By Lorna Stone, Vice President of Programs
We were glad to hear that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has made additional grants to assist families in Washington that are feeling the impact of the economic downturn. A number of community foundations serving rural areas in Washington received funds, including:
• Blue Mountain Community Foundation
($60,000) serves Columbia, Garfield, and Walla Walla counties and plans to award grant funds to projects and programs that encourage collaborative and innovative approaches to improving access to basic needs such as food, housing, and livable wages.
• Community Foundation of North Central Washington (CFNCW)
($75,000) serves the citizens of Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties. CFNCW will use its grant funds to support the nonprofit organizations in North Central Washington with the Gates Great Giving Match (G3M), a program aimed at engaging new and existing donors to participate in philanthropy and modeled after a program used successfully in several other states.
• Community Foundation of for Southwest Washington
($75,000), with current assets of over $43 million, is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary of serving southwest Washington communities. Grant funding will address the significant increase in demand for local food bank services by supporting current, and creating new, food distribution systems in rural areas of southwest Washington.
• Grays Harbor Community Foundation
($45,000) has supported other nonprofits in Grays Harbor for 15 years, giving $824,000 to more than 50 organizations in 2008. The Foundation will use its grant funds to provide additional support to four food banks, its countywide Senior Nutrition Program, and Coastal Harvest (a distribution center that serves 42 food banks in five counties). More than 750 families and 3,000 seniors will be provided nutritious food.
• Inland Northwest Community Foundation
($150,000) will award two regional grant programs: one serving Spokane County and one serving the tri-county region of Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille counties. Grants will be awarded to organizations that demonstrate a proven record of building strong families and strengthening communities.
• Orcas Island Community Foundation
($30,000) works to foster philanthropy and encourage contribution within San Juan County. Grant funding will support four programs aimed at connecting children and families to services and programs providing nutritional and educational support. The specific organizations that will benefit include Readiness to Learn, Kaleidoscope, Orcas Family Connections, and Farm to Cafeteria.
• Skagit Community Foundation
($30,000) will use grant funds to help nonprofit organizations in Skagit County respond to community needs. The community foundation will support efforts to increase access to public benefits, prevent and reduce violence, strengthen food distribution systems, and build strong families and communities
• Three Rivers Community Foundation
($57,000) receives and distributes funds in Benton and Franklin counties with the goal of building a stronger community and investing in the diverse capacities of individuals, organizations, and neighborhoods. Grant funds will be available and distributed to organizations that are successful candidates in the areas of reducing and preventing violence, community building, and fighting hunger.
• Whatcom Community Foundation
($75,000) serves residents in Whatcom County, and will utilize this funding to offer a competitive grant process, which will begin this year. To promote and explain the grant opportunities, WCF will host several orientation meetings for local organizations in the coming weeks.
• Yakima Valley Community Foundation
($75,000) seeks to improve the Yakima Valley region’s quality of life. The grant will help the Union Gospel Mission strengthen its local food distribution system and support a partnership between organizations aimed at preventing and reducing gang-related violence and building strong families, including Nuestra Casa, Comprehensive Mental Health’s Strong Families (Familias Fuertes) program, and Sunnyside’s Promise.
