Bellingham appears most often in the recent grants list, including awards to Chuckanut Health Foundation, Whatcom Family YMCA, Bellingham Technical College Foundation, Skookum Kids, Lighthouse Mission Ministries, Opportunity Council, Lydia Place, and Blue Skies for Children. Ferndale also appears more than once through Wild Bird Charity and Miracle Food Network, and Lynden appears through Jansen Art Center and Lynden Senior & Community Center. All listed recipients are in the United States.
The recent grants show a strong emphasis on youth development, early learning, family support, food security, and community-serving organizations. Examples include the Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County, Whatcom Family YMCA, Lydia Place, Wild Bird Charity, and Opportunity Council.
Typical grants are modest: the 25th percentile is $7,875, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $16,250. The recent list includes both smaller awards and a few larger grants for facilities, scholarships, and program support.
The recent grant list is entirely in Washington. The recipient country distribution is 100% US, and all grants in the latest data go to Washington organizations in places such as Bellingham, Ferndale, and Lynden.
Yes. Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County, Wild Bird Charity, Opportunity Council, and Lydia Place each appear in more than one year of the recent grant list, which points to repeat support for some local organizations.
The grants include program support, operational support, scholarship support, capital improvements, and equipment purchases. Recent examples include operational support for Chuckanut Health Foundation, scholarships through Bellingham Technical College Foundation, and entrance enhancements for Jansen Art Center.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PEACEHEALTH ST JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION | BELLINGHAM, WA | $65,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| WHATCOM FAMILY YMCA | BELLINGHAM, WA | $30,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| WHATCOM COUNCIL ON AGING | BELLINGHAM, WA | $25,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| LYDIA PLACE | BELLINGHAM, WA | $25,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CHUCKANUT HEALTH FOUNDATION | BELLINGHAM, WA | $22,870 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| BELLINGHAM TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION | BELLINGHAM, WA | $15,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| COMMON THREADS FARM | BELLINGHAM, WA | $15,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| WILD BIRD CHARITY | BELLINGHAM, WA | $15,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL | BELLINGHAM, WA | $10,800 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF BIRCH BAY LIBRARY | BLAINE, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SOUTH FORK VALLEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION | DEMING, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| VAMOS OUTDOORS PROJECT | BELLINGHAM, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| LIGHTHOUSE MISSION MINISTRIES | BELLINGHAM, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SKOOKUM KIDS | BELLINGHAM, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NEW WAY MINISTRIES | LYNDEN, WA | $9,100 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| BLUE SKIES FOR CHILDREN | BELLINGHAM, WA | $7,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SKAGIT PRESCHOOL & RESOURCE CENTER | MOUNT VERNON, WA | $7,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| LYNDEN SENIOR & COMMUNITY CENTER | LYNDEN, WA | $6,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County | Bellingham, WA | $25,000 | 2024 | Outdoor Playground equipment |
| Chuckanut Health Foundation | Bellingham, WA | $21,861 | 2024 | Operational support |
| Jansen Art Center | Lynden, WA | $20,000 | 2024 | Entrance enhancements |
| Bellingham Technical College Foundation | Bellingham, WA | $15,000 | 2024 | Diesel and Auto Tech student scholarship support |
| Wild Bird Charity | Ferndale, WA | $15,000 | 2024 | Weekend Food Bag Program |
| Opportunity Council | Bellingham, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | Volunteer Chore Program - Medical Transportation Program |
| Lighthouse Mission Ministries | Bellingham, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | Operational capacity building |
| Skookum Kids | Bellingham, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | Camp Skookum |
| Lynden Senior & Community Center | Lynden, WA | $8,000 | 2024 | New Stove |
| Lydia Place | Bellingham, WA | $7,500 | 2024 | Parent support program |
| Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County | Bellingham, WA | $25,000 | 2023 | Purchase of Bellingham Early Learning Center |
| Whatcom Family YMCA | Bellingham, WA | $20,000 | 2023 | Girls on the Run Program |
| Bellingham Technical College Foundation | Bellingham, WA | $15,000 | 2023 | Auto & Diesel Tech scholarships |
| Common Threads Farm | Bellingham, WA | $15,000 | 2023 | Program support |
| Wild Bird Charity | Ferndale, WA | $10,000 | 2023 | Weekend Food Bag Program |
| Opportunity Council | Bellingham, WA | $9,000 | 2023 | Volunteer Center |
| Animals as Natural Therapy | Bellingham, WA | $7,000 | 2023 | Animal Therapy Program |
| Miracle Food Network | Ferndale, WA | $7,000 | 2023 | Program support |
| Blue Skies for Children | Bellingham, WA | $6,000 | 2023 | Winter Warm Up program |
| Lydia Place | Bellingham, WA | $5,500 | 2023 | Parent support program |
WHATCOM FAMILY YMCA
$30,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
LYDIA PLACE
$25,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
PROGRAM SUPPORT
COMMON THREADS FARM
$15,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
WILD BIRD CHARITY
$15,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
FRIENDS OF BIRCH BAY LIBRARY
$10,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
SOUTH FORK VALLEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
$10,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
VAMOS OUTDOORS PROJECT
$10,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
LIGHTHOUSE MISSION MINISTRIES
$10,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
NEW WAY MINISTRIES
$9,100PROGRAM SUPPORT
BLUE SKIES FOR CHILDREN
$7,500PROGRAM SUPPORT
SKAGIT PRESCHOOL & RESOURCE CENTER
$7,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
LYNDEN SENIOR & COMMUNITY CENTER
$6,500PROGRAM SUPPORT
Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County
$25,000Outdoor Playground equipment
Diesel and Auto Tech student scholarship support
Wild Bird Charity
$15,000Weekend Food Bag Program
Volunteer Chore Program - Medical Transportation Program
Lighthouse Mission Ministries
$10,000Operational capacity building
Lynden Senior & Community Center
$8,000New Stove
Lydia Place
$7,500Parent support program
Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County
$25,000Purchase of Bellingham Early Learning Center
Whatcom Family YMCA
$20,000Girls on the Run Program
Common Threads Farm
$15,000Program support
Wild Bird Charity
$10,000Weekend Food Bag Program
Animals as Natural Therapy
$7,000Animal Therapy Program
Miracle Food Network
$7,000Program support
Blue Skies for Children
$6,000Winter Warm Up program
Lydia Place
$5,500Parent support program