History & Founder
Our FounderFounded by Norton Clapp in 1947, the Medina Foundation has grown into one of the largest private funders of human service organizations in Washington State.
Norton Clapp was born in Pasadena, California in 1906. A grandson of Matthew G. Norton, cofounder of the Weyerhaeuser Company, Clapp earned law and philosophy degrees from the University of Chicago in 1929 and eventually became president of Weyerhaeuser in the early 1960s. He retired as chairman in the 1970s. |
Who We AreNorton Clapp strongly believed his family had a responsibility to help make the community a better place to live. This conviction led him to establish the Medina Foundation to assist those in need. The first grants reflected his interest in education. Today, the foundation primarily focuses on funding human service organizations that help people achieve independence and dignity.
Other philanthropic activities undertaken by Clapp included a term as president of the Boy Scouts of America and 50 years of service as a trustee of the University of Puget Sound. |
Our HistoryWhile Clapp passed away in 1995, his family continues his legacy to support innovative organizations doing critical work in the human services field.
Since its inception, the foundation has granted more than $100 million to social service organizations and education programs throughout the Puget Sound region. |