Charlotte Martin Foundation
/OVERVIEW: This Seattle-based funder supports youth athletics, education, culture, and animal, wildlife, and marine conservation organizations concerned with ecosystem stewardship in the face of climate change. It funds organizations in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and Alaska.
IP TAKE: The board members here are also affiliated with other local grantmaking foundations, so it is a good idea to make their acquaintance. Request a single-year grant that is locally focused on the Pacific Northwest for a program that serves BIPOC. But make sure to look over the lengthy list of programs the foundation will not fund before applying. The foundation advances organizations that encourage collaboration amongst stakeholders including governments, nonprofits, the scientific community, and businesses.
This is an accessible funder that typically awards project specific rather than general operating support grants.
PROFILE: Established in 1987, the Charlotte Martin Foundation honors the legacy of its namesake Charlotte Martin. Charlotte Martin was from Montana and attended school in Washington. She established the foundation shortly before her death to carry on the tradition of giving to youth and wildlife causes that she shared with husband. The foundation is based in Seattle, and prioritizes giving to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. The foundation’s Youth program prioritizes funding for organizations led by BIPOC or serving underrepresented communities, and makes grants for athletics, culture, and education. It will not fund programs that fall outside of one of these three areas. While the Wildlife and Habitat program does fund climate change and environmental conservation initiatives, it only does so with an eye toward sustaining healthy and diverse wildlife populations and habitat.
Grants for Housing and Community Development
The Martin Foundation’s Youth athletics funding seeks to supply alternatives to the diminishing number of intramural and after school sports programs. Martin seeks projects that have strong educational and cultural components that support programs and facilities in rural areas and cities. It also prioritizes programs that seek to diversify sports programs or get more girls and BIPOC involved in sports. Finally, the foundation’s youth program funds initiatives to train and support good coaches in order to provide positive experiences for young people. It will not fund proposals for large capital investment projects, transportation to tournaments, fitness equipment and activities, or playgrounds or playground equipment.
Grants for Arts and Culture
The Youth program’s support for culture “includes art, music, dance, literature, theater, ethnic and regional heritage.” It seeks cultural experiences that young people can use “as creative resources to build self-esteem, promote personal growth, and preserve traditions.” It looks for proposals that replace or build upon after-school arts programs in both urban and rural communities with limited resources. The program will not fund “trips to conferences, international exchange programs, passive participation by youth, artists in residence programs, [or] admission subsidies or purchase of tickets for events.”
Grants for K-12 Education
The program’s education focus emphasizes support for initiatives that help “youth direct their learning and engage in compelling problem-solving and critical thinking.” It funds initiatives to support and train educators to enable them to “play a vital role in assisting youth to investigate their passions and explore new interests.” It particularly prioritizes support for rural schools that may “have less access to resources and curricula than urban schools,” and will support both public and private schools. The foundation will not make grants to “children’s testing or test preparation; purchase of computers or textbooks; passive participation by youth; programs whose goals are primarily social services; pre-Kindergarten programs; curriculum development; programs for college students.”
Grants for Climate Change, the Environment, Wildlife, and Marine
The foundation’s Wildlife and Habitat program seeks to “protect and restore vital ecosystems especially in the face of a changing climate with the long-term aim of preserving biodiversity in the region.”
This program funds wildlife conservation organizations that promote “healthy and diverse wildlife populations and habitat.” In regards to marine conservation, the foundation prioritizes organizations that “can make a significant difference in educating the public, restoring important lands for biodiversity, and protecting marine and freshwater environments.”
The foundation does not support organizations that prioritize climate change or conservation without including wildlife and habitat preservation in their mission statement. It also rejects proposals from city parks, zoos, and aquariums, and will not fund wildlife rehabilitation or captive breeding. Finally, grants do not fund the preservation of small isolated parcels of land, land solely valued for recreational purposes, or projects primarily in urban areas.
Important Grant Details:
The foundation does not award grants for over $25,000 to nonprofits that submit unsolicited applications. Organizations that Martin has invited to apply for funding may be eligible for larger amounts. The majority of grants range from $5,000 to $15,000.
The Charlotte Martin Foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications and requests for funding during its two funding cycles. The spring cycle typically opens on February 1 and closes on March 1. The fall funding cycle typically opens on August 1 and closes on September 1. Grantseekers must submit their applications via the foundation’s online application form.
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