| Pride Foundation | |
| Founder: | Allan Tonning |
| Type: | LGBT philanthropic foundation |
| Location: | 2014 East Madison Street Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98122 |
| Key People: | Kris Hermanns, Executive Director |
| Area Served: | Pacific Northwest, U.S. |
| Focus: | Scholarships, grants, fellowships and initiatives |
| Num Employees: | 17 |
The Pride Foundation is an LGBTQ philanthropic foundation in the Pacific Northwest. It was founded in 1985,[1] and has issued over $8 million in grants [2] and over $1.65 million to the more than 50 scholarships it manages.[3] [4] In 1993, when The Pride Foundation first began granting scholarships it partnered with the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) to collaborate on a joint application process.[5]
The Foundation's first president was Allan Tonning, a small businessman who donated $1.2 million, dying just a year after helping set up the organization.[6]
In 1995, the Foundation was part of a shareholder proxy initiative which convinced McDonald's Corporation to extend its non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation. In March 2000, the initiative convinced General Electric to include orientation in both its policy and its diversity training program.[7]
On February 24, 2008, Pride Foundation announced that former Microsoft employee Ric Weiland (d. 2006) had bequeathed $65 million to support gay rights and HIV/AIDS organizations - the largest-ever single bequest for the LGBT community.[8] Through his estate, Weiland established a fund at the Pride Foundation that will provide $46 million over the next eight years to 10 national LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations that he personally selected and $19 million directly to Pride Foundation for their scholarships and grants supporting the Northwest's LGBT community.[9] [10] Weiland, one of the first five people to work at Microsoft, was a Foundation Board member for several years.[11]
On December 10, 2009, the Foundation was given a Seattle Human Rights Award [12] for its advocacy for the LGBT community.