About Nesholm Family Foundation
The Nesholm Family Foundation gives in a highly Seattle-centered way, with a strong emphasis on cultural institutions, civic amenities, and youth-serving nonprofits. Their largest commitments support major arts organizations and placemaking groups like the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, ACT, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Friends of Waterfront Seattle, and the Seattle Aquarium, alongside selective investments in schools and community health providers. The pattern suggests a donor family with deep ties to Seattle and a preference for sustaining flagship institutions through repeat support, capital campaigns, and special project funding.
Focus Areas
Seattle Performing Arts InstitutionsWaterfront Seattle and Civic PlacemakingYouth Arts and Education in Seattle Public SchoolsCommunity Health and Behavioral Health ServicesFamily and Youth Social Services in SeattleEnvironmental and Aquarium Education
Giving Approach
Concentrated giving to a relatively small set of repeat grantees, with multiple grants to core Seattle institutions and a mix of large multi-year or campaign-style commitments plus trustee-discretionary support. Grants are often substantial and renewed over time, especially for arts, capital projects, and a few education or human-services partners.
About Nesholm Family Foundation
Nesholm Family Foundation’s public grant record is defined by two very large gifts, each listed as “See Attached Statement” and each directed to a recipient in Washington. Those grants totaled $7.49 million across 2023 and 2024, showing a highly concentrated pattern rather than broad distribution across many organizations. The foundation’s active programs, however, make its interests clearer: Seattle-area education, health and human services, and performing arts. Its education work is tied to the “Kids in the Middle” initiative, which focuses on developing underachieving students, expanding cultural education for public school children, and bringing community into public schools. In health and human services, the foundation supports community and public health projects, including capital improvements and programs for teens and youth. In the arts, it backs Seattle performing arts organizations through project-specific or general operating support, with a stated interest in accessibility and organizational development. The foundation is also currently receiving applications for its 2026 performing arts cycle.
What Nesholm Family Foundation Funds
In education, the foundation’s “Kids in the Middle” initiative focuses on developing underachieving students, expanding cultural education for public school children, and bringing community into public schools. That program is distinct from its performing arts funding, which supports Seattle organizations through project-specific or general operating grants. The arts program is aimed at organizations that encourage high professional performance standards and improve availability and accessibility of the arts. Health and human services is another active area, with support for community and public health projects in Seattle. Current interests in that program include capital improvements and programs that assist teens and youth. These program descriptions point to a Seattle-centered portfolio even though the foundation’s public grant record includes only large, undisclosed entries.
How Nesholm Family Foundation Gives
The foundation’s public grant sizes are tightly clustered: the 25th percentile is $3,703,227, the median is $3,743,818, and the 75th percentile is $3,784,409. That narrow spread matches the record of only two reported grants, both in Washington and both described as “See Attached Statement.” The pattern looks highly concentrated rather than fragmented across many awards. The foundation is a family foundation, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. On the public record provided, the grant entries do not show an open general application process for the main philanthropic pattern; only the performing arts annual cycle is currently accepting applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.4M
Total Assets
$35.9M
Total Revenue
$4.6M
Total Expenses
$3.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $5K and $50K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$50K
Geographic Reach
Regional3 states funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in WA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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