The foundation commonly fields questions about the topics listed below. Please review the information provided on this page. If your question is not answered here, please e-mail it to .
FAQ Topics On This Page (scroll down to view):
Threshold Building, Threshold Group, One Nation
Russell Investments
Sponsorships
Employment
Staff
Foundation Referrals
Philanthropy
Memberships
Communications
Programs
Grants
Threshold Building, Threshold Group, One Nation
The foundation commonly fields questions about its location in the Threshold Building, its relationship with Threshold Group and its relationship with One Nation.
The Russell Family Foundation office is located in the Threshold Building in Gig Harbor, Washington, a facility built by the Russell Family in 2001. The foundation shares the building with two other organizations which are separate entities – Threshold Group and One Nation.
Threshold Group, a multi-client family office dedicated to private wealth management, also serves as the foundation’s primary investment advisor. Threshold Group was founded as a single-family office for the Russell family in 1999 and began serving additional families in 2004. For more information on Threshold Group, please visit the firm’s website: www.thresholdgroup.com.
One Nation is a philanthropic collaborative that partners with community foundations in cities across America to create locally focused civic engagement programs that connect diverse communities to work with common purpose for the common good. One Nation was founded by George F. Russell Jr. in 2005. For more information please visit One Nation’s website at: http://www.onenationfoundation.org/.
*Back to Top of Page*
Russell Investments
The foundation commonly fields questions about its relationship with Russell Investments.
George and Jane Russell bought the small brokerage and mutual fund business of George's grandfather in 1958 and developed it into one of the world's leading investment management and advisory firms, Frank Russell Company which was located in Tacoma, WA. In 1999, the Russells sold Frank Russell Company to Northwestern Mutual Life. The company was renamed the Russell Investment Group and later Russell Investments and is now located in Seattle, WA. The Russell Family Foundation and Russell Investments are completely separate entities.
*Back to Top of Page*
Sponsorships
Does the foundation provide sponsorship support?
At this time the foundation does not provide sponsorships for events or activities. To learn more about the foundation’s funding opportunities, please visit our How to Apply
page.
*Back to Top of Page*
Employment
Is the foundation hiring? Can I send in my resume?
As employment opportunities become available at The Russell Family Foundation, they will be posted on our
Employment page. The Foundation does not accept resumes outside of these instances.
*Back to Top of Page*
Staff
Who is on the staff at The Russell Family Foundation?
For information about The Russell Family Foundation staff please see our People page.
*Back to Top of Page*
Foundation Referrals
Can you refer me to other local foundations?
The Russell Family Foundation works collaboratively with other foundations throughout the Pacific Northwest region. The following foundations fund in either Environmental Sustainability or Leadership Development:
*Back to Top of Page*
Philanthropy
How can I learn more about philanthropy?
*Back to Top of Page*
Memberships
What membership organizations does the foundation belong to?
The Russell Family Foundation supports the following organizations through memberships and staff involvement:
*Back to Top of Page*
Communications
Can I get on the foundation’s list-serv?
Currently, The Russell Family Foundation is evaluating its communications tools and strategies. In the meantime, the foundation sends periodic updates to grantees and the larger community. To receive updates from the foundation, please email – subject line “TRFF Updates” with your name, affiliation and email address.
*Back to Top of Page*
Programs
What are the foundation’s interest areas?
For information about The Russell Family Foundation’s three program areas, please visit our Programs page.
*Back to Top of Page*
Grants
Does the foundation fund overhead for colleges and universities?
The foundation does not fund overhead or indirect costs for colleges and universities. Administrative costs related directly to the project might be considered if itemized in the project budget. If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact Linsey Sauer at .
When is the next Letter of Inquiry deadline?
Please visit our How to Apply page to find information about our grant application deadlines.
Does my Letter of Inquiry have to reach you by the deadline date?
The foundation recently converted to an online application system. Your Letter of Inquiry must be submitted using our online system by 11:59 PM on the LOI due date. We no longer accept letters of inquiry via postal mail, email or fax. We acknowledge all LOIs with an email confirming receipt within 2 weeks of the LOI due date. Please visit the How to Apply page for information regarding how to access our online application system.
I am having problems with the online application, what should I do?
The online application system is hosted by a separate organization and system errors cannot be resolved by contacting the foundation. Typically errors are resolved within a 24 hour window. If this timeframe would cause you to be late in submitting, please take a screen shot of the error and send it to Linsey Sauer. If you have questions about navigating the system, you may e-mail or call Linsey. She can be reached at 253-857-1658 or .
How much money should we request?
Ask for what you need. To gauge the appropriate size of a request, you can check the foundation's list of recent grants to see the range of projects and amounts awarded. If you are invited to submit a full proposal, you may likely have the opportunity to discuss the request amount further. We rarely fund 100 percent of a project budget. You should be able to show that you are seeking other sources of funding. Other sources might include foundations, corporations, individuals, community groups, or others.
What types of support do you consider?
Program and project support are our highest priorities. We do consider general operating requests if they are associated with clear goals and objectives.
Should we meet with someone before submitting a Letter of Inquiry?
No. Pre-Letter of Inquiry and donor cultivation meetings are unnecessary. The TRFF staff will contact you if we need more information after we receive your letter. If you have questions about eligibility, please contact our Grants Manager Linsey Sauer at linsey@trff.org.
How and when will we find out the status of our Letter of Inquiry or full proposal?
TRFF will contact the person indicated on your Letter of Inquiry within two months of the deadline date, either inviting you to submit a full proposal or declining your request. If you are invited to submit a proposal, you will be provide a detailed time line about the foundation's decision process.
How does TRFF review Letters of Inquiry and full proposals?
The TRFF staff review all Letters of Inquiry and invite to full proposal. If an organization is invited to submit a full proposal, a member of the TRFF staff usually conducts a site visit to gather more detailed information. Foundation staff discuss the proposal and site visit with the TRFF board, and the board makes the final decision about all grants.
May we submit more than one request per grant cycle?
Yes. Separate project ideas should be submitted via separate Letters of Inquiry. If you have questions about this please contact our Grants Manager Linsey Sauer at linsey@trff.org.
Are grants renewable?
Currently (in 2011) the foundation is not making multi-year grants. To receive additional funding, an organization should submit an additional Letter of Inquiry.
What is the status of the foundation's education grants program?
TRFF made grants in the field of education from 1999 to 2004. The foundation awarded grants totaling $2.7 million to 113 grantees working primarily in literacy and closing the academic achievement gap. These grantees made important contributions to improving education in Western Washington.
After a lengthy review of our education grants program, the foundation decided in fall of 2004 to consolidate and shift those funds into environmental education under our environmental sustainability program. This change was effective in of January 2004.
We are proud of the accomplishments by our education grantees. In seeking long-term systems change we decided to deepen our impact in environmental education—an area that is more specific to our mission than general education.
In the past we received a gift from the Jane and George Russell Fund. Can we apply to that fund if our work does not fit TRFF's Environmental Sustainability program?
No. With the passing of Jane Russell, the Jane and George Russell Fund has been transformed into two separate programs: Jane's Fund and the George F. Russell, Jr. Fund. Jane's Fund supports grassroots leadership development in Tacoma/Pierce County. The George F. Russell, Jr. Fund makes grants on global peace and security issues. Neither fund accepts unsolicited proposals.
Is emergency funding available?
No, TRFF does not consider unsolicited requests for emergency funding. If you are responding to an urgent environmental matter that matches the foundation's interests, please discuss the situation with a member of our Environmental Sustainability Program Team before submitting a Letter of Inquiry.
*Back to Top of Page*
Search our Site: 