The Longbrake Family Foundation

The Longbrake Family Foundation

The Longbrake Family Foundation was established in 1999 by William and Martha Longbrake in Seattle, Washington. William Longbrake's career as Vice Chair and Chief Financial Officer of Washington Mutual provided the financial underpinning for the foundation. The couple's daughter, Dorothy El Gardner, now serves as Executive Director and Secretary, embedding the foundation's governance within the founding family across generations. The foundation deploys capital through traditional grantmaking rather than structured investment partnerships or direct private equity. Its programmatic focus rests on three pillars: affordable housing, education, and Christian faith-based initiatives. Grantmaking is concentrated in the United States, principally in regions where family members maintain active community ties. The foundation also holds a mortgage loan portfolio and a mixed-use rental property in Seattle — legacy assets that supplement the endowment and reflect the family's real estate lending background at Washington Mutual. While disclosed grant totals are not public, the foundation's asset footprint is small relative to institutional peers, indicating a focused, high-engagement philanthropy model. William Longbrake's adjacent governance roles — notably his 2010–2023 service as a member of the Washington State Investment Board and his directorship at Boeing Employees Credit Union — provide the foundation with access to professional investment governance networks. The family maintains membership in the National Center for Family Philanthropy, signaling an ongoing commitment to best practices in family-led giving. The foundation's structural distinction lies in its dual identity as both a grantmaker and a direct real asset owner, mirroring the Longbrake family's professional competence in mortgage finance. It operates without external fundraising, making all allocation decisions at the discretion of the founding family. Succession is already visible through Dorothy El Gardner's executive role, though investment governance likely continues to draw on William Longbrake's institutional board experience.