Seattle philanthropist Bill Clapp, founder of Global Partnerships and SIF, dies at 84
Jun 2, 2026, 11:58 AM | Updated: Jul 8, 2026, 11:17 am
Bill Clapp and his wife Paula. (Photo courtesy of the Seattle International Foundation)
(Photo courtesy of the Seattle International Foundation)
Bill Clapp, a longtime philanthropist in Seattle, died Friday at the age of 84.
According to The Seattle Times, Clapp died after suffering complications from pneumonia. He was the founder, alongside his wife Paula, of several major global development organizations, including Global Washington, Global Partnerships, and the Seattle International Foundation (SIF).
For his vast philanthropic work, Clapp received one of the highest honors — being dubbed an “Unsung Hero of Compassion” by the Dalai Lama.
“Our family, his friends and colleagues will remember Bill for his generous heart, his quiet determination, and his unwavering belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to thrive,” Paula said in a statement obtained by The Seattle Times Monday.
Clapp was born in Tacoma on November 9, 1941 and attended Bellevue and Lakeside high schools before becoming a bush pilot in Alaska. He moved back to Seattle in 1975 and founded a real estate and property management firm, eventually setting him on a path of philanthropy for decades.
He and his wife credit a trip to El Salvador in the early 1990s as the beginning of laying the foundation for Global Partnerships — an impact-first investment fund manager dedicated to expanding opportunity for people living in poverty. During this trip, the pair learned about microfinance from a microlending program and how a small infusion of capital could impact so many different communities.
Since its founding, Global Partnerships has provided loans and grants totaling $900 million to social enterprises that serve people in poverty, impacting approximately 40 million people. SIF, another grant-making organization, has awarded $20 million in grants to 243 organizations.
“Millions of people’s lives have been touched through his vision, his leadership, and his investments around the world,” Akhtar Badshah, a University of Washington (UW) professor and longtime friend of Clapp’s, told The Seattle Times.
He is survived by his wife, Paula; his sons, Andrew and Ned Clapp; his stepchildren, Shelby, Sherry, and Dean Swanson; his grandchildren, Hannah, Evelyn, Cyrus, Darioush, and Kamran; and his step-grandchild, Willa.
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