About Medina Foundation
The Medina Foundation is a family foundation that funds basic human service organizations in the Puget Sound area, following founder Norton Clapp's vision to improve the lives of those in need by fostering positive change and helping people attain independence and dignity.
Focus Areas
Family supportHousing and homelessnessYouth developmentEconomic opportunityEducationHungerPositive pathways for youthStabilization for families and individuals
Who They Fund
children and families (pediatric hospital patients)neighborhood residents of Tacoma / White Center and surrounding communitiescommunity center users and service recipients
About Medina Foundation
Medina Foundation’s recent giving shows a strong preference for large, practical support to local service organizations: a $250,000 capital-campaign grant to Tacomapierce County Habitat for Humanity and a $100,000 grant to Mary Bridge Children’s Foundation for Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital are among the clearest examples. The foundation also backed a $100,000 Tacoma replication project for Friends of the Children (national), signaling interest in extending models that serve children and families. Across its recent grants, the pattern is rooted in human services, youth pathways, family stabilization, housing, economic opportunity, and education, with a mix of operating support, capital help, and targeted project funding. Its grant record includes Seattle-, Tacoma-, Bellevue-, Redmond-, and Everett-based organizations, as well as community-serving intermediaries and neighborhood institutions. The foundation’s own program descriptions emphasize general operating support for human service organizations in the Greater Puget Sound area, alongside special initiatives and invitation-only professional development support for existing grantees. That combination points to a funder that uses both flexible core support and focused, time-limited investments to help organizations serve residents directly.
What Medina Foundation Funds
Human services are at the center of Medina Foundation’s giving. The foundation awarded $60,000 to Plymouth Housing Group for general operating support and $50,000 to Wellspring Family Services for general operating support, both aligning with its emphasis on stabilization for families and individuals. Housing and homelessness also appear as a recurring theme: a $50,000 grant to Housing Hope supported general operations, while a $50,000 grant to Downtown Emergency Service Center also funded general operating work. In youth development, Medina gave $50,000 to Kindering Center for general operating support, and its program descriptions also identify positive pathways for youth as a core focus. Education and economic opportunity surface through grants such as $50,000 to Farestart for general operating support, reflecting the foundation’s interest in service organizations that combine education, training, and direct support.
How Medina Foundation Gives
Medina Foundation’s typical grant size sits at a median of $20,000, with the 25th percentile at $5,000 and the 75th percentile at $30,000. Recent activity also includes larger awards at $50,000, $60,000, $100,000, and $250,000, showing that the foundation makes both routine operating grants and larger project or capital commitments. The grantmaking structure includes standard grants, special initiatives, and invitation-only professional development support for current and recent grantees. The presence of recurring grantees across multiple years, including several organizations appearing more than once in the recent-grants list, suggests sustained relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation accepts unsolicited LOIs in its general grantmaking program, though its professional development and special initiative programs are invitation-only.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.6M
Total Assets
$111M
Total Revenue
$4.3M
Total Expenses
$5.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $5K and $30K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$30K
Geographic Reach
Local10 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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