M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust

OVERVIEW: The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust works in the areas of human services, education, arts and culture, health and scientific research. Grantmaking is limited Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

IP TAKE: Past recipients give this funder high ratings for being responsive, insightful, open-minded and culturally sensitive. It is worth noting that a significant portion of the foundation’s work, particularly human services, is funneled toward faith-based organizations. Overall, Murdock is an important source of funding for nonprofits in the five northwestern states where it works, making hundreds of grant each year to organizations of every size.

Murdock accepts letters of inquiry at any time and generally responds to these within two to three weeks of receipt. The trust offers detailed guidelines for its application processes on its website. This funder welcomes contact, so reach out with your questions and ideas.

PROFILE: Based in Vancouver, Washington, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust was established in 1975 by the will of the late Melvin “Jack” Murdock, co-founder of Tektronix Inc., a manufacturer of electronic devices used in measurement and testing. Tektronix became a part of the Danaher Corporation in 2007. The trust’s mission is to “build capacity in nonprofits driving innovative and sustainable outcomes across the Pacific Northwest.” Giving prioritizes, but is not strictly limited to, organizations in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, as well as faith-based outfits in British Columbia. The trust gives across five areas of focus: Artistic & Cultural Expression, Civic Engagement & Community Services, Education & Leadership Development, Health & Environmental Stewardship, and Scientific Research. Its grantmaking programs include:

Strategic Project Grants support “mission-focused projects” for construction, equipment, technology and staff
Initiative Grants support “programs focused on scientific research, education and calling.”

Grants for Arts and Culture, Arts Education

Murdock’s Artistic & Cultural Expression focus area centers on “enriching lives, cultivating empathy, [and] fostering curiosity.”

Themes of specific interest for this grantmaking include cultural diversity, the natural world and “setting people up for a lifetime of learning and creativity.”
In addition to visual and performing arts programs, support extends to “heritage organizations” and informal educational programs at public parks and gardens.
Grantees include the Portland-based Native Arts & Culture Foundation, Alaska’s Sitka Fine Arts Camp, the Clatsop County Historical Society in Oregon and the North Valley Music School in Whitefish, Montana.

Grants for Civic and Democracy, Community Development and Human Services

The Civic Engagement & Community Services focus area for aims to build “a region where every person feels hope and steps into opportunity.”

This giving area articulates interest in community-level economic development, housing, food security, civic education, foster care, public policy and support for immigrants and refugees.
Past grantees include Portland’s Constructing Hope Pre-Apprenticeship Program, the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights in Boise and the Rodel Institute, an Arizona-based nonpartisan organization focused on “strengthening democratic institutions and public leadership.”

Grants for K-12, Higher Education and Nonprofits

Giving for Education & Leadership Development works to “advance educational innovation, strengthen leaders, and contribute to a resourced social sector.”

Grants stemming from this initiative focus on equity, opportunity, innovation and collaboration.
The education component of the program focuses on secondary and community college education, including vocational and trade programs.
Grants also support nonprofits with capacity building support and leadership development.
Past grants have gone to Code Girls United, Jesse Tree of Idaho, Northwest University in Kirkland and Montana’s Carroll College, which received funding for a library renovation.

Grants for Public Health and Environmental Conservation

Murdock’s Health & Environmental Stewardship giving area focuses on “creating communities of healthy people and healthy lands.”

The health component of this initiative awards grants to hospitals, clinics, community health, mental health and human services organizations. Grantees include Montana’s Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, the Northwest Catholic Counseling Center, the Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon and the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, also in Oregon.
Environmental grants support land and wildlife conservation. Recipients include the Nature Conservancy, Montana’s Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center and the Forest Stewardship Council of Washington.

Grants for Science Research and STEM

The trust has a strong tradition of supporting “researchers, educators and institutions” engaged in ” leading-edge research and education across a diverse collection of scientific disciplines.”

This program focuses on research that has the potential to “enhance and sustain human flourishing” and on educational initiatives to “train brilliant scientific minds” and build a “vibrant professional and scientific community of practice.”
Grants have spanned many scientific disciplines, including biology, chemistry, materials science, genetics, physics, astronomy, robotics and more.
Recent grants have supported purchases of mass spectrometers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of Washington.
The trust also awards grants for Research Across Institutions for Scientific Empowerment (RAISE). A recent grant provided support to a collaboration among Seattle University, St. Martin’s University, Western Washington University and the College of Idaho for a project to introduce undergraduate students to the history of the Milky Way Galaxy.
See a list of specific grant awards at the program page.

Important Grant Details:

The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust’s grants mostly range from about $4,000 to $1 million. In a recent year, the trust awarded close to $117 million in grants to hundreds of organizations. Its median grant size us about $90,000. .

This is a supportive funder that offers aid beyond grants in the form of “enrichment programs and convenings that strengthen the region’s educational, social, spiritual, and cultural base in ways that are innovative and sustainable.”
Human services is Murdock’s largest giving area, followed closely by education.
This funder gives to many faith-based organizations and schools.
For additional information about past grants, see the trust’s grants awarded page.
Interested parties can explore the Trust’s grant opportunities in depth on its site.
The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry for its Strategic Project grantmaking program at any time. Only organizations operating in in the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington are eligible. Only a handful of national grantees are supported in a given year.
Applicants are advised to familiarize themselves with the trust’s grant application process before beginning the application process.
Application guidelines for the Trust’s Initiative grantmaking programs vary significantly by program, but detailed instructions are linked to each program page.
Murdock welcomes questions about its grantmaking and application process via telephone or at (360) 694-8415 or email at info@murdocktrust.org.

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Last updated on August 12, 2026