Donor Profile Debbie Killinger

Sept. 2009

For Debbie Killinger, charity is a matter of heart and homework

By Julie Titone

Debbie Killinger has only recently taken an interest in jaguars.  But the Seattle philanthropist has a long history of helping Cougars.

Woodland Park Zoo’s jaguar breeding program is just one of many causes that she supports in her hometown. She also extends her generosity beyond the Puget Sound, notably to Pullman and Washington State University.  This year, she gained Benefactor status for having donated more than $100,000 to WSU’s College of Education.

Most of that money funds annual scholarships, some of which are designated for single mothers. Killinger was moved by a request from Judy Mitchell, late dean of the college, to help single moms continue their education.

“When I agreed to do it, I realized that if I were at a different point in my life when I divorced, I would have been a single mom,” she said. “Judy Mitchell got to me.”

Killinger also supports scholarships for students of color because, she said, “Milt Lang and Sam Smith got to me.”  Lang is WSU’s associate vice president of student life, and helped establish the Future Cougars of Color and Future Teachers and Leaders of Color programs.  Smith is WSU president emeritus and a longtime friend of Killinger and her ex-husband Kerry Killinger, former Washington Mutual Bank president.

“We were among the first people Sam met when he came to WSU,” Killinger said.

Although both of her sons attended Washington State, Killinger didn’t earn a college degree. Instead, she married right after graduation from North High School in Des Moines, Iowa, which has benefited from her contributions. She also supports the arts and several human services agencies, including the Seattle Men’s and Women’s choruses, the Bailey-Boushay hospice for AIDS patients, and the Seattle Repertory Theatre.

Before giving to any non-profit, she researches organizations by reading their tax returns, checking with the secretary of state’s office, and learning how they are ranked by charity rating organizations, such as Guidestar.

“I take giving very seriously,” she said. “Every year I set a budget. I keep records.”

“Debbie’s attention to her giving is so appreciated,” said Kim Holapa, College of Education development director. “The fact that she’s supporting our students through scholarships means that she trusts us and values the students.”

Debbie doesn’t deny the emotional component of her decisions to give. Most gifts result from personal contacts and, often, personal involvement.  For example, she served on the board of a school for homeless children and lent her support to the Foundation for Early Learning because Jeanne Anderson, the former executive director, “was very nurturing.”

She specifically recalls the warmth of Smith, and walking around the Pullman campus with him when he was president.

“People were hitting him up to buy raffle tickets,” she said.  “There’s a small town feel combined with a college that does a great job. That’s part of what draws me to WSU.”