Grant funders / Washington / Higher Education
Higher Education Grant Funders in Washington
896 foundations with a documented higher education focus have made grants to Washington nonprofits in recent years, together directing $1.7B to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 896 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
896
Higher education funders
$1.7B
Given to Washington nonprofits
12,903
Grants on record
2025
Most recent giving
Most active higher education funders in Washington
| # | Funder | Based in | Total Washington giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington Foundation | Washington | $1.0B | 6 | 2024 |
| 2 | Washington State University Foundation | Washington | $297.0M | 5 | 2024 |
| 3 | Seattle Foundation | Washington | $17.6M | 423 | 2024 |
| 4 | Central Washington University Foundation | Washington | $12.5M | 8 | 2025 |
| 5 | The Evergreen State College Foundat | Washington | $10.6M | 6 | 2024 |
| 6 | Jack R Macdonald Charitable Trust | Texas | $9.7M | 3 | 2024 |
| 7 | The Andrew W Mellon Foundation | New York | $8.8M | 11 | 2024 |
| 8 | King County Bar Foundation | Washington | $7.7M | 18 | 2023 |
| 9 | Tacoma Community College Foundation | Washington | $7.2M | 8 | 2025 |
| 10 | Columbia Basin College Foundation | Washington | $7.1M | 7 | 2025 |
| 11 | Grays Harbor College Foundation | Washington | $7.0M | 14 | 2025 |
| 12 | Bellevue College Foundation | Washington | $6.7M | 7 | 2024 |
| 13 | Whitworth Foundation | Washington | $6.5M | 7 | 2024 |
| 14 | District 17 Community College Foundation | Washington | $6.3M | 7 | 2025 |
| 15 | Gonzaga Law School Foundation | Washington | $5.6M | 6 | 2024 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest higher education funders in Washington — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 896 against your nonprofit's actual mission, service area, and budget, and shows you why each one matches. Free, no credit card.
Rank these funders for my nonprofit →Higher Education funders in other states
Other causes funded in Washington
How this list is built. Bespoke Grants indexes 13M+ grants from public IRS Form 990 filings. This page shows foundations whose giving carries a documented higher education focus and that have funded Washington nonprofits. Giving figures reflect each funder's total recent grants to Washington recipients. IRS data publishes on a 1–2 year lag; figures are current through the most recent available filings.