Laird Norton Family Foundation, Seattle, WA
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  • About
  • Home
  • Programs
    • Arts In Education
    • Climate Change
    • Human Services
    • Sapling Fund
    • Watershed Stewardship
  • How we work
  • About

About the Foundation

Foundation Staff

The Foundation has a small but dedicated staff team that works in relationship with grantee partners, as well as in close coordination with other teams across the various Laird Norton entities and with Laird Norton family members.​
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Katie Briggs (she/her)
​Managing Director

kbriggs at lairdnorton dot org
​206.501.4510
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When not juggling the responsibilities that come with leading the Laird Norton Family Foundation staff team, I can usually be found at home in my kitchen or garden with my husband, our young children, and our wild dog. When life allows, I jump at the first opportunity to hit the road or strap a backpack to my back, searching for sunshine (or seaglass) and the solace of time outside. I was born and raised in Western Montana (traditional territory of the Ktunaxa, Salish, Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walls people) but couldn't resist the siren song of large bodies of water. Now I live in a place that has been important to the Suquamish ("people of the clear salt water"), Skokomish ("big river people"), and Squaxin ("people of the water") people for millennia. When I travel to the LNFF office, I'm lucky to be a ferry commuter, which beats pretty much all other forms of commuting, no question.

​In addition to leading the LNFF team, I am also the primary point of contact for our Watershed Stewardship giving and investments.

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Karyn McKelvey (she/her)
​Grants & Program Manager

kmckelvey at lairdnorton dot org
206.501.4509

Growing up in the Puget Sound region, I truly love the natural beauty of this part of the world. After living in a few other places, I returned to Seattle and have been immersed in our local nonprofit and philanthropic community for more than 15 years. During my career I have built knowledge in the arts, health and human services, education, and environmental sectors – with a deep personal commitment to caring for our planet and all creatures. Outside of work, I can be found exploring tidepools and forests, traveling, volunteering in animal care, hiking or snowshoeing, and tending to an ever growing jungle of houseplants.

I am the best contact for any grant management or general administrative questions, and am also the staff lead for our Climate Change grantmaking program.

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Cadence Miller (she/her)
Programs

cmiller at lairdnorton dot org
206.501.4535

I am a life-long Seattleite with experience with local and national nonprofits dedicated to health, social services, and youth. I spend free time with my son and friends enjoying the beautiful Pacific Northwest by camping, hiking, or working in the garden. I also love to create, whether it be cooking or making homemade Halloween costumes.

​I am the staff lead for our Human Services, Arts in Education, and Sapling Fund grantmaking programs.

The Laird Norton Family

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The Laird and Norton families left Northern Ireland in the 1700s and arrived in Pennsylvania before moving West as part of Westward Expansion. The families then settled in Winona, Minnesota, on the ancestral lands of the Wahpeton people. There, William H. Laird and his cousins, Matthew G. Norton and James Laird Norton, began investing in lumber together, forming the Laird, Norton & Co in 1856.

The original logging and lumberyard operation was the first of several family-owned companies, first in the Midwest, later in the Pacific Northwest, as well as other places in the West. Today, Laird Norton Company, LLC is still a privately owned and operated family business.
A seventh-generation family, the Laird Norton family now includes more than 500 living family members. Family members live throughout the world and occupy a wide array of professions. We come together to share skills and interests, and strengthen our connection to each other and our shared history.
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A History of Collective Philanthropy

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The family’s collective philanthropy began in 1940 in Winona, Minnesota, when Laird and Natalie Bell, descendants of William Laird and Matthew and James Norton, established the Briarcombe Fund.

Since then, the foundation has undergone several name changes and a variety of operating styles.
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​The most significant shift in direction came in 2006 when the family company made a significant investment in the foundation following the sale of a substantial legacy business holding. The increased investment in the family foundation brought about a new name - the Laird Norton Family Foundation - and a new shared direction for the family's philanthropy that still defines how we operate today.

Laird Norton Family Foundation * 801 Second Avenue, 17th Floor * Seattle, WA 98104
Copyright © 2018