Laird Norton Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Laird Norton Foundation’s climate change grantmaking focuses on regenerative biological systems, reducing fossil fuel dependency, and promoting renewable energy. Other areas of interest include arts education, human services, philanthropy and watershed stewardship.
IP TAKE: Laird Norton considers both program and operating support, which is attractive for grassroots organizations. However, for certain programs, its grants are predominately limited to Washington and Oregon. It’s not an accessible funder, but it is approachable, so get in touch by filling out an information form. It’s relatively responsive, but it may take some time to hear back from them. Note that you will not have success getting on their radar by discussing your work with them.
PROFILE: The Laird Norton Family Foundation is based in Seattle, Washington, and governed by members of the Laird Norton family. It seeks to “honor and reflect the family’s shared values through giving and […] engage the family in philanthropy as a platform for strengthening family connections.” Laird Norton Company, which has a logging and lumber yard background, remains a family owned and operated wealth management company today. The company donated $25 million to the foundation in 2006, when the foundation took a new strategic direction. Its main funding areas are arts in education, climate change, human services, youth in philanthropy, and watershed stewardship.
Grants for Climate Change
Laird Norton’s climate change grantmaking works to “ensure an equitable, resilient, habitable, and enjoyable world for current and future generations.” It prioritizes projects that focus on regenerative biological systems that influence the carbon cycle (“biocarbon”), reducing dependency on fossil fuels, and promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The foundation also seeks to end the use of coal while increasing the ability of land and water to sequester carbon. Laird Norton prioritizes organizations in Washington and Oregon, but will occasionally consider funding organizations in other states. Past climate change grantees include As You Sow, Carbon Cycle Institute, Pacific Forest Trust, Center for Sustainable Infrastructure, Earthcorps and Washington Environmental Council.
Grants for Marine and Freshwater
Laird Norton’s watershed stewardship program “invests in collaborative, community-let watershed restoration with the goal of making measurable improvements in the ecosystems of watersheds.” It seeks to support projects that are scientifically grounded, adaptively managed, and continually monitored, and it strongly prioritizes projects that are already ongoing and have a proven track-record of results. Past grantees include Hood Canal Coordinating Council, Rogue Basin Partnership, Kinnickinnic River Land Trust, Trout Unlimited, Truckee River Watershed Council and the Valley Stewardship Network.
Grants for Arts Education
Laird Norton’s arts in education program primarily aims to “improve pre-K through grade 12 student learning through the arts.” It seeks to support programs that promote the integration of arts education into public school curricula and “utilize the arts as a tool to reduce the educational opportunity gap.” To that end, it prefers to fund programs with a proven record of improving educational outcomes, rather than those that simply aim to increase arts appreciation or participation. It prioritizes those that involve professional development for arts teachers, encourage collaboration with community arts institutions, and have the potential to be sustainable and replicable. Grantees include American Conservatory Theater, Exploring the Arts, Arts for the Schools, Arts Impact, Chicago Arts Partnership in Education and Creative Advantage.
Grants for Mental Health
Laird Norton’s human services program primarily seeks to “support, empower, uplift, and create opportunities for long-term success and a brighter future for unaccompanied youth and young adults.” It supports organizations that provide services and resources for young people dealing with trauma, addiction, or mental illness, especially homeless youth and children transitioning out of or still in foster care. It prioritizes community-based organizations with comprehensive services that promote long-term recovery and stability. Grantees and partners include Atlantic Street Center, Powerful Voices, Choose 180, Legal Counsel for Youth and Children, The Mockingbird Society and New Horizons Ministries.
Important Grant Details:
Grants typically range from $20,000 to $50,000, and grant periods typically last one year. It occasionally awards multi-year grants. Grantseekers may review previous grantees on the individual program pages.
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. However, it accepts “brief inquiries” from groups whose work supports the foundation’s priorities via on online form.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINK:
