The Glenn H Kawasaki Foundation concentrates its giving in arts, culture and regionally-focused cultural institutions in the Pacific Northwest, with a particular emphasis on dance and performing-arts organizations as well as select cultural capital projects. Grants are a mix of large capital gifts (e.g., zoo habitat construction) and multi-hundred-thousand-dollar contributions to major performing-arts institutions and university arts programs, suggesting priority for sustaining high-profile local arts infrastructure and programming.
The Glenn H Kawasaki Foundation’s largest recent gift is a $925,000 commitment to Woodland Park Zoo for Red Panda Habitat Construction, a clear example of how the foundation combines capital support with long-running backing for Seattle arts and cultural institutions. Its giving also includes a $700,000 grant to Pacific Northwest Ballet for new works and annual fund support, alongside substantial support for dance companies, university arts programs, and select animal-focused projects. Across recent grants, the foundation funds both operating and project-specific needs. Seattle-based arts groups recur throughout the record, including Khambatta Dance Company, Velocity Dance Center, Base, and Karin Stevens Dance, with purposes ranging from performance support to annual funds and instruction. University-linked grants also appear in dance education and research, such as support for a guest artist program at the University of Washington Dance and funding for radiocarbon dating centers tied to major universities. The overall pattern points to a local grantmaker that supports cultural infrastructure, performance creation, and a smaller set of specialized capital or scientific facilities in the Pacific Northwest.
Dance is the clearest theme in the foundation’s recent giving. It gave $170,000 to Khambatta Dance Company for dance performance, $100,000 to University Washington Dance for its Guest Artist Program, and $85,000 to Velocity Dance Center for annual funds support. Smaller grants continue the same pattern, including support for dancer training, dance instruction, and summer dance programming. The foundation also backs performing-arts creation and presentation beyond dance. It awarded $10,000 to Seattle Repertory Theater for a playwright workshop for new performances and $700,000 to Pacific Northwest Ballet for new works and annual fund support. A separate line of grantmaking supports animal and habitat projects. The zoo grant for Red Panda Habitat Construction is the largest example, and the foundation also made smaller grants for rhinoceros habitat and animal sanctuary support, showing a second cluster of interests alongside the arts.
Typical grants are modest compared with the foundation’s largest awards: the p25 is $7,500, the median is $10,000, and the p75 is $16,500. The recent record also shows a few outliers well above that range, especially for capital or major institutional support. Grantmaking appears to be repeated over multiple years rather than one-off, with several recipients appearing in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The data provided does not show an application process, and the pattern suggests discretionary grantmaking rather than an open solicitation model.
$2.5M
$0
$461K
$2.5M
Most grants fall between $8K and $17K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$17K
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Concentrated, regionally focused giving with a small number of relatively large grants; repeat support for core cultural institutions and a mix of capital project funding and annual/operating support rather than many small grassroots grants.
Notable grantees: Woodland Park Zoo, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Khambatta Dance Company, University of Washington Dance, Oregon State University Foundation
Giving is entirely in the United States, and every recent grant listed goes to recipients in Washington. Seattle is the main city in the record, with grants also reaching Anacortes, Oak Harbor, Mount Vernon, and Snohomish. Outside Washington, the foundation’s recent grants also reach Corvalis, Oregon; University Park, Pennsylvania; San Antonio, Texas; and San Diego, California, but the overall distribution remains concentrated in-state. The recipient-country data shows 100% of grants to U.S. organizations.
Recent grants go to dance companies, dance centers, a ballet company, a theater organization, a zoo, animal welfare groups, and university-based programs. Examples include Pacific Northwest Ballet for new works and annual fund support, Woodland Park Zoo for Red Panda Habitat Construction, and University Washington Dance for its Guest Artist Program.
The foundation’s typical grant size is small to mid-sized: p25 is $7,500, the median is $10,000, and p75 is $16,500. The recent record also includes much larger awards, including $925,000 and $700,000 for major projects and institutional support.
Recent grants are concentrated in Washington: 100% of grants in the provided country distribution go to U.S. organizations, and Washington is the top state by grant count. The recipient cities listed are mostly Seattle, with additional grants in Anacortes, Oak Harbor, Mount Vernon, and Snohomish.
Several recipients appear across more than one year, which suggests repeat support rather than isolated gifts. Pacific Northwest Ballet appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Woodland Park Zoo appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Khambatta Dance Company appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland Park Zoo | Seattle, WA | $925,000 | 2025 | Support Red Panda Habitat Construction |
| Pacific Northwest Ballet | Seattle, WA | $700,000 | 2025 | Support new Works and Annual Fund |
| Oregon State University Fdn | Corvalis, OR | $200,000 | 2025 | Support Radiocarbon Dating Center |
| Khambatta Dance Company | Seattle, WA | $170,000 | 2025 | Support dance performance |
| University Washington Dance | Seattle, WA | $100,000 | 2025 | Support Guest Artist Program |
| Velocity Dance Center | Seattle, WA | $85,000 | 2025 | Annual funds support |
| Base | Seattle, WA | $80,000 | 2025 | Annual Funds support |
| Karin Stevens Dance | Seattle, WA | $55,000 | 2025 | Annual Fund Support |
| Pennsylvania State University | University Park, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | Support Radiocarbon Dating |
| Spectrum DanceTheater | Seattle, WA | $26,500 | 2025 | Annual Fund and Dancer Support |
| University of Texas San Antonio | San Antonio, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | Support Radiocarbon Dating |
| Fidalgo DanceWorks | Anacortes, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | Annual Fund |
| PAWS | Snohomizh, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | Annual Fund of Animal Welfare |
| Old Dog Haven | Oak Harbor, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | Support Dog Adoptions |
| Baja Animal Sanctuary | San Diego, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Animal Sanctuary Support |
| NW Youth Symphony Assn | Mount Vernon, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | Annual Fund |
| Seattle Humane | Bellevue, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | Annual Fund |
| BHS Alumni Association | Bothell, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | Support Scholarships to High School Students |
| Zoe Juniper | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | Annual Fund |
| Woodland Park Zoo | Seattle, WA | $200,000 | 2024 | Support Red Panda Habitat Construction |
| Pacific Northwest Ballet | Seattle, WA | $40,000 | 2024 | Support new Works and Annual Fund |
| Velocity Dance Center | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | Annual funds support |
| Khambatta Dance Company | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | Support dance performance |
| Base | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | Annual Funds support |
| Karin Stevens Dance | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | Annual Fund Support |
| Pacific Northwest Ballet | Seattle, WA | $40,000 | 2023 | Sponsor new works that are performed in public; and support for annual fund |
| University of Washington Foundation | Seattle, WA | $23,000 | 2023 | Sponsor guest artist to train dance student for a public performance at the University. |
| Khambatta Dance Company | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2023 | Support for a summer dance program |
| University of Washington Dance | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2023 | Sponsor for a dance performance |
| Seattle Repertory Theater | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2023 | Support playwright workshop for new performances |
| Woodland Park Zoo | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2023 | Support rhinoceros habitat. |
| Base | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 2023 | Support for dance programs |
| Spectrum Dance Theater | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 2023 | General fund |
| Velocity Dance Center | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 2023 | Support for dance instruction |
Woodland Park Zoo
$925,000Support Red Panda Habitat Construction
Pacific Northwest Ballet
$700,000Support new Works and Annual Fund
Khambatta Dance Company
$170,000Support dance performance
University Washington Dance
$100,000Support Guest Artist Program
Annual funds support
Base
$80,000Annual Funds support
Karin Stevens Dance
$55,000Annual Fund Support
Pennsylvania State University
$50,000Support Radiocarbon Dating
Spectrum DanceTheater
$26,500Annual Fund and Dancer Support
Fidalgo DanceWorks
$20,000Annual Fund
PAWS
$20,000Annual Fund of Animal Welfare
Baja Animal Sanctuary
$10,000Animal Sanctuary Support
NW Youth Symphony Assn
$10,000Annual Fund
Seattle Humane
$5,000Annual Fund
BHS Alumni Association
$5,000Support Scholarships to High School Students
Zoe Juniper
$5,000Annual Fund
Woodland Park Zoo
$200,000Support Red Panda Habitat Construction
Pacific Northwest Ballet
$40,000Support new Works and Annual Fund
Khambatta Dance Company
$10,000Support dance performance
Base
$10,000Annual Funds support
Karin Stevens Dance
$5,000Annual Fund Support
Sponsor new works that are performed in public; and support for annual fund
Sponsor guest artist to train dance student for a public performance at the University.
Khambatta Dance Company
$10,000Support for a summer dance program
University of Washington Dance
$10,000Sponsor for a dance performance
Base
$5,000Support for dance programs