The John and Nancy Sabol Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on early childhood development and research, primarily supporting university-led science and programmatic work that advances infant and toddler learning. Grants are centered in the Seattle area and favor institutional recipients that can scale research into practice, with a secondary interest in community-based infant and early childhood mental health services.
Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a very small set of grantees — repeat, large grants to the University of Washington and selective funding for specialized community organizations; few, targeted awards rather than many small grants.
A 2025 grant of $200,000 to the University of Washington Foundation for the I-LABS Ready Mind Project signals the John and Nancy Sabol Foundation’s core pattern: concentrated support for early childhood development research that can move from university science into practice. The foundation’s recent giving is anchored in Seattle and often flows to institutional recipients working on infant and toddler learning, parenting support, and early childhood mental health. Another large award, $106,000 in 2024 for the same Ready Mind Project, shows a repeated commitment to that research line rather than a one-off gift. The foundation also backs community-facing early childhood work in Seattle, including support for the Barnard Center for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and Program for Early Parent Support. Its portfolio suggests a preference for organizations that translate child development research into services, tools, or training for families and practitioners. Grants are typically modest to mid-sized, but the largest awards point to a willingness to fund multi-year or programmatic efforts when the work fits its early childhood focus.
University-based early childhood development research is a defining thread. The John and Nancy Sabol Foundation gave $200,000 in 2025 and $106,000 in 2024 to the University of Washington Foundation for the I-LABS Ready Mind Project, indicating sustained support for research tied to infant and toddler learning. A second area is infant and early childhood mental health. In 2023, the foundation awarded $40,000 to the Barnard Center for Infant and Early Childhood Ment for charitable purposes. It also supported Program for Early Parent Support with $20,000 in 2023, $20,000 in 2024, and $10,000 in 2025, showing repeated interest in parenting supports. The foundation also funds broader child and family-serving infrastructure. Grants to Child care resources and United Way of King County fit that pattern, as do awards to FUSE Innovation Fund and Social Venture Partners for charitable or general support.
Typical grants fall in a narrow middle range: the 25th percentile is $4,000, the median is $7,000, and the 75th percentile is $15,000. That distribution fits a foundation that makes many smaller grants alongside a few larger program awards. Recent recipient names recur across multiple years, including the University of Washington Foundation, Program for Early Parent Support, Child care resources, United World College-USA, FUSE Innovation Fund, Social Venture Partners, The JOSH Foundation, Ethel Walker Annual Fund, and United Way of King County. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The recurring awards, combined with general support and institutional support tags, point to a grantmaker that often sustains existing relationships rather than using a one-time project-only model.
$358K
$5.2M
$307K
$389K
Most grants fall between $4K and $15K, with a median of $7K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$7K
75th Percentile
$15K
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Notable grantees: University of Washington Foundation (I-LABS / Ready Mind Project), Barnard Center for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Grantmaking is local and heavily concentrated in Washington, with 84% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Seattle is the clearest hub, appearing across university, nonprofit, and community-serving recipients. Outside Washington, the recipient list includes Pasadena, California; Renton, Washington; Montezuma, New Mexico; Sykesville, Maryland; and Simsbury, Connecticut. California is the top state by grant count, but every recent grant in the provided sample went to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants center on early childhood development research, infant and early childhood mental health, parenting supports, and translational work that moves child development science into programs and policy. A large share of giving is tied to university-led research and Seattle-based child and family services.
The grant-size distribution is relatively compact: the 25th percentile is $4,000, the median is $7,000, and the 75th percentile is $15,000. Recent grants also include larger program awards, such as $200,000 and $106,000 to the University of Washington Foundation for the I-LABS Ready Mind Project.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the University of Washington Foundation, Program for Early Parent Support, Child care resources, United World College-USA, FUSE Innovation Fund, Social Venture Partners, The JOSH Foundation, Ethel Walker Annual Fund, and United Way of King County. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts.
It primarily supports institutional recipients such as universities, community nonprofits, and service organizations. Recent awards include university-based research, early parent support programs, child care resource organizations, and mental health centers, often marked as charitable, general support, or institutional support.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Washington Foundation | Seattle, WA | $200,000 | 2025 | I-LABS Ready Mind Project |
| FUSE Innovation Fund | Seattle, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| UNITED WORLD COLLEGE-USA | MONTEZUMA, NM | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| BrightSpark Early Learning Services | Renton, WA | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| MAASAI CULTURAL CONSERVATION FNDN | Pasadena, CA | $10,280 | 2025 | Charitable |
| The JOSH Foundation | Sykesville, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| ETHEL WALKER ANNUAL FUND | SIMSBURY, CT | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| United Way of King County | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Program for Early Parent Support | seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Downtown emergency service center | Seattle, WA | $7,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Woodland park zoological society | Seattle, WA | $7,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Seattle academy of arts and sciences | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Seattle children's hospital fund | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Washington Progress Fund | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Center for Early Relational Health | Seattle, WA | $4,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| KCTS 9 | Seattle, WA | $3,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Zeno Math | Seattle, WA | $3,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| KUOW Puget Sound Public R | Seattle, WA | $3,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Path with Art | Seattle, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Town Hall Seattle | Seattle, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| KNKX Pacific Public Media | Seattle, WA | $2,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| University of Washington Foundation | Seattle, WA | $106,000 | 2024 | I-LABS Ready Mind Project |
| Program for Early Parent Support | seattle, WA | $20,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| UNITED WORLD COLLEGE-USA | MONTEZUMA, NM | $15,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| FUSE INNOVATION FUND | Seattle, WA | $15,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| Child care resources | Seattle, WA | $15,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| The JOSH Foundation | Sykesville, MD | $15,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| United Way of King County | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| ETHEL WALKER ANNUAL FUND | SIMSBURY, CT | $10,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| Woodland park zoological society | Seattle, WA | $7,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| Downtown emergency service center | Seattle, WA | $7,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| Washington Progress Fund | Seattle, WA | $7,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| MAASAI CULTURAL CONSERVATION FNDN | Pasadena, CA | $6,700 | 2024 | Charitable |
| Seattle children's hospital fund | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| Seattle academy of arts and sciences | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| Zeno Math | Seattle, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| Washington Association for Infant Mental Health | seattle, WA | $4,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| KUOW Puget Sound Public R | Seattle, WA | $3,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| KCTS 9 | Seattle, WA | $3,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| Town Hall Seattle | Seattle, WA | $2,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| Path with Art | Seattle, WA | $2,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| KNKX Pacific Public Media | Seattle, WA | $2,000 | 2024 | Charitable |
| Barnard Center for Infant and Early Childhood Ment | Seattle, WA | $40,000 | 2023 | Charitable |
| Abari Collective | Seattle, WA | $26,000 | 2023 | charitable |
| Program for Early Parent Support | seattle, WA | $20,000 | 2023 | Charitable |
| Child care resources | Seattle, WA | $15,000 | 2023 | Charitable |
| FUSE INNOVATION FUND | Seattle, WA | $15,000 | 2023 | Charitable |
| UNITED WORLD COLLEGE-USA | MONTEZUMA, NM | $15,000 | 2023 | Charitable |
MAASAI CULTURAL CONSERVATION FNDN
$10,280Charitable
The JOSH Foundation
Charitable
ETHEL WALKER ANNUAL FUND
$10,000Charitable
Seattle children's hospital fund
$5,000Charitable
Washington Progress Fund
$5,000Charitable
Center for Early Relational Health
$4,000Charitable
KCTS 9
$3,000Charitable
Zeno Math
$3,000Charitable
KUOW Puget Sound Public R
$3,000Charitable
KNKX Pacific Public Media
$2,000Charitable
The JOSH Foundation
$15,000Charitable
ETHEL WALKER ANNUAL FUND
$10,000Charitable
MAASAI CULTURAL CONSERVATION FNDN
$6,700Charitable
Seattle children's hospital fund
$5,000Charitable
Zeno Math
$5,000Charitable
Washington Association for Infant Mental Health
$4,000Charitable
KCTS 9
$3,000Charitable
KNKX Pacific Public Media
$2,000Charitable
Barnard Center for Infant and Early Childhood Ment
$40,000Charitable
Abari Collective
$26,000charitable