Education continues to receive the highest proportion of dollars to the region.

Funders to the Northwest gave $239 million, nearly 25% of all grantmaking, to schools, education-related nonprofits, support services and policy initiatives in 2012. Four-year colleges and graduate programs continue to receive the highest proportion (50%) of overall education dollars. Elementary and secondary schools receive the second greatest proportion (22%). Over 200 funders in the dataset gave to education-related issues. The top five education funders — Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, J.A. & Kathryn Albertson Foundation, Ann and Bill Swindells Charitable Trust, The Boeing Company and Microsoft Corporation — accounted for 40% of all education giving.

Proportion of Dollars by Issue Area, Northwest vs. National, 2012