Columbia Foundation

## Approach & Strategy

Columbia Foundation is a small private non-operating foundation established in 1964, located at 2232 Waverly Way E in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. With over 60 years of operation and assets of approximately $736,000-$756,000, it represents one of the older family foundations in the Pacific Northwest. The foundation holds no public presence — its listed website (columbia.edu) is the unrelated Columbia University in New York, and no foundation-specific website has been identified.

The foundation's grantmaking approach is highly relationship-driven and recurring. The same core set of organizations appears across multiple fiscal years: Bitterroot Christian Ministries (Corvallis, MT), University of Washington, Seattle Children's Hospital Foundation, St. Therese Catholic Academy, and Maltby Food Bank appear in both 2022, 2023, and 2024 data. This consistency indicates a stable, trust-based giving model where the principals have deep, long-term relationships with grantees rather than responding to competitive applications.

The portfolio spans a notably eclectic range: a Christian rural ministry in Montana receives the largest annual grants ($18,000-$20,000), while major research institutions (University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research) and secular nonprofits (Planned Parenthood, Technology Access Foundation) also receive support. This breadth suggests the foundation reflects personal and family interests across generations of principals, rather than a single focused philanthropic thesis.

The foundation's fiscal year runs October through September (FY2024 ended September 2024), which is atypical and may affect timing of giving decisions. The foundation is self-administered with minimal staff costs (administrative expenses of ~$6,000/year) and appears to be a personal family vehicle.

## Funding Patterns

Annual Giving Volume: Columbia Foundation has maintained remarkably consistent annual distributions since at least 2010, typically granting between $42,000 and $63,000 per year regardless of market conditions.

Historical distribution amounts: - FY2010: $32,500 grants paid - FY2011: $37,600 - FY2012: $58,640 - FY2013: $31,000 - FY2014: $63,000 - FY2019: $43,000 - FY2020: $42,000 - FY2021: $60,000 - FY2022: $61,000 - FY2023: $54,000 - FY2024: $54,000 (estimated)

Asset Base: Book assets of ~$736,000 (2024), but fair market value of the investment portfolio is substantially higher — $1.14M in FMV as of the FY2024 filing. Investments are split roughly evenly between corporate stock ($366,240) and corporate bonds ($368,190).

Revenue: Exclusively investment income — dividends ($24,546 in FY2024) and capital gains ($14,300). The foundation receives no charitable contributions or donations from outside sources, meaning it is a purely endowed vehicle distributing investment returns.

Grant Count and Size: Typically 8-15 grants per year, ranging from $750 to $20,000. The largest single grant goes consistently to Bitterroot Christian Ministries ($18,000-$20,000), accounting for roughly one-third of total annual giving. The remaining grants are clustered at $2,500-$3,000 each for institutional partners.

Administrative Costs: Very lean — approximately $6,089 in administrative expenses (FY2024), representing less than 1% of assets and 10% of total distributions. This suggests a self-managed foundation or one with minimal professional management overhead.

Minimum Distribution: Consistently meets the IRS 5% payout requirement based on asset base (~$37,000-$38,000 required; actual distributions of $54,000+ annually are well above minimum).

## Peer Comparison

The following table compares Columbia Foundation to similarly-sized private foundations in Seattle, Washington based on publicly available IRS 990-PF data.

Key Observations: - Columbia Foundation is significantly smaller than Seattle-area private foundation peers, with assets roughly 5-7x below comparably structured local foundations - Its annual distribution rate (~$54,000-$61,000 per year) is proportionally high relative to assets (~7-8% of book value), indicating the principals are drawing on investment returns more aggressively than a pure endowment model - Unlike most Seattle foundations, Columbia Foundation directs its largest single grant out-of-state to a Montana Christian ministry, suggesting the principals have geographic or spiritual connections outside Washington state - The combination of religious, secular healthcare, reproductive health (Planned Parenthood), and Catholic education grantees is unusual and suggests multi-generational family philanthropy with differing interests among principals - No peer foundations of similar age (est. 1964) and size in Seattle were identified in the database with this level of cross-sector grantmaking breadth

## Recent Activity

Based on FY2022, FY2023, and FY2024 IRS 990-PF data, Columbia Foundation has shown consistent grantmaking activity with a stable roster of repeat grantees.

FY2024 (October 2023 - September 2024) — Total ~$54,000: - Bitterroot Christian Ministries Inc (Corvallis, MT) — $18,000 (operating expenses) - University of Washington (Seattle) — $12,000 (operating expenses) - Planned Parenthood (Seattle) — $3,000 - Ronald McDonald House (Seattle) — $3,000 - Seattle Children's Hospital Foundation — $3,000 - St. Therese Catholic Academy (Seattle) — $3,000 - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research (Seattle) — $3,000 - Lakeside School (Seattle) — $3,000 (scholarship) - Maltby Food Bank (Snohomish, WA) — $3,000 - Technology Access Foundation (Seattle) — $3,000

FY2023 (October 2022 - September 2023) — Total ~$49,500: - Bitterroot Christian Ministries Inc — $20,000 - University of Washington — $15,000 - Washington State Horse Park (Woodinville, WA) — $2,500 - Project Orbis International (New York, NY) — $1,500 - Desert Community Foundation (Palm Desert, CA) — $1,250 - Kindering Center (Bellevue, WA) — $1,000 - American Friends of Our Armed Forces (Palm Desert, CA) — $750 - [Core institutional partners at $2,500-$3,000 each]

FY2022 (October 2021 - September 2022) — Total ~$61,000: - Bitterroot Christian Ministries Inc — $20,000 - University of Washington — $12,000 - Desert Community Foundation (Palm Desert, CA) — $4,000 - [Core institutional partners at $3,000 each]

Trend: Grant amounts to core partners have been stable or slightly increasing year-over-year. The Bitterroot Christian Ministries grant ($18K-$20K) has remained the anchor grant for at least three consecutive years. Technology Access Foundation (Seattle) was added as a new grantee in FY2024, suggesting some flexibility to add new relationships.

## Application Tips

Critical Note: Columbia Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. No public website, application portal, or contact information has been identified beyond the IRS-registered address. The foundation's listed website (columbia.edu) belongs to Columbia University in New York — an unrelated institution.

Who Gets Funded: - The portfolio is dominated by repeat grantees with multi-year relationships — the same 8-10 organizations appear in each fiscal year - Bitterroot Christian Ministries (a rural Montana ministry) receives 33-37% of all annual giving, suggesting a deeply personal connection to the principals - Seattle-area institutions (University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson, Children's Hospital, Lakeside School) receive consistent support, likely from personal or alumni relationships - The Lakeside School scholarship grant suggests possible alumni or family connection to that specific institution - Food banks (Maltby Food Bank) and disability services (Kindering Center) reflect community service values alongside institutional philanthropy

If You Have a Relationship: 1. Physical contact address: 2232 Waverly Way E, Seattle, WA 98112 (Capitol Hill residential neighborhood — this is likely a principal's home address) 2. All purposes are listed as "operating expenses" — the foundation does not appear to fund specific projects or capital campaigns; general operating support is the expected ask 3. Grant amounts for newer relationships likely start in the $1,000-$3,000 range; the $12,000-$20,000 range appears reserved for long-standing anchor relationships

Practical Expectations: - Fiscal year: October 1 - September 30 (unusual — plan for fall or winter timing) - Typical award range: $750-$3,000 for most grantees; up to $20,000 for the anchor relationship - Geographic preference: Seattle/Pacific Northwest with meaningful exceptions for personal connections - Focus areas supported: Christian ministry, university programs, children's healthcare, cancer research, Catholic education, food access, reproductive health, STEM education access - Reporting: Unknown; as a small family foundation, informal stewardship is most likely