Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation

About Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation

Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by recurring support for the Elisabeth Miller Botanical Garden and the University of Washington’s Miller Library. Those two institutions account for some of the foundation’s largest grants in the latest filings, including six-figure awards for general operations, capital improvements, and library support. The pattern points to a funder that backs the infrastructure behind horticulture rather than short-term projects alone. The foundation also supports the Miller Seed Vault and Washington Rare Plant Care & Conservation Program through the University of WA Botanic Gardens, showing an interest in plant conservation as well as public-facing garden work. Other grants reach Seattle-area institutions connected to education, exhibits, and local heritage, including Burke Museum, Pacific Science Center, and Seattle Parks Foundation. Several awards are unrestricted or broadly framed as basic or general support, especially for the botanical garden and the Miller Library. That emphasis suggests a long-term institutional role: maintaining collections, facilities, and program capacity tied to the Elisabeth C. Miller legacy. With 96% of grants going to recipients in Washington, the foundation’s giving remains tightly centered on Seattle and nearby institutions.

What Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation Funds

In botanical garden support, the foundation gave $185,116 in 2025 to Elisabeth Miller Botanical Garden T for general operations support and $155,102 for capital improvements. It also backed the garden’s Great Plant Picks work with $92,540 in 2025. For library and research resources, it awarded $173,632 in 2025 to University WA Miller Library for basic support and an addition to principal, after a $168,368 grant in 2024 for general operations. The University of Washington also received $152,579 in 2023 for the Elisabeth C. Miller Library. The foundation funds conservation and workforce training as well. University of WA Botanic Gardens received $41,500 in 2025 for the Miller Seed Vault and Washington Rare Plant Care & Conservation Program, while the University of Washington’s College of the Environment EarthLab received $25,000 in 2025 for a summer internship program.

How Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation Gives