The Kirby and Diane McDonald Foundation concentrates its philanthropic support on higher education and cultural institutions, with a clear regional emphasis on the Seattle area (notably the University of Washington and the Burke Museum). Grants are large and targeted—intended to further institutional goals rather than project-level gifts—and the portfolio also includes occasional support for competitive athletics at the national level. This pattern suggests a preference for established, mission-driven institutions where a few sizable gifts can make a visible impact.
Concentrated, few-large-grant strategy: small number of sizable gifts (three $100K grants dominate the portfolio), repeat support to University of Washington-related entities, primarily unrestricted/institutional support rather than many small or project-specific grants.
The Kirby and Diane Mcdonald Foundation’s recent grantmaking is anchored by sizable support for the University of Washington and Seattle cultural institutions, with $100,000 grants to the Burke Museum Association in 2024 and to the University of Washington in 2023. That pattern points to a funder that backs established institutions rather than short-term projects, using a small number of large gifts to support organizational goals. The foundation also extends that approach to affiliated university entities, including the University of Washington Foundation in both 2023 and 2024. Beyond Seattle, the portfolio reaches a private university on the West Coast and a national winter sports organization, showing that its interests are not limited to one type of institution even when the overall footprint is regional. The grant list suggests a preference for nonprofits with defined missions and institutional scale, especially where flexible support can advance core operations or long-range priorities. In practice, the foundation appears to favor recipients that are already central to their fields and communities, with the Seattle area receiving the clearest concentration of attention.
Higher education is a consistent theme. The foundation gave $100,000 to the University of Washington in 2023 and $50,000 to the University of Washington Foundation in 2023 and again in 2024, all to further charitable goals. Cultural and natural history work also appears in the portfolio: the Burke Museum Association received $100,000 in 2024 for the same broad purpose. Outside Washington, the foundation supported institutional higher education with a $50,000 grant to the University of San Diego in 2023. Athletic development is another visible interest, reflected in a $25,000 grant to the US Ski & Snowboard Team Foundation in Park City, Utah.
Grant sizes are substantial: the typical gift sits at $37,500 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $75,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list shows repeated support for the University of Washington Foundation in both 2023 and 2024, which suggests some recurring relationships rather than one-time awards only. The foundation is a private family foundation, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The stated grant purposes are broad and institutional, with grants described as furthering the recipients’ charitable goals rather than funding a narrow project.
$378K
$4.3M
$4.6M
$395K
Most grants fall between $38K and $75K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$38K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$75K
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Notable grantees: Burke Museum Association, University of Washington, University of Washington Foundation, University of San Diego, US Ski & Snowboard Team Foundation
Grantmaking is concentrated in the United States, with 100% of the recent grants going to U.S. recipients. Washington is the top state by grant count, and 57% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Seattle appears repeatedly, including the Burke Museum Association and the University of Washington. Outside Washington, recent grants reached San Diego, Park City, and Palm Desert, showing a regional footprint that extends beyond the Seattle area without leaving the U.S.
Its recent grants go mainly to established nonprofits such as the University of Washington, the University of Washington Foundation, the Burke Museum Association, the University of San Diego, and the US Ski & Snowboard Team Foundation. The stated purposes are broad and institutional, focused on furthering each recipient’s charitable goals.
Yes. The University of Washington Foundation received $50,000 in 2023 and another $50,000 in 2024. That recurring pattern appears alongside one-time grants to other recipients in the recent list.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution centers on larger gifts: the 25th percentile is $37,500, the median is $50,000, and the 75th percentile is $75,000.
Washington is the top state by grant count, and 57% of grants go to recipients in Washington. Seattle recipients appear multiple times in the recent grant list, including the Burke Museum Association and the University of Washington.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $305,000 | 2026 | FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS |
| ST THOMAS CHURCH | MEDINA, WA | $70,000 | 2026 | FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS |
| BELLEVUE LIFESPRING | BELLEVUE, WA | $2,500 | 2026 | FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS |
| COMMUNITY CANCER FUND | SPOKANE, WA | $15,000 | 2025 | FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $2,500 | 2025 | FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS |
| BURKE MUSEUM ASSOCIATION | SEATTLE, WA | $100,000 | 2024 | FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $50,000 | 2024 | FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS |
| DESERT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | PALM DESERT, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $100,000 | 2023 | FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $50,000 | 2023 | FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS |
| UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO | SAN DIEGO, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS |
| US SKI & SNOWBOARD TEAM FOUNDATION | PARK CITY, UT | $25,000 | 2023 | FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS |
FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS
BELLEVUE LIFESPRING
$2,500FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS
FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$100,000FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS
FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS
FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE GOALS