Pike Place Market Foundation Invests $1.5M in Market Community
Jul 22, 2026, 2:32 PM
425 Magazine
The Pike Place Market Foundation has awarded more than $1.5 million to programs and organizations serving the Pike Place Market community — a move that marks one of the largest annual investments in its more than 40-year history.
The funding supports food security, health care, child care, senior services, and housing assistance, according to a news release.
Among the year’s largest investments, the foundation awarded $372,550 across 52 grants to help farmers recover from 2025 flooding and sustain multigenerational family farms. Another $294,357 went to small businesses, and a safety-net program provided $43,716 in emergency financial assistance to 62 market residents and workers facing unexpected hardships.
The foundation also highlighted in its release the impact of its community programs over the past year. The Pike Market Food Bank supported 90,500 shopping trips; the Pike Market Senior Center served 67,304 meals to older adults; and Neighborcare Health provided care to 1,926 patients through 9,590 visits. In addition, 71% of children enrolled at Pike Market Child Care & Preschool received tuition assistance.
The foundation additionally announced that Jennifer Tisdel Schorsch will act as its new executive director. A longtime nonprofit leader in Seattle, Schorsch will oversee the organization’s efforts to strengthen the market community by supporting the residents, merchants, artists, and farmers who rely on it daily, according to the release.
