Austin Family Foundation

The Austin Family Foundation is a deeply rooted community family foundation established in 2015 by Joan and Ken Austin, founders of A-dec — Newberg's storied dental equipment manufacturing company. The foundation operates on the family philosophy that being "rich in what your neighbor lacks obligates you to share," making it one of the most locally committed philanthropic institutions in Yamhill County.

The foundation runs two distinct grant tracks. The Small Grant Program is the primary entry point for external applicants: a rolling, open program offering up to $10,000 to local nonprofits serving Newberg and Dundee residents within approximately a 20-mile radius. Applications are submitted through the GrantInterface portal (grantinterface.com/Process/Apply?urlkey=austinfamily). There is no posted deadline; grants are reviewed monthly on a merit basis against alignment with the foundation's three pillars: community, health, and education.

The Large Grant Program is strictly invitation-only. The foundation identifies prospective grantees itself — applicants cannot self-nominate. Historical data shows multi-year relationships consistently precede large grants: Lutheran Community Services Northwest accumulated $1.97M across 16 grants, Newberg Public Schools $1.47M across 37 grants, and Juliette's House $880K across 10 grants. First-time applicants should not expect Large Grant consideration without first establishing a track record through smaller awards or community visibility.

Leadership is family-driven and volunteer-run: George K. Austin Jr. (President), Celia S. Austin (Secretary), Loni L. Parrish (Chair/President in later filings), G. Kenneth Austin III, Scott Parrish, Jessica Wolfer (Treasurer), Shannon Austin, and Tiffany Austin serve without compensation. There is no professional grants staff. This means personal credibility and community presence in Newberg matter enormously — the foundation funds organizations they know, not paper applications from unfamiliar groups.

New applicants should treat the Small Grant Program as a relationship-building step, not just a funding source. Demonstrating sustained community impact in Newberg and cultivating authentic connections with Austin and Parrish family members through local civic and nonprofit events is the path toward eventual invitation into the Large Grant Program.

The Austin Family Foundation's grantmaking reflects a highly concentrated, relationship-intensive model. Across 241 historical grants totaling $8.55M in the available dataset, the average grant was $35,477 — but this figure is skewed upward by large invitation-only awards. The Small Grant Program caps awards at $10,000, making the true median for open-track grants likely in the $5,000–$10,000 range.

Annual giving has fluctuated considerably: $1.08M (FY2019), $2.24M (FY2020, elevated by COVID-response grants), $1.30M (FY2021), $1.97M (FY2022), and $1.76M (FY2023). The FY2024 grants figure was not yet reported in available data. The peak in FY2020 corresponds to the foundation mobilizing a COVID-19 Community Assistance Fund, which temporarily expanded giving across many grantees simultaneously.

Geographic concentration is extreme: 233 of 241 grants (97%) went to Oregon-based organizations. The remaining 8 grants split across Florida (3), Texas (2), and Washington (2), likely tied to national partners of local grantees (e.g., Hazelden Betty Ford, Emergency Assistance Foundation Inc.). Organizations outside Oregon should not apply.

By program area, mental health and youth services dominate: Lutheran Community Services Northwest ($1.97M), Juliette's House ($880K), Providence Newberg Health Foundation ($746K), and Yamhill Community Action Partnership ($504K) together represent about half of all historical giving. Education follows closely, with Newberg Public Schools receiving $1.47M spanning CTE/STEM classrooms, resource rooms, mental health therapists, and coding initiatives. Food security (Northwest Christian's Weekend Backpack program, YCAP food bank) and early childhood education round out the portfolio.

The foundation's asset base grew dramatically — from $3.6M at founding (FY2015) to $22.9M (FY2019), $30M (FY2021), $71.7M (FY2022, driven by a $48M contribution inflow), and $87.4M (FY2024). This tripling of assets in two years has not yet translated into proportionally higher grantmaking, suggesting the foundation is in an endowment-building phase. Annual giving represents roughly 2% of assets — below the standard 5% private foundation minimum payout, which may accelerate in coming years.

The following table compares the Austin Family Foundation to its closest asset-size peers, as identified in foundation databases. Note that the peer list is based on total assets rather than mission alignment — the Austin Family Foundation's hyperlocal Yamhill County focus is distinctive among foundations of this asset size.

The Austin Family Foundation stands apart from its asset-size peers in one critical dimension: geographic specificity. While foundations of similar size typically operate regionally or nationally, Austin Family concentrates virtually all giving within a 20-mile radius of Newberg, Oregon (population ~26,000). This hyper-local model means local nonprofits face a less competitive field — they are not competing with grantees from Portland or beyond — but it also means eligibility is binary: you either serve Newberg/Dundee/Yamhill County or you do not qualify. The foundation's payout ratio (~2% of assets) is conservative relative to peers, suggesting meaningful capacity to increase annual giving if the board chooses to accelerate distributions from its growing endowment.

The most significant recent grant was a $200,000 award to Newberg Area Habitat for Humanity in 2025, designated for the Dundee Commons affordable housing project. This represents one of the largest single grants publicly documented from the foundation and suggests housing security may be gaining standing as a discrete funding priority alongside the traditional health/education pillars.

In June 2025, the foundation supported dental clinic upgrades at the newly opened Newberg Wellness Center — a multi-provider facility integrating medical, mental health, pharmacy, and community navigation services. The connection reflects the Austin family's A-dec dental heritage and may signal sustained interest in oral/integrated health infrastructure.

In November 2025, the Austin and Parrish families announced plans to develop Hess Creek Preserve, a 52-acre nature park on family-owned land in northern Newberg. The project involves habitat restoration, dam removal, trails, bridges, and public art installations. No formal foundation grant has been announced for this initiative, but it underscores the family's expanding vision for community legacy assets beyond traditional nonprofit grantmaking.

Earlier in 2025 (September), a $1,326 micro-grant was provided to the Newberg-Dundee School District for a high school Shakespeare Festival trip — demonstrating that the foundation remains attentive to small, community-embedded needs even outside formal program cycles. Leadership has remained stable, with the Parrish family (children of the founders) increasingly taking active board leadership roles.

Use GrantInterface as your entry point — but do your homework first. The Small Grant Program portal (grantinterface.com/Process/Apply?urlkey=austinfamily) is the only open door. Before applying, audit your program against the foundation's demonstrated priorities: mental health services for youth, early childhood education, CTE/STEM career pathways, food security, emergency housing, and integrated community health. Generic community-benefit language will not resonate — be explicit about which Newberg or Dundee residents you serve and how.

Geographic specificity is non-negotiable. Your proposal must show a clear, primary service area within approximately 20 miles of Newberg, OR. If your organization is Portland-based with a satellite Yamhill County program, lead with Yamhill County outcomes — not your organization's citywide impact.

Mirror the foundation's vocabulary. Their grant purposes repeatedly reference "mental health/addiction — youth," "early childhood education," "CTE-STEM," "food security," and "workforce investment." Use these exact framings when relevant. The foundation has funded Hazelden Betty Ford's substance-abuse education programs and Newberg Public Schools' coding initiatives — align your language to theirs, not to a generic grant template.

Keep your first ask modest. The Small Grant ceiling is $10,000. Submit a well-scoped, achievable project rather than a full organizational operating request. Demonstrate competence and impact at the $5,000–$10,000 level before expecting escalation to larger awards.

Think in grant-year cycles, not single applications. Top grantees — Newberg Public Schools (37 grants), Lutheran Community Services (16 grants), Providence Newberg Health Foundation (11 grants) — built their relationships over many years. Plan a three-to-five-year engagement strategy: start with Small Grants, deliver measurable results, report back proactively, and request introductions to board members through mutual community contacts.

Avoid applying for anything with a statewide or national scope. The foundation's 97% Oregon concentration, with giving almost entirely within Yamhill County, is not accidental — it reflects a core philosophical commitment to hyper-local impact. Proposals with broader reach will likely be declined unless Newberg is the explicit primary beneficiary.

There is no paid staff to call. The foundation phone (503-537-1000) connects to A-dec. Do not treat this as a traditional grantmaker with a program officer to cultivate — engage the community instead.