Funding critical work in the environment, arts, communities, and bioscience

​Founded in 1988 by philanthropists Jody Allen and the late Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, the foundation invests in communities across the Pacific Northwest to enhance the human experience of arts & culture, center under-served populations, and mobilize young people to make impact. In addition, the foundation supports a global portfolio of nonprofit partners working across science and technology solutions to protect wildlife, preserve ocean health, and create lasting change. The foundation also funds the Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, which works to advance cutting-edge research in all areas of bioscience.

Our Founders

Jody Allen

Jody is co-founder, board chair, and president of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. She is chair of Vulcan which she co-founded with brother Paul G. Allen in 1986, founding director of MoPOP, and chair of the board of the Allen Institute. As trustee of the Paul G. Allen Trust, Jody works to ensure Paul's vision is realized for generations to come.

She also serves as chair of the Seattle Seahawks NFL and Portland Trail Blazers NBA franchises, recognizing the role of both teams as catalysts for civic pride. Jody is a philanthropist passionate about conservation, fighting wildlife trafficking, and saving Africa’s elephants from extinction. In 2016 she founded Wild Lives Foundation, and she serves on the board of Sealife Response, Rehab and Research (SR3), an organization dedicated to improving the health and welfare of marine wildlife in the Pacific Northwest.

Deeply committed to education and the arts, Jody is a board member of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, and previously served on the boards of ArtsFund, the University of Washington Foundation, the Museum of Glass, the Los Angeles International Film Festival, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Paul G. Allen

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Paul G. Allen worked to save endangered species, slow climate change, improve ocean health, share art, history and film, develop new technology, tackle epidemics, research how the human brain works and build sustainable communities. In all his endeavors, he constantly asked "What if?" and pushed people to challenge conventional thinking, collaborate across disciplines and reimagine what is possible. Learn more at PaulAllen.com

Board of Directors

Marilyn Valentine
Marilyn Valentine serves as Executive Director of the Office of the Chair at Vulcan, supporting Jody Allen’s vision and strategy as trustee and executor of the Paul G. Allen Estate. Marilyn brings more than 17 years of experience at Vulcan to her role, having worked closely with Jody Allen and Paul Allen across their global business and philanthropy interests. In addition to her board service for the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Marilyn serves on the board of governors for the Swedish Medical Center Foundation, supporting the largest non-profit healthcare system in the Puget Sound region.
 
Thomas L. Daniel, Ph.D.
Tom serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Washington Research Foundation (WRF), which supports groundbreaking research and early stage companies through grants and investments, focusing on life sciences and enabling technologies. He was previously a Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington with adjunct appointments in Bioengineering, Computer Science & Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. His research and teaching melded neuroscience, computing, and biomechanics to understand the control and dynamics of movement in biology. Tom was a MacArthur Fellow, a Guggenheim Fellow, and is a Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Allen Institute and the Biological Sciences Advisory Committee for the National Science Foundation. Tom is also a member of the Washington Academy of Sciences and serves as the Director of Weill Neurohub North, a consortium of research collaborations with Berkeley and UCSF.