Our Funding Priorities
We support organizations and projects that align with our priorities.
Our work spans local, national, and international efforts. We work with a range of partners, from small grassroots and community groups to large nonprofit and advocacy organizations. We are especially interested in practical approaches that address root causes of issues rather than symptoms — which is why we value advocacy work as well as direct support. We like to work with partners long-term, because we know meaningful change rarely happens overnight. We are eager to expand our support for organizations working in the Global South.
We do not fund:
- Support for individuals or crowdfunding campaigns
- Animal shelters or humane societies
- Disaster relief disease-related causes, medical research, and hospitals
- Educational or travel scholarships
- Political candidates, political campaigns, or campaign committees
It's not that these aren't important causes, but for us to get the most done with our philanthropic dollars, we need to stay focused on our existing priorities. Just like we can't see everything in one trip, we can't support every worthy cause.
Before Applying
While there are far more causes than we can support, we value hearing from people working to make a difference. Thank you for taking the time to submit a request and for understanding that we're not able to respond to every application individually. We'll reach out if we think there may be a good fit and would like to explore the request further.
- Requests may be submitted through the relevant online request forms below. We are not able to accept requests by phone, mail, or email.
- Requests must come from a 501(c)(3) organization or affiliated program with a valid EIN.
Applications
We support nonprofit organizations through direct financial support, in-kind donations, and community event sponsorship. Find out more — and apply — below.
This support can take different forms, including capital projects, support for specific programs and initiatives, and general operating support. In some cases, we make multi-year commitments because we value long-term relationships and recognize that meaningful change often takes time.
Most of our grants support organizations we've come to know over time or learn about through trusted partners. While our application process is largely through invitation, we also reserve a portion of our funding each year to consider new organizations and ideas that come to us through our open application process.
Recent grants include:
Apply for funding
We're happy to support nonprofit organizations with their fundraising efforts. This can include donated tour seats, books, or other merchandise. Applicants may apply to either tour or book/merchandise donations, but will not be considered for both. Please note that tour donations are limited and based on availability and alignment.
Recent examples include: the Seattle Men's Chorus, the National Nordic Museum, and Philharmonia Northwest.
Apply for a merchandise donation
We support a range of local community and cultural events, including festivals, performances, and public programs. We generally prioritize events and organizations based in or serving communities in Snohomish and King County.
Recent examples include the Edmonds Jazz Walk, Edmonds Arts Festival, and Write on the Sound.
Apply for event sponsorship support
If you have a question that is not answered on this page, please submit it below. Funding and donation requests must be submitted through the appropriate application form above.
To request Rick Steves to appear for media and speaking engagements, please contact [email protected].
Rick's philanthropy is rooted in a belief that strong communities depend on participation, not just money. Many of the organizations we support offer meaningful ways to learn more, volunteer, advocate, and contribute to the work directly.
