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Also known as: C/O KING & OLIASON PLLC
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Kaphan Foundation is a private corporation based in SEATTLE, WA. The foundation received its IRS ruling in 2005. The principal officer is King & Oliason Pllc. It holds total assets of $141.4M. Annual income is reported at $10.9M. Total assets have grown from $26.2M in 2011 to $141.4M in 2024. The foundation is governed by 2 officers and trustees. Tax records are available from 2020 to 2024. Funding is distributed across 4 states, including Washington, California, New York. According to available records, Kaphan Foundation has made 141 grants totaling $32.5M, with a median grant of $151K. Annual giving has grown from $10.4M in 2020 to $22M in 2022. Individual grants have ranged from $2K to $633K, with an average award of $230K. The foundation has supported 103 unique organizations. The foundation primarily supports organizations in New York, Washington, California, which account for 74% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 12 states. Contributions to this foundation are tax-deductible.
The Kaphan Foundation operates as a private, invitation-only foundation reflecting the progressive values and strategic interests of founder Shel Kaphan, Amazon.com's first employee and former VP/CTO. The foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile with no open application process, instead identifying and cultivating relationships with organizations aligned with its priorities. The giving strategy is responsive to emerging issues—the foundation has adapted its focus over time to address democracy threats, immigration crises, criminal justice reform, and reproductive health as these issues gained urgency. The foundation's approach emphasizes infrastructure-level investments in democracy, free press, and civil rights organizations rather than direct service delivery. With approximately $141 million in assets managed by a small team, the foundation punches above its weight by targeting high-leverage organizations at the intersection of technology, civil liberties, and social justice.
The Kaphan Foundation makes grants ranging from $1,500 to $632,000, reflecting a wide spectrum from modest support to significant multi-year investments. The foundation's giving clusters around several major themes: (1) Democracy and voting rights—among the largest areas, with support for ACLU, FairVote, Center for Constitutional Rights, Voter Participation Center, and Democracy Now; (2) Journalism and free press—supporting ProPublica, Wikimedia Foundation, Global Press Institute, and Committee to Protect Journalists; (3) Criminal justice reform—grants to Brennan Center for Justice, Legal Defense Fund, and Innocence Project; (4) Immigration and refugees—recently expanded area with support for Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, RAICES, and Casa Latina; (5) Technology education and economic opportunity—Code for America, Code.org, Year Up Bay Area, Laboratoria. The foundation gives nationally and occasionally internationally, with no geographic restrictions. Giving is responsive to emerging crises and political developments, making it somewhat unpredictable year to year.
| Metric | Kaphan Foundation | Paul G. Allen Family Foundation | Bezos Earth Fund | Ballmer Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assets | ~$141 million | ~$2 billion | ~$10 billion | ~$3 billion |
| Annual Giving | ~$8-10 million | ~$80 million | ~$500 million | ~$300 million |
| Founder | Shel Kaphan (Amazon CTO) | Paul Allen (Microsoft co-founder) | Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder) | Steve Ballmer (Microsoft CEO) |
| Focus | Democracy, civil rights, journalism, tech education | Science, conservation, arts | Climate change, nature | Economic mobility, children |
| Application Model | Invitation-only, no applications | Mix of open and invited | Invitation-only | Invitation-only with some RFPs |
| Geographic Scope | National + international | Pacific Northwest + national | Global | National |
| Approach | Responsive, low-profile, progressive causes | Science-driven, institutional | Climate-focused, large-scale | Systems change, data-driven |
Among Seattle-based tech philanthropies, the Kaphan Foundation is comparatively small but distinctive in its progressive advocacy focus. While the Allen, Bezos, and Ballmer foundations have much larger endowments, Kaphan's focus on democracy, civil liberties, journalism, and criminal justice reform fills a niche that larger tech foundations largely avoid. The invitation-only model is common among all four, but Kaphan's is the most opaque with no public application pathway.
The Kaphan Foundation continues to support its core areas of democracy, civil rights, journalism, and technology education, though specific 2024-2025 grant announcements are limited given the foundation's low public profile. Based on 990 filings and available data, the foundation has maintained consistent giving in the $8-10 million annual range. The foundation's democracy portfolio has likely expanded given increased national attention to voting rights and election integrity. Immigration and refugee support has been a growth area in recent years, with organizations like RAICES and Casa Latina receiving increased attention. The journalism portfolio continues supporting press freedom organizations amid ongoing threats to independent media. The foundation's technology education grants through Code.org and Code for America reflect ongoing commitment to workforce development and digital equity. Shel Kaphan's net worth, estimated at approximately $1.1-1.5 billion from his Amazon shares, suggests the foundation has significant capacity for expanded giving.
The Kaphan Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, making traditional application strategies inapplicable. However, organizations can improve their chances of receiving support through these approaches: (1) Build relationships with current grantees—organizations like the ACLU, ProPublica, Code for America, and the Brennan Center for Justice are known Kaphan partners and may provide introductions. (2) Focus on areas of demonstrated foundation interest: democracy and voting rights, criminal justice reform, immigration, journalism and free press, or technology education for underserved populations. (3) Maintain a strong public profile in progressive advocacy—the foundation identifies organizations through its own research and networks. (4) Participate in funder affinity groups and progressive philanthropy networks where Kaphan Foundation staff may be present. (5) Organizations at the intersection of technology and social justice have particularly strong alignment. (6) Focus on systemic change rather than direct service—the foundation favors organizations working to change laws, policies, and institutions. (7) Be patient—invitation-only foundations typically have long relationship-building timelines. (8) If your organization has a Seattle/Pacific Northwest presence, local visibility may help given the founder's Seattle base.
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Smallest Grant
$2K
Median Grant
$132K
Average Grant
$195K
Largest Grant
$746K
Based on 93 grants from the most recent 990-PF filing.
No program descriptions are available for this foundation. Many private foundations report program activities in their annual 990-PF filings — check the Tax Filings section below for the most recent filing.
The Kaphan Foundation makes grants ranging from $1,500 to $632,000, reflecting a wide spectrum from modest support to significant multi-year investments. The foundation's giving clusters around several major themes: (1) Democracy and voting rights—among the largest areas, with support for ACLU, FairVote, Center for Constitutional Rights, Voter Participation Center, and Democracy Now; (2) Journalism and free press—supporting ProPublica, Wikimedia Foundation, Global Press Institute, and Committee .
Kaphan Foundation has distributed a total of $32.5M across 141 grants. The median grant size is $151K, with an average of $230K. Individual grants have ranged from $2K to $633K.
The Kaphan Foundation operates as a private, invitation-only foundation reflecting the progressive values and strategic interests of founder Shel Kaphan, Amazon.com's first employee and former VP/CTO. The foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile with no open application process, instead identifying and cultivating relationships with organizations aligned with its priorities. The giving strategy is responsive to emerging issues—the foundation has adapted its focus over time to addre.
Kaphan Foundation is headquartered in SEATTLE, WA. While based in WA, the foundation distributes grants to organizations across 12 states.
| Name | Title | Compensation | Benefits | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew B Mccutchen | SECRETARY | $0 | $0 | N/A |
| Sheldon J Kaphan | PRES, VP, TREAS | $0 | $0 | N/A |
Total Giving
N/A
Total Assets
$141.4M
Fair Market Value
N/A
Net Worth
$141.4M
Grants Paid
N/A
Contributions
N/A
Net Investment Income
N/A
Distribution Amount
N/A
Total Grants
141
Total Giving
$32.5M
Average Grant
$230K
Median Grant
$151K
Unique Recipients
103
Most Common Grant
$50K
of 2022 grantees were first-time recipients
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neo -Four Freedoms FundGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $633K | 2022 |
| Planned ParenthoodGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $618K | 2022 |
| Center For Reproductive RightsGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $618K | 2022 |
| Neo - State Infrastructure FundGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $618K | 2022 |
| Northwest Immigrants Rights ProjectGENERAL SUPPORT | Seattle, WA | $613K | 2022 |
| AcluGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $594K | 2022 |
| Fred HutchGENERAL SUPPORT | Seattle, WA | $592K | 2022 |
| FairvoteGENERAL SUPPORT | Takoma Park, MD | $590K | 2022 |
| Natural Resource Defense CouncilGENERAL SUPPORT | Washington, DC | $590K | 2022 |
| Center For Constitutional RightsGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $590K | 2022 |
| WorldreaderGENERAL SUPPORT | San Francisco, CA | $562K | 2022 |
| Code For AmericaGENERAL SUPPORT | San Francisco, CA | $527K | 2022 |
| DescGENERAL SUPPORT | Seattle, WA | $515K | 2022 |
| Voting WorksGENERAL SUPPORT | San Francisco, CA | $515K | 2022 |
| Voter Participation CenterGENERAL SUPPORT | Washington, DC | $515K | 2022 |
| National Abortion FederationGENERAL SUPPORT | Washington, DC | $515K | 2022 |
| Plymouth HousingGENERAL SUPPORT | Seattle, WA | $510K | 2022 |
| Sightline InstituteGENERAL SUPPORT | Seattle, WA | $491K | 2022 |
| Global Press InstituteGENERAL SUPPORT | Washington, DC | $491K | 2022 |
| Newsmatch (Miami Foundation)GENERAL SUPPORT | Miami, FL | $463K | 2022 |
| Brennan Center For JusticeGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $423K | 2022 |
| Town HallGENERAL SUPPORT | Seattle, WA | $422K | 2022 |
| RaicesGENERAL SUPPORT | San Antonio, TX | $422K | 2022 |
| World Central KitchenGENERAL SUPPORT | Washington, DC | $412K | 2022 |
| Naacp Legal Defense FundGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $396K | 2022 |
| American Jewish World ServiceGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $396K | 2022 |
| Democracy NowGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $396K | 2022 |
| MaplightGENERAL SUPPORT | Berkley, CA | $387K | 2022 |
| Electronic Frontier FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT | San Francisco, CA | $375K | 2022 |
| Pro Publica IncGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $316K | 2022 |
| International Rescue CommitteeGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $297K | 2022 |
| Doctors Without BordersGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $297K | 2022 |
| Innocence ProjectGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $297K | 2022 |
| Global PartnershipsGENERAL SUPPORT | Seattle, WA | $295K | 2022 |
| Opensecrets (Center For Resp Politics)GENERAL SUPPORT | Washington Dc, DC | $295K | 2022 |
| CodeorgGENERAL SUPPORT | Seattle, WA | $269K | 2022 |
| Campaign Legal CenterGENERAL SUPPORT | Washington, DC | $257K | 2022 |
| Neo - More Equitable DemocracyGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $257K | 2022 |
| Fairvote Wa FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT | Bothell, WA | $255K | 2022 |
| LaboratoriaGENERAL SUPPORT | Brooklyn, NY | $250K | 2022 |
| Wikimedia FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT | San Francisco, CA | $250K | 2022 |
| Jewish Voice For PeaceGENERAL SUPPORT | Berkley, CA | $211K | 2022 |
| Seattle Foundation - Fund For Inclusive RecoveryGENERAL SUPPORT | Seattle, WA | $211K | 2022 |
| Hias (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society)GENERAL SUPPORT | Silver Springs, MD | $198K | 2022 |
| Election Administration Resource Center (Rcv)GENERAL SUPPORT | Kinston, NC | $193K | 2022 |
| Arts FundGENERAL SUPPORT | Seattle, WA | $164K | 2022 |
| Committee To Protect JournalistsGENERAL SUPPORT | New York, NY | $154K | 2022 |
| Results Education FundGENERAL SUPPORT | Washington Dc, DC | $147K | 2022 |
| Free PressGENERAL SUPPORT | Florence, MA | $141K | 2022 |