OVERVIEW: The Aven Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to youth, with grants supporting education, mentoring and youth-oriented human services.
IP TAKE: While the Aven Foundation foundation lacks transparency, it indicates that it accepts letters of inquiry via mail at the address provided below. Giving tends to stay in the Seattle/Puget Sound area but supports a broad range of initiatives for youth. Networking with a past grantee might help to gain Aven’s attention.
PROFILE: Based in Medina, Washington, the Aven Foundation was established in 1999 by wireless technology executives John W. Stanton and Theresa E. Gillespie. The couple cofounded Trilogy Equity Partners, a private equity fund that invests in early stage growth opportunities in the wireless ecosystem. John Stanton is a majority owner of the Seattle Mariners MLB team.
John W. Stanton graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Whitman College and an MBA from Harvard University. During the 1980s, he served as COO and vice chairman of McCaw Cellular. He also served as chairman and CEO of Western Wireless Corp, as well as VoiceStream Wireless, which was acquired by Deutsche Telekom and subsequently renamed T-Mobile USA. Stanton went on to cofound Trilogy International Partners, a wireless operator in Central and South America and New Zealand. Theresa E. Gillespie received a BBA with a concentration in accounting from the University of Washington. She worked in accounting before becoming a wireless executive, serving as executive vice president of Western Wireless Corp and also as CFO of Western Wireless Corp.
The Aven Foundation lacks transparency and does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to locate further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. Tax filings suggest the Aven Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education and youth development. To a lesser extent, the this funder supports initiatives for housing, homelessness, basic needs and mental health, with an emphasis on young people. Giving is mainly limited to Washington.
Grants for K-12, Higher Education and Youth
Education and youth are the Aven Foundation’ s main grantmaking interests, although the foundation does not name specific priorities in these areas.
- K-12 funding appears to focus on secondary education. Grantees include Christo Rey Jesuit Seattle High School, the Bellevue Schools Foundation and Ranier Prep.
- Higher education grants have supported Walla Walla’s Whitman College, Year Up Puget Sound and the College Success Foundation.
- Other grants have supported out-of-school learning and enrichment programs. Grantees include Girls Who Code, the YMCA of Greater Seattle, Kids and Paper and the Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound.
Grants for Housing, Homelessness and Community Development
Housing is a smaller area of giving, but the Aven Foundation consistently makes grants to support organizations working with homeless populations, as well as affordable housing developments. Giving appears to prioritize homeless and vulnerable youth. Grantees include Seattle’s Roots Young Adult Shelter, Attain Housing of Redmond, Imagine Housing of Bellevue and Bellevue’s Lifewire, which provides shelter to victims of domestic violence.
Grants for Mental Health
Aven’s mental health grants also prioritize children and youth. Grantees include Seattle’s Friends of the Children, Childhaven and Amara, which serves children and youth in foster care.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range from $5,000 to $1.4 million, although most grants stay below the 300,000 mark.
- Grantmaking mainly stays in the state of Washington, with a significant portion funding staying in the Seattle area.
- Children and youth appear to be a main concern of this funder.
- The foundation indicates that it accepts letters of inquiry via mail.
- See Aven’s tax filings for additional information about past giving.
The Aven Foundation does not provide a direct way to get in touch, but its phone number is listed as (425) 586-8011. The foundation’s mailing address is provided below.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
Aven Foundation
P.O. Box 465
Medina, WA 98039
(425) 586-8011
