Gary E Milgard Family Foundation - Mark
Tacoma, WA · EIN 81-1386818. Reported 173 grants totalling $20.3M to 77 recipients across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Gary E Milgard Family Foundation - Mark did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $50,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $30,000 and $100,000; the smallest was $9,720 and the largest $1,200,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Humane Society - Tacoma & Pierce Co | Tacoma, WA | $4,160,577 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Pasado's Safe Haven | Sultan, WA | $1,985,900 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| Dog Is My Copilot | Jackson, WY | $1,525,000 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| Paws | Lynnwood, WA | $1,075,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Tacoma Rescue Mission | Tacoma, WA | $983,700 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Center for Whale Research | Friday Harbor, WA | $900,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Ginger's Pet Rescue | Way, WA | $825,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Forgotten Dogs Rescue | Seattle, WA | $700,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Boys & Girls Club of South Puget Sound | Tacoma, WA | $650,050 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Auburn Valley Humane Society | Auburn, WA | $585,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Humane Society of the United States | Gaithersburg, MD | $500,000 | 4 | 2 | 2022 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound | Tacoma, WA | $450,100 | 2 | 1 | 2024 |
| Orca Network | Freeland, WA | $438,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Kindred Souls Foundation | Steilacoom, WA | $375,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Noah Center | Stanwood, WA | $325,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| SR3-Sealife Responserehab & Research | Seattle, WA | $300,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Heartwood Haven | Roy, WA | $295,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| SR3-Sealife Response Rehab & Research | Seattle, WA | $255,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Sarvey Wildlife Care Center | Arlington, WA | $250,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Project Freedom Ride | Gordon, GA | $210,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Nourish Pierce County | Tacoma, WA | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Save a Forgotten Equine | Redmond, WA | $175,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Seattle Area Feline Rescue | Shoreline, WA | $158,210 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Sunny Sky's Animal Rescue | Puyallup, WA | $130,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| We Heart Seattle | Seattle, WA | $130,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Citizens for a Healthy Bay | Tacoma, WA | $115,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Resilient Hearts Animal Sanctuary | Seattle, WA | $110,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Puget Sound Wildcare | Kent, WA | $105,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest | Elum, WA | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Dfmwr-Joint Base Lewis-Mcchord | Joint Base Lewismccho, WA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Friends of the Earth | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The Elephant Sanctuary | Hohenwald, TN | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Noah Center Northwest Organization for Animal Help | Stanwood, WA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Dam Sense | Angeles, WA | $95,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Kitsap Humane Society | Silverdale, WA | $95,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| PALS4PAWS | Anacortes, WA | $90,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Earthcorps | Seattle, WA | $85,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Oceans Initiative | Seattle, WA | $80,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Pacific Mammal Research | Anacortes, WA | $80,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Communities for a Healthy Bay | Tacoma, WA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Concern for Animals | Olympia, WA | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Rainfall Ranch Rescue | Lakebay, WA | $72,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Justcare Animal Rescue | Oakville, WA | $70,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Beck's Place | Monroe, WA | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Saving Great Animals | Bellevue, WA | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Washington State Animal Response Team | Enumclaw, WA | $59,056 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Rainier Foothills Wellness Foundation | Enumclaw, WA | $55,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Hello Pitty Rescue | Tacoma, WA | $50,220 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| American Military Families Action Network | Tacoma, WA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Seattle Dogs Homeless Program | Seattle, WA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Gentle Barn | Santa Clarita, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Wolf Haven International | Tenino, WA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Puget Sound Pet Food Bank | Federal Way, WA | $48,687 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Houston Humane Society | Houston, TX | $46,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Re Sources | Bellingham, WA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Whole Horse Place | Port Orchard, WA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pawsitive Alliance | Bellevue, WA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pierce Conservation District | Puyallup, WA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cat Rescue Squad | Arlington, WA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Harbor Wildwatch | Gig Harbor, WA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Humane Animal Rescue Partners of Wa | Yelm, WA | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Zoo Society | Tacoma, WA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| North Beach Paws | Ocean Shores, WA | $23,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Red Rose Animal Rescue | Rochester, WA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Veterinary Care Foundation | Morrison, FL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Western Rivers Conservancy | Portland, OR | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Puget Sound Estuarium | Olympia, WA | $17,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| In Defense of Animals | San Rafael, CA | $13,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Place of Horses | Port Orchard, WA | $11,568 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Frankie's Friends | Tampa, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Friends of Discovery Park | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Killer Whale Tales | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Misspits Rescue | Vaughn, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Oly Camp Kitties | Olympia, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Path of Hope Rescue | Spokane, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Second Chance Dogs | Mckenna, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Uplift Northwest | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
42 of 77 (55%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 69%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- The Humane Society - Tacoma & Pierce Co
2023-2024 PROGRAMS/INITIATIVES - Pasado's Safe Haven
KISS ANIMAL CRUELTY GOODBYE - Paws
SNOHOMISH WILDLIFE HABITATS - Dog Is My Copilot
SECOND AIRCRAFT-ANIMAL TRANSPORT - Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound
OPERATIONS/TEEN MENTAL HEALTH - Forgotten Dogs Rescue
MEDICAL CARE DOGS WA STATE
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 128 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36 | $4,700,000 | $62,525 |
| 2022 | 55 | $5,700,000 | $50,000 |
| 2023 | 37 | $4,952,068 | $75,000 |
| 2024 | 45 | $4,900,000 | $50,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
87% of its giving went to organizations in Washington. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
Get funders for your state and cause by email
We email you funders that gave to organizations in your state and cause, up to five at a time each week and never the same one twice, from their own IRS filings. Free. The weekly email has not started yet.
Unsubscribe in one click from any email. We never sell or share your address. To match on your organization and typical grant size too, keep a private profile.
Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $50,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Washington.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Gary E Milgard Family Foundation - Mark's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 1701 Commerce Street, Tacoma, WA, 98402. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 81-1386818 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
Is something here wrong about your foundation? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.