Providing nonprofits across the Pacific Northwest with enrichment programs and grants, the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust seeks out socially relevant organizations to support. Its mission is one of creating and sustaining partnerships that benefit the common good, whether they are cultural, educational, or spiritual in focus. The Murdock Trust embodies the original vision of benefactor Jack Murdock in its emphasis on the value of innovation, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning.

Since 1975, the Murdock Trust has made strategic grants to more than 3,000 organizations and totaling $925 million. Major funding recipients include academic institutions such as the University of Washington, which has received $21.2 million to date, and the Oregon Health and Science University/Oregon Graduate Institute, which has received $34.1 million. Other organizations benefiting from grants include the Union Gospel Mission and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.

The Murdock Trust recently underwent a Comprehensive Assessment of Work by the Center for Effective Philanthropy. The results of the scientific survey were that the Vancouver, Washington-based trust had a positive impact on grantees, with its investment extending beyond simple financial resources to include the active support of the missions and activities of nonprofits.