Grant Details

The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation looks for opportunities to fund programs in the Allen family's areas of interest, the arts, financial empowerment, libraries, education and science and technology, that jumpstart meaningful change.

The Foundation offers Pacific NW programs in three areas:

• Education: The Foundation's Education Programs supports creative, ambitious educators who provide transformational learning opportunities for students. The Foundation looks for high-impact projects that support rigorous academics, real-world learning, and community engagement. By partnering with public school educators and nonprofits throughout the Pacific Northwest, the Foundation works to encourage the development and spread of innovations that will put students on the path to becoming tomorrow's inventors, thinkers, and leaders. The Foundation provides grant funding to the following educational programs: a) Allen Distinguished Educators Program, b) Innovative Charter Schools Program. Priority areas and Initiatives are teacher residency and cultivating youth.
• Arts and Culture: The Foundation's Arts and Culture Programs support programs that nurture creative expression, promote critical thinking and amplify local culture. The Foundation has a strong interest in funding contemporary works that address social, political, and cultural issues and giving rural communities greater access to professional arts programming. The Foundation provides grant funding to the following arts and culture programs: a) The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, b) Native Giving. Native communities strive to respond to the need for vibrant art and culture, individual wellness, economic security for families, and healthy youth. The Foundation supports all of these dimensions of a healthy community.
• Libraries: The Faye G. Allen Library Program supports projects in Washington State and Multnomah County, Oregon, alternating funding each year between two priority areas: Encouraging children to read and making connections. The Foundation recognizes the unique role libraries play in communities, and supports their growth and success. The Foundation provides grant funding to the following Library programs: a) Faye G. Allen's Legacy, b) Librarians as Taste Makers. The Library program will develop that essential nature of the library, putting forward a team of highly trained personal librarians. These librarians will channel their breadth of knowledge about books to guide and curate reading experiences. Through a web interface, readers will be able to see librarians' faces, learn about their geeky areas of interest and peruse their recommended reading lists. Patrons can connect to the librarian that matches their interests. And for the busy, late-night types, librarians will be reachable by email and via social media as well as by phone, chat, Skype, and in person during library hours.