FUNDING PRIORITIES

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation partners with national and local nonprofits, think tanks, and the University of Washington to address our key areas. Together with our partners, we bring innovation and expertise to meet today’s challenges.

Promoting values-based leadership

We make investments to strengthen leadership in public and civic life, including supporting the development of diverse civic leaders, promoting Jackson leadership values to younger generations, and empowering climate change and human rights leaders.

Recent partnerships have centered on diversifying and democratizing the public policy sphere by broadening access to public policy graduate study programs; and encouraging young legislators to build relationships across party lines through cross-partisan dialogue, debate, and action. 

Limiting global warming

We work toward limiting global temperature rise by increasing awareness of the threats from climate change and bolstering the calls for domestic climate policies.

Over the last decade, the Foundation has viewed climate change as a national security threat to depoliticize the subject and persuade policymakers to act. As an early funder in this space, we helped organizations gain lawmakers’ attention, resulting in informed federal legislation and executive policies.

We have supported research and report-launch events; and illuminated various aspects of climate change ranging from threat analyses and human rights implications, to the role of foreign aid and diplomacy.

Upholding human rights and advancing international relations

The Foundation advances human rights and international affairs education, with a special emphasis on Russia and China. It seeks stronger connections between researchers and policymakers in order to solve real-world issues of international significance.

The University of Washington Center for Human Rights has been a central partner since its inception. The Foundation established the Helen H. Jackson Endowed Chair in Human Rights, and has provided student support to train the next generation of human rights leaders.

Over the past few years, the Foundation’s human rights funding has also focused on implementing the Global Magnitksy Act, which established a targeted sanctions program that holds human rights violators and corrupt officials accountable.

The Foundation also has a long history of supporting international affairs education, with particular ties to the University of Washington Jackson School of International Studies. We established several endowments supporting international affairs education at the School, including endowed faculty positions.