Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation
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About Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation
The Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation is a Pacific Northwest-focused funder that concentrates almost exclusively on arts, museums, and cultural infrastructure—frequently partnering with university-based museums and regional art institutions. Their grants are large, project- and capital-oriented (new museum funds, exhibition and renovation support), and they repeatedly support a handful of higher-education and museum partners in Oregon and Washington.
Focus Areas
University art museums and campus museum capital projects (Portland State University, WSU, UO)Exhibition support for regional art museumsNew museum development and capital campaigns in the Pacific NorthwestRenovation/upgrade of cultural and performing-arts facilities (e.g., Hayward Field)
Who They Fund
museums and cultural institutionssports/athletic facility operators (stadium/field)curatorial and exhibition teams
Giving Approach
Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small number of repeat grantees; project- and capital-focused funding rather than many small operational grants; strong regional (Oregon/Washington) emphasis.
About Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation
Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by a $1,000,000 grant to Portland State University Foundation for the New Museum of Art Fund. That single award captures the foundation’s core pattern: support for museum building, exhibition infrastructure, and institution-level arts projects rather than broad operating grants. Across the recent grants list, the foundation repeatedly backs museum and university art partners, including Washington State University Foundation for Exhibition Support and the University of Oregon Foundation for Hayward Field Renovation Fund. The foundation’s work sits at the intersection of contemporary art, campus museums, and cultural facilities. Grants in the record range from major capital awards to smaller exhibition-support grants, showing a mix of large project commitments and ongoing program support. University-connected museums appear often, but the list also includes regional institutions such as Bellevue Art Museum and Portland Art Museum. The pattern points to a funder that uses targeted, purpose-specific grants to shape how art is displayed, housed, and experienced across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
What Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation Funds
In museum development, the foundation gave $1,000,000 to Portland State University Foundation for the New Museum of Art Fund, and $9,000 to Kennesaw State University Foundation Zuckerman Museum of Art for the New Museum of Art Fund. Those awards suggest a clear interest in helping institutions establish or expand museum facilities. Exhibition support is another consistent area. Washington State University Foundation received $221,135 in 2023, $217,277 in 2024, and $221,135 in 2025 for Exhibition Support, while Bellevue Art Museum received $147,383 in 2024 for the same purpose. The foundation also supported individual exhibition programs at National Museum of Women in the Arts, USC Fisher Museum of Art, Eskenazi Museum of Art Indiana University, and West Virginia University Foundation. Capital and renovation work appears as well. The University of Oregon Foundation received $250,000 in 2023 and $245,637 in 2024 for the Hayward Field Renovation Fund.
How Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation Gives
Typical grant size centers on a median of $19,562, with a lower quartile of $9,250 and an upper quartile of $220,170. The recent list shows both very large, project-specific awards and smaller exhibition-support grants, indicating a wide range within a restricted, purpose-driven model. Several recipients appear across multiple years, most notably Washington State University Foundation and the University of Oregon Foundation, which points to recurring relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation also makes program-related investments and does not fund individuals. A Lending Program is active, and it accepts no unsolicited requests.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$221K
Total Assets
$76.9M
Total Revenue
$21.2M
Total Expenses
$915K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $9K and $220K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$220K
Geographic Reach
Regional8 states funded
About 27% of grants go to recipients in WA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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