The University of Washington Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that advances the mission of the University of Washington by soliciting and facilitating private contributions to support UW students, faculty, programs, research, service and patient care.
The University of Washington Foundation C/o University of Washington’s recent giving centers on one recipient: the University of Washington in Seattle. The three largest grants on file are all labeled university support, with awards of $218,518,107 in 2023, $181,643,093 in 2025, and $175,988,973 in 2024. That pattern points to a funder built around sustained institutional support rather than a spread of small awards. The foundation’s stated purpose is to advance the University of Washington mission by soliciting and facilitating private contributions for students, faculty, programs, research, service, and patient care. Its existing focus areas include higher education, student support and scholarships, research and innovation, UW Medicine, arts and cultural programs, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. In practice, the recent grants record shows repeated support for the university itself, which is consistent with general and unrestricted institutional funding, capacity strengthening, and university research support. The foundation is led by Mary Gresch and operates as a nonprofit 501(c)(3).
The foundation supports a broad university agenda through institutional grants tied to core campus priorities. In higher education, it gave $218,518,107 to the University of Washington for university support in 2023, showing direct backing for the institution itself. Student-facing support is also part of its stated mission, which includes students and scholarships. The foundation’s focus areas extend to research and innovation, reflecting its role in funding academic and research infrastructure through university support rather than standalone project grants. Health and medicine appear in its stated priorities through UW Medicine, and its focus areas also include arts and cultural programs and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Across these themes, the recent grants record shows a consistent pattern of support routed to the university rather than to external organizations.
Grant sizes are very large and tightly clustered: p25 is $178,816,033, the median is $181,643,093, and p75 is $200,080,600. The recent record also shows three consecutive years of university support in 2023, 2024, and 2025, all to the University of Washington. The foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The profile and recent grants point to institutional support as the dominant giving style.
$181.6M
$3.6M
$180.5M
$181.8M
Most grants fall between $178.8M and $200.1M, with a median of $181.6M.
25th Percentile
$178.8M
Median
$181.6M
75th Percentile
$200.1M
About 100% of grants go to recipients in WA.
MARY GRESCH
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Giving is entirely local and entirely in Washington state. The top state by grant count is WA, and 100% of grants in the recent sample went to recipients in the headquarters state. All three recent grants were awarded to the University of Washington in Seattle, so the geography is centered on a single recipient city rather than a broader multi-state footprint.
Its giving centers on the University of Washington and aligns with the foundation’s stated priorities: higher education, student support and scholarships, research and innovation, UW Medicine, arts and cultural programs, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. The recent grants record shows university support awards rather than grants to outside nonprofits.
The recent grant-size distribution is extremely high and narrow: the 25th percentile is $178,816,033, the median is $181,643,093, and the 75th percentile is $200,080,600. That suggests large institutional awards rather than smaller project grants.
In the recent grants sample, no. The top state by grant count is WA, and 100% of grants went to recipients in Washington state. All listed recipients are in Seattle.
No. The foundation is marked as not funding individuals, and its recent grant record is directed to the University of Washington as an institution.
Yes. The recent record shows university support to the University of Washington in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That three-year pattern indicates repeated support over time rather than a one-off grant.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $181,643,093 | 2025 | UNIVERSITY SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $175,988,973 | 2024 | UNIVERSITY SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $218,518,107 | 2023 | UNIVERSITY SUPPORT |
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$181,643,093UNIVERSITY SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$175,988,973UNIVERSITY SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$218,518,107UNIVERSITY SUPPORT