Jordan Fund

The Jordan Fund is a faith-based private foundation founded in 2003 in Medina, Washington by John and Kelly Olerud (John Kelly Olerud is the former Seattle Mariners first baseman and World Series champion). The foundation was created after their daughter Jordan was born in August 2000 with a rare chromosome disorder — their personal experience motivating them to help other families facing similar caregiving challenges.

The foundation operates on two parallel tracks: 1. Direct family grants: Helping families pay for respite care, therapy, and medical equipment not covered by insurance, for children with substantial and permanent disabilities up to age 21 2. Organizational grants: Funding 501(c)(3) nonprofits that share the mission of supporting children with disabilities

The application process is relationship-first: applicants should contact admin@jordanfund.org with general information. If the foundation sees potential fit, they will send a formal application. This two-step process ensures good mission alignment before requesting full applications.

The foundation's inspiration (2 Corinthians 1:3-4: "who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God") reflects a deeply personal Christian motivation that extends to all grantmaking.

The Jordan Fund holds approximately $2.6 million in assets (2023 filing level). Asset levels have been stable to growing over recent years.

Annual grantmaking specifics are not publicly disclosed, but the dual-track model suggests the foundation makes both family-level grants (likely $1,000–$10,000 per family for specific equipment/therapy needs) and organizational grants to disability-serving nonprofits (likely $10,000–$50,000 range based on asset size).

For families: quarterly review cycles with a September final deadline. For organizations: a single September 1 annual deadline. This structure suggests the foundation likely makes 20–40 family grants per year and 5–15 organizational grants.

The Medina WA location (one of the wealthiest zip codes in the US) and the founder's MLB career suggest capacity well above what the $2.6M asset base implies — some foundations with wealthy donors distribute more than their investment returns annually.

The Jordan Fund occupies a specific niche in disability-focused family philanthropy: - Golisano Foundation: Much larger, national disability inclusion focus - Arc of King County: Local disability nonprofit (potential grantee) - Disability Rights Washington: Advocacy focus, potential grantee - Northwest Center: Seattle disability services nonprofit, potential grantee

What distinguishes Jordan Fund: (1) personal chromosome disorder experience creates authentic credibility with families navigating rare diseases, (2) equipment/therapy coverage for gaps insurance won't cover addresses a very specific acute need, (3) Medina WA base places it within Seattle tech wealth philanthropy circles.

The Seattle/Puget Sound disability services ecosystem includes strong organizations like Kindering Center, Arc of King County, Children's Institute for Learning Differences (CHILD) — all potential organizational grantees.

The Jordan Fund website (jordanfund.org) is actively maintained. The FAQ section is current, showing September 1 organizational deadline and quarterly family review cycles. The 2026 copyright indicates recent updates.

The foundation founders continue to be publicly acknowledged (John Kelly Olerud and their daughter Jordan's story remains central to the website). No staff names are listed — the foundation appears family-operated.

Jordan's birth year (August 2000) means she would now be approximately 25 years old, beyond the foundation's 21-year-old eligibility age for beneficiaries — yet the foundation continues operating, indicating a commitment beyond Jordan's own eligibility.

1. Email first with a brief introduction — do not submit a cold full proposal. The process explicitly requires initial contact (admin@jordanfund.org) before the application form is sent. Keep your initial email to 2-3 paragraphs: who you serve, how it relates to children with disabilities and their families, and why you are reaching out.

2. Organizations: September 1 is a hard deadline. This is the single annual deadline for organizational grants. Missing it means waiting another year. Begin outreach in June or July to allow time for the two-step process.

3. Families: Apply when the need is urgent, not just at September. Quarterly reviews mean families with acute needs don't have to wait until September — a spring application can be reviewed in the summer cycle.

4. Equipment and therapy gaps are the sweet spot for families. The foundation specifically covers costs "not covered by insurance." Focus your family grant request on a specific, concrete unmet need: a piece of adaptive equipment, a therapy not covered by Medicaid, or a respite care gap. Be specific about the dollar amount needed.

5. 501c3 status required for organizations. Confirm your 501c3 status before applying. Schools and hospitals should clarify their nonprofit status in the application.

6. Disability permanence and significance are criteria. The children's disabilities must be "substantial and permanent." Temporary disabilities or developmental delays expected to resolve don't clearly fit. Conditions like chromosomal disorders, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and similar lifelong conditions are the clearest fits.

7. Geographic scope is unclear — Washington State focus is likely. The foundation is based in Medina WA and the Olerud family's community connections are in the Puget Sound area. Organizations headquartered outside the Pacific Northwest may be less likely to be funded, but the website doesn't explicitly limit geography.