Bullitt Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Bullitt Foundation is a foundation
established in 1952 by Dorothy S. Bullitt, a prominent Seattle businesswoman and philanthropist who founded King Broadcasting Company
in Seattle. Its assets in the late 1990s were in excess of US$100M.
After Dorothy Bullitt died in 1989, the foundation inherited 28% of the stock from King Broadcasting Company.
In 1992, the Bullitt Foundation hired internationally recognized conservationist Denis Hayes
as President. Soon thereafter, it began to broaden the Board beyond family members and decided to devote the Foundation exclusively to protecting and restoring the environment of the Pacific Northwest.
The Foundation's mission is "to safeguard the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest
" by making grants to nonprofit organization
s.
In 2008, Denis Hayes wrote the following: "the Foundation looks for high risk, high potential payoff opportunities to exert unusual leverage. It has a special interest in demonstrating innovative approaches that promise to solve multiple problems simultaneously. It searches the world for successful projects and policies that can be adapted to the Pacific Northwest. It strives to build the intellectual foundations and political support needed for sweeping innovation.
Operationally, the Bullitt Foundation has moved to a more proactive, streamlined, and collaborative approach to its work, seeking a true partnership with its grantee community. We will work closely with our colleagues in the field to devise strategies, identify opportunities, and help find needed resources to move the environmental agenda forward.
The Foundation focuses on root causes rather than symptoms. It prefers to prevent problems rather than cure them. It seeks to identify the most talented individuals and most effective organizations and empower them to respond to the most important issues facing the region."
In 2009, the Foundation began developing the Cascadia Center, which is seeking to meet the ambitious Living Building Challenge
and aims to be the most energy efficient commercial building in the world.
, the board consisted of: Harriet Bullitt, Jabe Blumenthal, Rod Brown, Maud Daudon, Anne Fennessy, Denis Hayes, Estella Leopold, Michael Parham, Doug Raff, Maggie Walker, and Phyllis Wise
Foundation (charity)
A foundation is a legal categorization of nonprofit organizations that will typically either donate funds and support to other organizations, or provide the source of funding for its own charitable purposes....
established in 1952 by Dorothy S. Bullitt, a prominent Seattle businesswoman and philanthropist who founded King Broadcasting Company
King Broadcasting Company
King Broadcasting Company is a Seattle, Washington media conglmerate founded by Dorothy Stimson Bullitt. It began with one AM radio station and later an FM radio station, and grew to include a large group of broadcast television and radio stations, as well as a cable television network.-History:In...
in Seattle. Its assets in the late 1990s were in excess of US$100M.
After Dorothy Bullitt died in 1989, the foundation inherited 28% of the stock from King Broadcasting Company.
In 1992, the Bullitt Foundation hired internationally recognized conservationist Denis Hayes
Denis Hayes
Denis Hayes is an environmental activist and proponent of solar power. He rose to prominence in 1970 as the coordinator for the first Earth Day.Hayes founded the Earth Day Network and expanded it to more than 180 nations...
as President. Soon thereafter, it began to broaden the Board beyond family members and decided to devote the Foundation exclusively to protecting and restoring the environment of the Pacific Northwest.
The Foundation's mission is "to safeguard the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
" by making grants to nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
s.
In 2008, Denis Hayes wrote the following: "the Foundation looks for high risk, high potential payoff opportunities to exert unusual leverage. It has a special interest in demonstrating innovative approaches that promise to solve multiple problems simultaneously. It searches the world for successful projects and policies that can be adapted to the Pacific Northwest. It strives to build the intellectual foundations and political support needed for sweeping innovation.
Operationally, the Bullitt Foundation has moved to a more proactive, streamlined, and collaborative approach to its work, seeking a true partnership with its grantee community. We will work closely with our colleagues in the field to devise strategies, identify opportunities, and help find needed resources to move the environmental agenda forward.
The Foundation focuses on root causes rather than symptoms. It prefers to prevent problems rather than cure them. It seeks to identify the most talented individuals and most effective organizations and empower them to respond to the most important issues facing the region."
In 2009, the Foundation began developing the Cascadia Center, which is seeking to meet the ambitious Living Building Challenge
Living Building Challenge
The Living Building Challenge is a philosophy, advocacy tool and certification program that promotes the most advanced measurement of sustainability in the built environment possible today. It can be applied to development at all scales, from buildings – both new construction and renovation, to...
and aims to be the most energy efficient commercial building in the world.
, the board consisted of: Harriet Bullitt, Jabe Blumenthal, Rod Brown, Maud Daudon, Anne Fennessy, Denis Hayes, Estella Leopold, Michael Parham, Doug Raff, Maggie Walker, and Phyllis Wise
External links
- Bullitt Foundation
- Cascadia Center
- Profile at fundersnetwork.org
- In Depth: Corporate Citizenship: Extended Family (the Bullitts) (from the Puget Sound Business Journal May 19, 2000 print edition)