Key Findings
Native populations received higher percentage of grant dollars to the Northwest than nationwide. Consistent with national trends, the largest shares of philanthropic funding to our region in 2014 focused on supporting historically underserved communities. Within the narrow slice of grant dollars allocated for people of color, funding to the Northwest was nearly five times more likely than grantmaking nationwide to support Native activities, issues and communities.
- Significant grants for Native communities included a five-year $5 million award from Rasmuson Foundation to the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Trends Over Time
Funding for women and girls grew fastest, followed by grants to people of color and other historically underserved communities. We anticipate that these numbers will continue to rise as more foundations incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion lenses into their grantmaking activities.
