Philanthropy Northwest is committed to a future of equity and racial justice for all, grounded in the power of collective possibility.
For nearly 50 years, Philanthropy Northwest has served as a community, trusted partner and peer collective committed to transforming ourselves and the sector. Working side-by-side with philanthropic partners in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and beyond, we catalyze change towards equity and racial justice that endures and resonates far beyond the scope of individual initiatives.
Our Approach
Through the synergy of people, organizations and our ecosystem, we catalyze positive change and enduring transformations.
- People: Transformation starts from within, and it doesn’t happen in isolation. We create opportunities for personal reflection, learning and growth strengthened by the power of peer support.
- Organizations: The daily actions, interactions and structures within which we operate matter. We build organizational capabilities to adopt equity-centered cultures, practices and policies across all levels of philanthropic organizations.
We are home to The Giving Practice, a national consultancy committed to joyful, effective and equitable philanthropy. The Giving Practice team supports philanthropy organizations like yours in discovering your possibilities, living your values and achieving your goals.
- Ecosystem: Our greatest potential as philanthropic organizations lies within our interconnectedness and ability to move sector and structural societal progress together. We nurture collaboration and leverage the power of the collective to advocate for and create a resilient ecosystem capable of driving sustainable solutions.
Our mission, values and vision are anchored in the belief that meaningful impact emerges when philanthropy supports grantee partners to self-determine and drive change for their communities.
Our MissionWe grow philanthropy's capacity to do transformative work toward redistributing resources and power to underinvested communities in the Northwest and beyond. |
Our VisionEquity and racial justice for all communities. |
Our Values
EQUITY
We promote systems and practices that support just outcomes for people regardless of race, ethnicity and intersectional identities, including gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, disability, religion and immigration status.
RACIAL JUSTICE
We stand for a society where Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities have the dignity, resources, power and self-determination to fully thrive.
PLACE
We are inspired and grounded in the diversity of our region’s people and cultures, and we honor its lands as the traditional and present home of Northwest Indigenous peoples.
INTEGRITY
We hold ourselves accountable for acting in alignment with our values and maintaining high standards of transparency, honesty and openness.
COURAGE
We aspire to catalyze change in the philanthropic sector by being bold with our actions and our voice.
JOY
We create space for creativity, connection and fun in our work.
Annual Reports and Financial Info
You can access our most recent annual reports and financial forms.
Our History
In 1976, Median Foundation co-founder and former Weyerhaeuser Company President Norton Clapp responded to a growing desire to collaborate amongst grantmakers in the Northwest. Clapp led efforts to create the Pacific Northwest Grantmakers Forum, known since 2000 as Philanthropy Northwest.
Philanthropy Northwest was supported by 10 founding directors:
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As we approach our mid-century milestone anniversary in 2026, we have a mission beyond our first 50 years: to be stewards of change towards moving resources and power to communities that we’ve historically overlooked as a philanthropic sector.