The Northwest Health Foundation is a left-of-center organization that makes grants to organizations based in Washington and Oregon. It uses the guise of promoting health to make grants to local organizations that seek to advance social policies in alignment with critical race theory, while using the identity politics concept of intersectionality to choose grantees. ^{1 2 3 4}

Background

The Northwest Health Foundation was founded in 1997 after the nonprofit Physicians Association of Clackamas County (PACC) was sold to a for-profit health insurance company and Oregon law required the net-assets remain with a nonprofit entity. ⁵ The Northwest Health Foundation received $58 million in assets from the sale of PACC to Foundation Health Systems. ⁶

The Northwest Health Foundation states that it prioritizes giving to ethnic minorities and disabled individuals as a way of incorporating the identity politics concept of intersectionality in its grantmaking. ⁷ As a result, it reports that it spends a minimum of 75 percent of its grants on organizations that favor Black individuals or ethnic minorities. ⁸

In 2003, the Northwest Health Foundation Fund II was created as a charitable sister organization to the Northwest Health Foundation to manage donor-advised funds under the direction of the Northwest Health Foundation. ⁹ The Northwest Health Foundation and its sister organization share executives, their website, and an office. ^{10 11}

Advocacy

In 2022, the Northwest Health Foundation spent $3.4 million on its Civic Health grantmaking. It gave $2.3 million to organizations attempting to increase voter turnout in ethnic minority communities through the Civic Health program and with support from the Northwest Health Foundation II. ¹² The grants are made to 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations that advocate left-of-center politicians and policies that employ critical race theory-aligned values. ¹³

Alongside the Nonprofit Association of Oregon, the Northwest Health Foundation campaigned in support of Oregon’s Nonprofit Modernization Act, which was signed into law in July 2023. The Northwest Health Foundation advocated for the bill because it implements an ongoing task force that reviews the state’s grantmaking and procurement practices and can increase the wages for employees of nonprofit organizations. It also advocated for the bill as it would require public grants to include complete cost recovery provisions and standardized contracts with lower requirements. ^{14 15}

Financials

In 2022, the Northwest Health Foundation reported receiving $1.8 million in total revenue, $1.1 million came in the form of contributions and $782,826 came from its investment income, according to its tax returns. ¹⁶ It also reported having $4.3 million in total expenses and $66.8 million in total assets. ¹⁷

Leadership

Jesse Beason has served as the president and chief executive officer of the Northwest Health Foundation since 2019 and was previously vice president of strategy and public affairs since 2013. Prior to working at the Northwest Health Foundation, he was the executive director of Proud Ground. Beason was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Multnomah County Commission and sits on the board of directors for Oregon Climate Action and the Proteus Action League.¹⁸

1. ^[1] “BIPOC-Led Equity.” Northwest Health Foundation. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.northwesthealth.org/bipoc-equity.
2. “Commitment to Equity & Guiding Principles.” Northwest Health Foundation. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.northwesthealth.org/equity.
3. “Civic Health C4 Power Program.” Northwest Health Foundation. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.northwesthealth.org/c4-power-program
4. “About.” Northwest Health Foundation. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.northwesthealth.org/about
5. “Our History.” Northwest Health Foundation. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.northwesthealth.org/history.
6. “NORTHWEST HEALTH FOUNDATION and NORTHWEST HEALTH FOUNDATION FUND II Combined Audited Financial Statements For the Year Ended December 31, 2022 .” Portland: McDonald Jacobs, June 5, 2023. https://www.google.com/url?q=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ed94da22956b942e1d51e12/t/65a96416fc624849dc6bdf94/1705600023111/2022%2BNWHF%2BFinancial%2BStatements%2BFINAL.pdf&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1710191450229441&usg=AOvVaw1At-SFfGiGb7xD3ow-_uds
7. “Commitment to Equity & Guiding Principles.” Northwest Health Foundation. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.northwesthealth.org/equity.
8. “BIPOC-Led Equity.” Northwest Health Foundation. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.northwesthealth.org/bipoc-equity.
9. “NORTHWEST HEALTH FOUNDATION and NORTHWEST HEALTH FOUNDATION FUND II Combined Audited Financial Statements For the Year Ended December 31, 2022 .” Portland: McDonald Jacobs, June 5, 2023. https://www.google.com/url?q=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ed94da22956b942e1d51e12/t/65a96416fc624849dc6bdf94/1705600023111/2022%2BNWHF%2BFinancial%2BStatements%2BFINAL.pdf&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1710191450229441&usg=AOvVaw1At-SFfGiGb7xD3ow-_uds
10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Northwest Health Foundation Fund II. 2022.
11. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Northwest Health Foundation. 2022.
12. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Northwest Health Foundation. 2022. Part III, Line 4a.
13. “Civic Health C4 Power Program.” Northwest Health Foundation. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.northwesthealth.org/c4-power-program.
14. “Oregon Nonprofit Modernization Act.” Northwest Health Foundation. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.northwesthealth.org/npma.
15. Senate Bill 606 § (2023). https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB606/B-Engrossed.
16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Northwest Health Foundation. 2022. Part I, Lines 8-12.
17. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Northwest Health Foundation. 2022. Part I, Lines 19-20.
18. “Jesse Beason President & CEO.” Northwest Health Foundation. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.northwesthealth.org/jesse.