Douglas Picha

Douglas Picha retired as the President of the Seattle Children’s Foundation in January 2022. He had served in that capacity since the Foundation was established in 1982. He also served as a senior executive with the Seattle Children’s healthcare system before retiring. In that capacity, Mr. Picha oversaw a comprehensive effort to attract volunteers and private philanthropic support for the benefit of Seattle Children’s. Before his retirement, he helped lead a comprehensive “It Starts with Yes” Campaign which, when completed, totaled over $1.4 billion in donations. Seattle Children’s Foundation has consistently been ranked as one of the largest healthcare philanthropic organizations in the country.

Mr. Picha is a 1975 graduate of Washington State University where he received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2002. He remains a member of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP). In 2006 he was the recipient of the AHP’s Si Seymour Award which is the highest honor given to an individual in the healthcare profession.

In 1990 Mr. Picha founded the Woodmark Group which is comprised of twenty-seven of the largest children’s hospitals in North America. From this organization comprised of peer institutions, he founded a North American $10,000 annual gift program known as the Children’s Circle of Care. This initiative was launched in September, 1995 with over 600 major donors. In 2021 there were over 8,000 CCC-level Donors who gave $1.1 billion.

Mr. Picha served  on the Board of Trustees of the College Success Foundation (CSF) in both Washington State and Washington D.C. from 2007-2019. CSF primarily serves first generation college students from around the country. In 2021 there were 227 CSF sponsored students enrolled at WSU. CSF provided $350,000 in support of those students during that time. Since its founding in 2002, CSF has helped provide scholarship funding and support to 1,112 students who went on to graduate from WSU.

In addition to his current role as a senior advisor at Seattle Children’s and as an emeritus trustee at College Success Foundation, Mr. Picha advises numerous nonprofit organizations and executives on issues related to the not-for-profit sector. He resides with his wife Cassie on Bainbridge Island, Washington. They have four grown children and six grandchildren.

Office: Member
Hometown: Bainbridge Island
Term Expires: September 30, 2029