Mabo Foundation

Mabo Foundation is a small, volunteer-led private foundation in Bellingham, Washington that funds educational scholarships exclusively. Given its narrow focus and community-based leadership structure, the most effective approach is direct personal outreach to the foundation officers—Grace Borsari (President) and Larry Madsen (Secretary)—rather than navigating a formal grant portal.

Begin by contacting the foundation through its website (mabofoundation.org) to inquire about the current scholarship cycle, eligibility criteria, and application requirements. Because the foundation does not publicly advertise detailed application guidelines, a brief introductory letter or email expressing your organization's scholarship program and alignment with educational access goals in the Bellingham/Whatcom County area is an appropriate first step.

For scholarship-seeking individuals: frame your application around demonstrated financial need, educational goals, and ties to the Bellingham community. The foundation's 2024 disbursement of $378,000 across its programs—compared to zero charitable disbursements in 2021-2023—indicates the organization has substantially ramped up active grantmaking and is distributing a meaningful share of its annual income.

For scholarship program administrators or nonprofit partners: highlight your track record placing local students in post-secondary education, your existing community relationships in Whatcom County, and your ability to manage scholarship funds efficiently. The foundation's all-volunteer leadership signals they value trusted community partners who reduce administrative burden.

Mabo Foundation exhibits a distinctive funding arc across its five years of operation:

2020 (Founding Year): The foundation received a single $2.1 million founding contribution, which seeded its entire endowment. No charitable distributions were made in the inaugural year as funds were invested.

2021-2022 (Dormant/Building Phase): Revenue derived exclusively from investment income ($201 in 2021; $6,365 in 2022). No charitable disbursements were recorded. Assets held at approximately $2.07-2.06 million. The foundation was establishing infrastructure and selecting scholarship recipients.

2023 (Transition Year): A significant portfolio restructuring occurred. Expenses of $1.018 million were recorded—primarily reflecting asset liquidation and transfer costs rather than charitable giving (charitable disbursements: $0). Assets dropped precipitously, suggesting a deliberate reallocation to position for active grantmaking.

2024 (Active Grantmaking): The foundation made its first substantial charitable disbursements: $378,000 distributed in scholarships, representing 98.3% of total expenses. Revenue of $387,440 included $370,000 in new contributions—indicating fresh philanthropic capital was added. Net assets stabilized at $1,138,096.

Typical Grant Profile: Based on the foundation's IRS program description of "Educational Scholarships" and the $378,000 2024 total, individual scholarship awards likely range from $1,000 to $25,000. The NTEE B82 classification covers direct-to-student financial aid as well as organizational scholarship programs.

Mabo Foundation occupies a niche among small Washington State private foundations focused on educational scholarships.

Size Context: With $1.14 million in net assets and $378,000 in annual giving (2024), Mabo is a small-to-mid tier private foundation by Washington State standards, placing it in the upper-small range relative to the state median.

Giving Ratio: The 2024 charitable disbursement ratio of 98.3% of expenses is unusually high, far exceeding the IRS minimum distribution requirement of approximately 5% of assets (roughly $57,000 on a $1.14M asset base). This signals a mission-driven foundation prioritizing active grantmaking over administrative accumulation.

Geographic Peer Context: Bellingham (Whatcom County) has limited local private foundation infrastructure compared to Seattle/King County. Peers in the educational scholarship space in Whatcom County include community foundation scholarship funds, but few pure private foundations of this size focus exclusively on scholarships.

Volunteer Leadership: Both officers serve without compensation, characteristic of family or community foundations rather than professionally staffed operations. This limits administrative overhead but may mean slower response times and less public-facing outreach.

Foundation Classification: IRS foundation code 4 (Private Non-Operating Foundation) classifies Mabo as a pass-through grantmaker—it distributes funds to others rather than running programs directly, which opens the door for nonprofit scholarship program partners.

The most significant recent development for Mabo Foundation is its transition from an inactive investment vehicle to an active grantmaker in fiscal year 2024.

FY2024 (filed Sept 8, 2025): $378,000 in charitable disbursements—the foundation's first meaningful scholarship distributions. Revenue of $387,440 included $370,000 in new contributions, suggesting the founding donor(s) or new supporters added fresh capital alongside investment returns of approximately $17,000.

Portfolio Restructuring (FY2023): The $1.018 million in reported 2023 expenses primarily reflects asset transfer and restructuring costs rather than grant payments. Dividends of $36,690 and capital gains of $10,820 suggest a moderate investment portfolio that was reorganized to a more liquid, distribution-ready structure.

Website Active: The foundation maintains an active WordPress website at mabofoundation.org with SSL certification, indicating organizational capacity for external communications.

Tax Compliance: The foundation paid $150 in excise tax in FY2023 (standard 1% on net investment income for private foundations) and is current on all IRS filings through FY2024 as of September 2025.

No Known Grantee Disclosures: Public 990-PF schedules for FY2024 have not been parsed for specific grantee names; individual scholarship recipients are typically not named in 990-PF filings due to privacy protections for individual beneficiaries.

1. Make direct contact first. The foundation has no public application portal. Email or write to mabofoundation.org to request scholarship application materials and current cycle deadlines before preparing a full application.

2. Emphasize Bellingham and Whatcom County ties. All available data points to a locally focused foundation. Applications from or serving students in northwestern Washington will be most competitive.

3. Demonstrate financial need clearly. Educational scholarship foundations at this scale typically prioritize documented need alongside merit. Include financial aid gap analysis if applying for student scholarships.

4. Keep it concise and personal. The all-volunteer leadership of Grace Borsari and Larry Madsen suggests they review materials personally. A 1-2 page letter of inquiry with clear purpose and impact metrics will likely perform better than a lengthy formal proposal.

5. Apply early in the annual cycle. The foundation filed its 2024 990-PF in September 2025, suggesting a December fiscal year end. Applications for the following year's scholarship cycle likely open in late winter or spring—inquire by February or March.

6. For nonprofit scholarship program partners: offer to serve as an intermediary. The foundation's volunteer structure makes it an ideal candidate for partnering with an established scholarship-managing nonprofit that can handle student-facing logistics while the foundation provides grant capital.