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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
$2.4M
$76.9M
$21.2M
$915K
Most grants fall between $9K and $220K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$220K
About 29% of grants go to recipients in OR.
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Notable grantees: Portland State University Foundation, Washington State University Foundation, University of Oregon Foundation, Bellevue Art Museum
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States in the recent sample. Oregon and Washington account for the strongest concentration, with Portland, Eugene, Bellevue, and Pullman all appearing more than once. Oregon represents 29% of grants in the foundation’s HQ state, and Oregon recipients include Portland State University Foundation, University of Oregon Foundation, and Portland Art Museum. Outside the Pacific Northwest, recent grants reached Washington, DC; Los Angeles; University Park, PA; Kennesaw, GA; Bloomington, IN; and Morgantown, WV.
The foundation most often supports museum exhibitions, museum development, and cultural-facility projects. Recent grants include Exhibition Support for Washington State University Foundation and Bellevue Art Museum, plus a New Museum of Art Fund grant to Portland State University Foundation and a Hayward Field Renovation Fund grant to the University of Oregon Foundation.
Yes. Washington State University Foundation appears in three recent years for Exhibition Support in 2023, 2024, and 2025. University of Oregon Foundation also appears in multiple years for the Hayward Field Renovation Fund, with awards in 2023 and 2024.
The grant-size distribution centers on a p25 of $9,250, a median of $19,562, and a p75 of $220,170. The recent list includes both major capital awards and smaller exhibition-support grants, so the foundation’s typical giving spans a wide range within a purpose-specific model.
No. The active Lending Program is listed as not accepting unsolicited requests.
Recent grants are concentrated in the United States, with Oregon and Washington standing out most clearly. Oregon recipients include Portland State University Foundation, University of Oregon Foundation, and Portland Art Museum, while Washington recipients include Washington State University Foundation and Bellevue Art Museum.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | PULLMAN, WA | $221,135 | 2025 | EXHIBITION SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF OREGON FOUNDATION | EUGENE, OR | $245,637 | 2024 | HAYWARD FIELD RENOVATION FUND |
| WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | PULLMAN, WA | $217,277 | 2024 | EXHIBITION SUPPORT |
| BELLEVUE ART MUSEUM | BELLEVUE, WA | $147,383 | 2024 | EXHIBITION SUPPORT |
| USC FISHER MUSEUM OF ART | LOS ANGELES, CA | $13,642 | 2024 | EXHIBITION SUPPORT |
| PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | PORTLAND, OR | $1,000,000 | 2023 | NEW MUSEUM OF ART FUND |
| UNIVERSITY OF OREGON FOUNDATION | EUGENE, OR | $250,000 | 2023 | HAYWARD FIELD RENOVATION FUND |
| WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | PULLMAN, WA | $221,135 | 2023 | EXHIBITION SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,482 | 2023 | EXHIBITION SUPPORT |
| THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY PALMER MUSEUM OF ART | UNIVERSITY PARK, PA | $10,500 | 2023 | EXHIBITION SUPPORT |
| PORTLAND ART MUSEUM | PORTLAND, OR | $10,000 | 2023 | EXHIBITION SUPPORT |
| KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION ZUCKERMAN MUSEUM OF ART | KENNESAW, GA | $9,000 | 2023 | NEW MUSEUM OF ART FUND |
| ESKENAZI MUSEUM OF ART INDIANA UNIVERSITY | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $6,900 | 2023 | EXHIBITION SUPPORT |
| WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | MORGANTOWN, WV | $5,909 | 2023 | EXHIBITION SUPPORT |
| PASSTHROUGH - EL GAUCHO LLC EIN #91-2016549 | SEATTLE, WA | $152 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION FROM PASSTHROUGH ENTITY |
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$221,135EXHIBITION SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON FOUNDATION
$245,637HAYWARD FIELD RENOVATION FUND
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$217,277EXHIBITION SUPPORT
BELLEVUE ART MUSEUM
$147,383EXHIBITION SUPPORT
USC FISHER MUSEUM OF ART
$13,642EXHIBITION SUPPORT
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$1,000,000NEW MUSEUM OF ART FUND
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON FOUNDATION
$250,000HAYWARD FIELD RENOVATION FUND
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$221,135EXHIBITION SUPPORT
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS
$25,482EXHIBITION SUPPORT
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY PALMER MUSEUM OF ART
$10,500EXHIBITION SUPPORT
PORTLAND ART MUSEUM
$10,000EXHIBITION SUPPORT
KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION ZUCKERMAN MUSEUM OF ART
$9,000NEW MUSEUM OF ART FUND
ESKENAZI MUSEUM OF ART INDIANA UNIVERSITY
$6,900EXHIBITION SUPPORT
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$5,909EXHIBITION SUPPORT
PASSTHROUGH - EL GAUCHO LLC EIN #91-2016549
$152CONTRIBUTION FROM PASSTHROUGH ENTITY
Current and upcoming funding from Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Qualified museums are preferably accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, can provide a current facilities report that meets the foundation’s standards, employ professionally trained art handlers, and have fine art insurance coverage and climate-controlled storage.
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