Jubilee Foundation

The Jubilee Foundation emerged directly from the founding vision of Broetje Orchards in Pasco, Washington — a faith-driven agricultural enterprise built by Ralph and Cheryl Broetje on the principle of 'go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.' The foundation operates within the Broetje Family Trust, an association of three foundations (Jubilee Foundation, Vista Hermosa Foundation, and the Center for Sharing) unified by a shared Christian ethos of community transformation. With $200.4 million in total assets as of FY2024 and annual giving of approximately $4.2 million (FY2023), this is a modestly-distributing private foundation relative to its endowment — signaling a long-term stewardship orientation rather than aggressive payout.

The giving philosophy is deeply relational. Cheryl and Ralph Broetje serve as unpaid President/Chairman and Treasurer, respectively, and have cultivated long-term partnerships with faith-aligned international development organizations. Catholic Relief Services ($1.07 million across 4 grants), World Relief ($500,000 across 4 grants), and Opportunity International ($400,000 across 2 grants) represent multi-year, deepening relationships. New Roots Haiti, Beyond Borders, Plant With Purpose, and Spark Microgrants all show multi-grant histories — this foundation rewards proven partners with renewed and often increased support.

First-time applicants should understand the dual nature of this funder. Jubilee Foundation is simultaneously an operating foundation — running the Tierra Vida affordable housing community and related programs in Pasco, WA — and an external grantmaker distributing funds to partner organizations worldwide. The external grants are awarded to organizations doing work that complements and extends the Broetje family's vision globally.

The application process is deliberately informal: submit 'a statement about purpose of request including budget reflecting how money will be spent,' with no deadlines and no stated restrictions. This minimalism signals that grants are typically awarded through existing relationships, referrals, and personal conviction — not through competitive open calls. A warm introduction from an existing grantee is the most reliable path in. Candidates should also note the September 2025 appointment of Omar Escalera as inaugural Executive Director of the Broetje Family Trust — a governance shift that may bring more structured processes in 2026.

Across 61 documented grants totaling $6,661,556, the Jubilee Foundation's average grant is $109,206, with a median in the $80,000–$100,000 range. Grants span from $60,000 (El Pozo de Vida, anti-trafficking) to $600,000 (Pasco School District, Lake View Early Learning Center capital project). The largest single relationship — Catholic Relief Services at $1,069,700 across 4 grants — skews the average upward; most grantees receive in the $100,000–$200,000 range per multi-year engagement.

Annual giving has varied considerably: - FY2022: $6.5 million (highest recent year) - FY2023: $4.2 million - FY2021: $2.7 million - FY2020: $2.6 million - FY2019: $1.1 million

Assets grew from $33.8 million (FY2016) to $200.4 million (FY2024), largely due to a $100+ million contribution in FY2018 — almost certainly tied to Broetje Orchards' partial sale. Despite this 6x asset growth, grantmaking has not scaled proportionally, confirming an endowment-building orientation. Net investment income was $4.8 million in FY2023, suggesting payout could increase without touching principal.

By geography: Haiti is the single largest concentration, receiving an estimated 35–40% of external grant dollars through Catholic Relief Services, Beyond Borders, New Roots Haiti, Boston Foundation (Haiti Development Institute grants), and Floresta USA. East Africa accounts for roughly 20–25% (World Relief in Kenya, Opportunity International in Uganda, Spark Microgrants in Uganda, World Renew in Kenya, Friends of Jitokeze in Kenya). Latin America (Mexico, Chiapas, Guerrero) represents 15–18% through Amextra, Plant With Purpose, and Ideas Comunitarias. Domestic Washington State grants (Pasco School District, Family Learning Center) have been large in dollar terms but episodic.

By program area: community-based development with a faith/church foundation dominates. Food security and sustainable agriculture, anti-trafficking, women's empowerment, youth engagement, and church capacity-building are the recurring themes. No evidence of grants to arts, pure advocacy, environmental causes, or health organizations.

The Jubilee Foundation sits within a cohort of faith-affiliated private foundations in the $100–$300 million asset range, largely family-controlled with selective, invitation-leaning application processes.

The Jubilee Foundation stands out among this peer group for the international development concentration of its grantmaking — Harvest Foundation and Friess are primarily domestic givers. Jubilee's payout ratio (approximately 2–3% of assets annually) is below best-practice guidelines of 5% for private foundations, leaving significant potential for increased giving as the endowment matures. Compared to the Woka Foundation, which has a similar asset base but is California-based with broader philanthropic interests, Jubilee is more tightly focused geographically (Haiti, East Africa, Latin America) and ideologically (Christian community transformation). The appointment of a professional Executive Director in 2025 may move Jubilee toward the more structured grant cycle common among the Harvest Foundation and other institutionally mature peers.

The most consequential recent development is the appointment of Omar Escalera as inaugural Executive Director of the Broetje Family Trust (September 4, 2025). Escalera, previously a volunteer board member of the Jubilee Foundation, brings deep community credibility to the role. This is the first time an outside executive has formally led the Trust, which has historically been governed entirely by the Broetje family. This governance shift may signal the beginning of a transition plan for the founding generation and could lead to more formalized application processes and expanded grantmaking in 2026–2027.

In April 2024, the foundation celebrated a major milestone: a groundbreaking for 120 new apartments in East Pasco as part of the Tierra Vida Community expansion. This is a substantial capital project — 120 units in one of Eastern Washington's lower-income neighborhoods — reflecting ongoing commitment to affordable housing as the foundation's domestic anchor program.

No public grant announcements have been issued for 2025 or 2026 to date. The foundation does not maintain a press office or regular grant announcement calendar. The most recent fully-reported IRS year (FY2023) showed $4.2 million in total giving with $600,000 in grants paid — a drop from FY2022's $6.5 million, though some of the differential may reflect timing of multi-year grant disbursements. FY2024 data (assets $200.4M, revenue $18.3M) is available but grants paid data was not yet filed at time of this report.

Establish a relational bridge before submitting. The Jubilee Foundation's informal application process — no portal, no deadlines, no formal LOI requirement — signals that grants are extended through networks, not cold submissions. The most reliable path is a warm introduction from a current grantee. Organizations like Catholic Relief Services, World Relief, Beyond Borders, Opportunity International, or Plant With Purpose all work within the Broetje network and can provide meaningful endorsements.

Use the right language. The foundation's values are explicit: Love, Community, Respect, Compassion, and Purpose. Proposals should use the foundation's own vocabulary: 'community transformation,' 'working with not for,' 'dignity,' 'place-based,' 'bearing fruit,' 'servant-leadership.' Avoid purely programmatic or metrics-heavy language without the relational framing.

Geographic targeting matters. Of the 61 documented grants, the overwhelming majority fund work in Haiti, East Africa (Kenya, Uganda), or Latin America (Mexico, Chiapas, Guerrero). Domestic proposals have succeeded for capital projects (Lake View Early Learning Center, $600,000) or refugee/housing programs with clear faith alignment (Family Learning Center, $400,000). Proposals for domestic work outside Eastern Washington, or international work outside the three core regions, face an uphill battle.

Faith dimension is non-negotiable. Every documented multi-grant relationship involves either a faith-based organization (World Relief, Catholic Relief Services, Mennonite Central Committee) or a program with an explicit community discipleship or church-empowerment component (Church Empowerment Zones, World Vision Haiti Empowered Worldview). Secular applicants should not attempt to retrofit a faith dimension; instead, only apply if genuine faith-community integration is core to the model.

Budget clarity is the one hard requirement. The only stated application requirement is 'a statement about purpose of request including budget reflecting how money will be spent.' Make the budget precise and line-itemed. The Broetje family are experienced entrepreneurs who will scrutinize cost-effectiveness.

Request size sweet spot: $100,000–$200,000 for a first grant. Scale up in subsequent years once the relationship is established. Single grants above $400,000 appear to be reserved for long-tenured partners.