Our Founder

Harriet Bullitt was an iconic philanthropist and the founder of many mission-driven businesses and non-profits. Her love of the arts and her passion for conservation and cultural heritage guided her many philanthropic activities.

Our world lost a passionate, caring, and visionary leader when Ms. Bullitt passed away in 2022 at 97. Her legacy will live on as she inspired others and lived her life by the Parable of the Long Spoons, giving in ways to create meaningful impact.

Christine Morgan, Executive Director of the Icicle Fund, said “Harriet challenged and empowered others to develop and discover their personal sense of place and to become stewards for those things we hold dear. She understood and advocated for the importance of all art forms as well as our cultural heritage to strengthen our connection to the place we call home.”

Ms. Bullitt’s generosity and vision connected regions of Washington State through the arts and shared heritage. As an example, she donated her complete collection of Edward S. Curtis’ photographs to the Seattle Public Library and enabled a partnership between Eastside and Westside organizations to showcase the photographer’s work and spark conversations on Native identity, race and resilience, art and culture.    

In 1992, Ms. Bullitt purchased the land adjacent to her family’s property, owned since the 1930s, to protect the land from over development. Then, in 1995, Ms. Bullitt developed Leavenworth’s Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort, a place where people could unplug and connect to the beautiful landscape around them, enjoy healthful dining, experience unique art, and connect to nature through outdoor adventure.

In 1998, she established the Icicle Fund as her primary philanthropic organization and turned control of the Fund over to a select group of nonprofit leaders.

In 2019, she gifted Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort to Icicle Fund. Proceeds from the resort go directly into the Fund, thus ensuring the continued support of community organizations dedicated to the environment, the arts, and the cultural and natural history of North Central Washington.