Search Through Education Grants in Seattle, Washington in the U.S.

Supporting our communities

We care deeply about the communities where we live and work. That’s why we support programs and organizations that address unmet medical needs, help students grow through STEM education, and deliver basic human services to our neighbors.

Community giving is one of three major ways Bristol Myers Squibb supports worthwhile causes and conscientious citizenship. We also work to reduce health disparities worldwide through the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, and our corporate giving efforts support the advancement of health care and scientific understanding.

Making community possible

At U.S. Bank, we are dedicated to supporting our communities through responsive and humbled actions focused on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change in our communities. Through our Community Possible Grant Program, we are partnering with organizations that focus on economic and workforce advancement, safe and affordable housing and communities connected through arts and culture.

The U.S. Bank Foundation is committed to making Community Possible through Work, Home and Play. We advance this work through collaborative grant making to bring equitable and lasting change through our focus on sustainable, high-impact funding with 501c3 nonprofit partners.

How we partner with nonprofits

We focus on collaborative grantmaking and sustainable, high-impact funding with 501(c)(3) nonprofit partners. We partner with organizations that support:

• Economic and workforce advancement
• Safe and affordable housing
• Community arts and culture

Our strategy

Our community affairs and foundation team work closely with U.S. Bank regional leadership, business resource groups and our National Community Advisory Committee to ensure that prevailing needs are addressed in all the communities we serve.

To make the most meaningful impact, we prioritize organizations that:

• Focus on economic development issues related to work, home and play
• Address more than one of the grant pillars (work, home and play)
• Are based in and serve designated U.S. Bank communities
• Advance diversity, equity and inclusion

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Laird Norton Family Foundation

The Laird Norton Family Foundation (LNFF) is a private family foundation in Seattle, Washington, with a mission to honor and reflect the family’s shared values through giving and engage the family in philanthropy as a platform for strengthening family connections.

Primary Grantmaking Programs  

Our grantmaking reflects the values of the Laird Norton family. We give in program areas that reflect the family's shared interests:

Arts in Education

Our Arts in Education grantmaking program supports equitable educational opportunities for students using arts integrated and culturally informed instruction, including sustained professional development for public school teachers. Funding will be directed toward programs that seek to enhance students’ educational outcomes in public Pre-K through grade 12 classrooms rather than to simply increase participation in, or appreciation for, the arts.

• Our current support focuses on organizations that provide: long-term, push-in, professional development opportunities for public Pre-K through grade 12 teachers and schools; programs that aim to serve students furthest from educational justice; and programs with culturally relevant instruction and are focused on the whole child.

Climate Change

Climate change is a global, complex challenge facing our world. The goal of our Climate Change program is to help the planet heal and mitigate adverse impacts of climate change for all people, communities, and the natural world. Grantmaking is centered around carbon sequestration work and recognizes organizations as the experts and stewards to advance climate and environmental justice. Grantmaking is focused in the West Coast of the US.

•  We are focused on supporting work that increased the abilities of forests, coastal ecosystems, and agricultural lands to sequester carbon. Through projects involving healthy forests, blue carbon, and regenerative agriculture, we seek to learn from and follow the lead of communities impacted first and worst as our planet changes. 

Human Services

• Our Human Services grantmaking program supports organizations working directly with youth and young adults (age 12-25) who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness, and/or involved with child welfare, juvenile legal or behavioral health systems. Grantmaking is currently only with organizations in King County, WA. 

• Our current support prioritizes organizations that are created and led by the communities they seek to serve, that acknowledge and seek to address racial and social injustice in their work, and that offer programming with the aim of preventing youth and young adult homelessness and creating systems change.

Watershed Stewardship

​Watersheds have social, ecological, and economic significance. The goal of the Watershed Stewardship program is to create enabling conditions for long-term social and ecological health and resilience in places of importance to the Laird Norton Family. Currently, we prioritize work in Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as a few key watersheds in the Western United States, consistent with the Laird Norton family's priorities.

We take a long-term view on healthy watersheds and invest in organizational capacity with an eye to future resilience. We encourage our partners to focus not on single-species recovery or restoration to historical conditions as a primary end-goal, but to also consider the potential value of significantly altered — but functioning — ecosystems as we continue to face the impacts of climate change and other natural and human-caused changes into the future.

​We believe the wellbeing of the people who live in a place must be considered alongside ecological goals; understanding the diverse interests and values of a watershed’s human inhabitants is an important component of long-term success. ​

PNC Foundation

Strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in communities where we live and work.

Vision & Mission

For decades, we have provided resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership in nonprofit organizations where imagination and determination are at work enhancing people's lives everyday.

The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.

Foundation Grant

The PNC Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations with a special emphasis on those that work to achieve sustainability and touch a diverse population, in particular, those that support early childhood education and/or economic development.

Education

The PNC Foundation supports educational programs for children and youth, particularly early childhood education initiatives that meet the criteria established through PNC Grow Up Great. Specifically, PNC Grow Up Great grants must:

• Support early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five; and
• Serve a majority of children (>50%) from low- to moderate-income families; and
• Adhere to all other standard PNC Foundation guidelines, as outlined on the PNC Foundation website, applicant eligibility quiz, as well as the Foundation policies and procedures; and
• Include one or a combination of the following:
  • direct services/programs for children in their classroom or community;
  • professional development/workforce development for early childhood educators;
  • family and/or community engagement in children’s early learning
• Additional considerations:
  • The grant focus should include math, science, reading, vocabulary development, the arts, financial education, or social/emotional development.
  • The grant recipient, or collaborative partner, should have early childhood education as an area of focus. If the organization’s focus is beyond birth to age five, the specific grant must be earmarked for birth to age five.
  • Incorporate opportunities for PNC volunteers in classroom or non-classroom-based activities.

Economic Development

Economic development organizations, including those which enhance the quality of life through neighborhood revitalization, cultural enrichment and human services are given support. Priority is given to community development initiatives that strategically promote the growth of low-and moderate-income communities and/or provide services to these communities.

• Affordable Housing
  • The PNC Foundation understands the critical need for affordable housing for low-and moderate-income individuals.
  • We are committed to providing support to nonprofit organizations that:
    • give counseling and services to help these individuals maintain their housing stock;
    • offer transitional housing units and programs; and/or
    • offer credit counseling assistance to individuals, helping them to prepare for homeownership.
• Community Development
  • Because small businesses are often critical components of community growth and help foster business development, the PNC Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that
    • offer technical assistance to, or loan programs for, small businesses located in low-and moderate-income areas or
    • support small businesses that employ low-and moderate-income individuals.
• Community Services
  • Support is given to social services organizations that benefit the health, education, quality of life or provide essential services for low-and moderate-income individuals and families.
  • The PNC Foundation supports job training programs and organizations that provide essential services for their families.
• Arts & Culture
  • Support is given for cultural enrichment programs benefitting the community.
• Revitalization & Stabilization of Low-and Moderate-Income Areas
  • The PNC Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that serve low-and moderate-income neighborhoods by improving living and working conditions.
  • Support is given to organizations that help stabilize communities, eliminate blight and attract and retain businesses and residents to the community.

The mission of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) is to advance the progress of medicine and improve public health by providing U.S. health professionals with equal access to biomedical information and improving individuals' access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health.

Established in 1965, the NNLM is the field force of the National Library of Medicine (NLM). We provide health information resources, educational training, and project funding for member organizations. We work with libraries and community-based organizations to support health literacy, advance health equity, improve engagement with research and data, expand professional knowledge, and promote awareness of NLM resources within local communities.

NNLM operations are coordinated through seven Regional Medical Libraries (RMLs) which, in collaboration with funded member organizations, carry out regional and national programs such as training events and outreach activities.

Professional Development Award, Year 5

Description of Award

The Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) Region 5, under cooperative agreement with the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), announces the availability of funding through Professional Development Awards to increase knowledge, skills and competencies of NNLM network members on areas related to NLM priorities.

Specifically, the NNLM Region 5 Professional Development Award seeks to enable individuals at member institutions to expand professional knowledge through continuing education to increase knowledge, skills and competencies that enhance services to healthcare providers and/or consumers seeking health information.

Meetings, conferences, workshops, classes, or other trainings are eligible when focusing on topics of health literacy, outreach and engagement, citizen science, data science, public health, emergency preparedness, evidence-based medicine, and organizational effectiveness.

Background/Purpose

The University of Washington Health Sciences Library (HSL) in Seattle, Washington is the designated Regional Medical Library (RML) for NNLM Region 5 serving Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States in the Pacific.

The mission of the NNLM is to provide U.S. researchers, health professionals, public health workforce, educators, and the public with equal access to biomedical and health information resources and data.

Potential Project Ideas

• Professional development opportunities such as classes, conferences or workshops for individual NNLM members. This can include:
  • Introduce students to the health sciences, trusted National Library of Medicine (NLM) resources, and develop their professional skills.
  • Prepare individuals for a leadership position in a hospital or academic health sciences library.
  • Host a reading club with learning outcomes focusing on health information access issues that can be used to improve library programming.
• Costs associated with arranging for an expert speaker to give a talk, workshop, class or lecture.

Rapid Response Grants

Rapid Response grants are small project specific grants of $3,000 to help grassroots organizations respond quickly to the changing political climate with actions and/or strategies that could not have been anticipated.

Examples of potential eligible projects:

• Emergency mobilizations and community meetings in response to a recent police shooting
• Organizing a community defense response to a recently announced white supremacist rally and march
• Planning a direct action at a corporate shareholder meeting that was just announced
• Rapid response legal clinics and know your rights trainings in response to Executive Orders or other sudden policy changes
• A rapid response canvassing effort to educate and connect with targeted community members about the dangers of a religious registry

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

Founded in 1987 in Seattle, Washington, Talking Rain Beverage Company is an industry leader when it comes to creating and promoting brands using innovative ingredients and ideas. Bold taste and bold refreshment, have made Sparkling Ice flavored water one of the fastest-growing non-alcoholic beverages in the country. Talking Rain has been committed to giving back to the community and partnering with cause related organizations since we first opened our doors in 1987 – supporting hundreds of nonprofits across the country.

Flavorful Futures Scholarship

Description

Calling all high school seniors! The Sparkling Ice® Flavorful Futures Scholarship program is now accepting applications. Follow your dreams and fund your flavorful future with a $5,000 scholarship that can be applied to any trade, vocational, or academic 2-year or 4-year program.

The Flavorful Futures Scholarship is open to high school seniors who are pursuing higher education and using their passion to add flavor in their communities and beyond.

Awareness. Education. Prevention.  These are three key tenets of Bayer Fund’s investments in health and wellness.  With a focus on cancer and cardiovascular disease, we provide resources to organizations dedicated to educating and/or providing services to patients, caregivers and at-risk populations.

Health & Wellness Grants

Programs that Bayer Fund will support include those that focus on patients and their families needing assistance with issues to managing cardiovascular disease and cancer. This includes education, disease awareness, and supportive services for these diseases. In areas related to cardiovascular disease, priority (though not exclusivity) will be given to charitable organizations that focus on programs and support for the African American community due to the high incidence rate of disease in this population.

Giving in this category will focus on support services such as education, disease awareness, and general access to care (e.g., housing for families traveling for cancer or heart care).

All funding requests and budgets must be for program activities and expenses that start after funding decisions are made. All programs must be completed within one year of the start date, except in limited situations where longer term programs have been agreed upon. Grant award amounts vary, depending on the size of the community, the type of programming, and the reach of the organization.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Associated General Contractors of Washington (AGCW) dates back to 1922 -- just four years after the establishment of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA). We are the state's largest and oldest commercial-industry trade association.

AGC of Washington (AGCW) began as the AGC Seattle chapter. In 1986, the Tacoma AGC chapter, the AGC Mountain Pacific chapter and the Northwest Construction Council eventually merged to form AGC of Washington. Today, AGC of Washington is a leading chapter among the 96 chapters nationally affiliated with AGC of America, which is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. AGCW proudly marked our one-hundredth year of operation in 2022. AGC of Washington has over 600 member firms across the General Contractor, Specialty Contractor and Associate categories, which include suppliers and other construction-service providers. AGC of Washington is headquartered in Seattle on the southwestern shores of South Lake Union.

AGC of Washington is the leading professional association of contractors in the State of Washington, committed to enhancing the performance of all of our members, advocating for their interests, and increasing the impact of commercial construction.

AGC Construction Education Foundation

The AGC Education Foundation was created in 1980 by the membership of the AGC of Washington. We serve Washington’s construction industry through education, outreach, scholarships, and grants programs. With a commitment to lifelong learning, our programs are developed for every stage of construction careers. Construction professionals, educators, and students participate in our diverse programs. Our mission is to develop and promote construction careers through quality education and training. We offer:

• Continuing Education courses designed to advance the careers of those working in the construction industry.
• Workforce development programs that introduce K-12 students to construction careers through hands-on learning.
• Grants to support schools and programs that demonstrate a financial need related to advancing student exploration of construction careers.
• Scholarships that provide tuition assistance to students seeking to advance their construction industry education.

AGC Education Foundation Scholarship

The AGC Education Foundation Scholarship Program is committed to supporting the education of people interested in careers in the construction industry. Scholarships are awarded annually to full-time students in a university or two-year construction-related programs in Washington State including:

• technical schools
• community colleges
• universities

Several scholarships will be awarded at given amounts per student, per year. Scholarship awards must be directed to tuition, books, and applicable fees, and may not be used for housing. Scholarship recipients may be awarded one or more of the following:

• Becky Wallace Scholarship for Women in Construction Management or Civil Engineering at WSU
•  Betcher Family Foundation Scholarship
• Bob and Beverly Adams Heavy-Civil Construction Scholarship
• Chester and Elizabeth Johnson Memorial Scholarship
• Donald and Clarice Bocek Scholarship
• Employees of GLY Construction Scholarship
• Employees of J.R. Abbott Construction Training and Education Fund Scholarship
• Employees of Fousheé and Associates, Inc. Construction Training and Education Fund Scholarship
• Frank and Susan Young Scholarship
• Gene Colin Two-Year College Scholarship
• Howard S. Lease Memorial Scholarship
• Hugh S. Ferguson Scholarship
• James P. Crutcher Endowment Scholarship
• Joe Arrants Memorial Scholarship
• Larry Johnson/Prime Construction Scholarship
• Matthew and Suzanne Lessard Scholarship
• Mr. A.E. DeAtley Memorial Scholarship
• Mr. and Mrs. Allan F. Osberg Scholarship
• MulvannyG2 in Memory of Patricia Chikamoto Lee Scholarship
• Robert B. McEachern Memorial Scholarship
• Robert L. & Betty L. Landau Scholarship
• Robert W. Austin Memorial Scholarship
• William and Jean Scott Building Construction Scholarship
• John Schaufelberger Endowed Scholarship

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

About Us

The Community Foundation of NCW is a tax-exempt philanthropic organization that helps individuals, families, businesses, and agencies support charitable causes throughout Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties.

Kathryn Lodge Mhatre Creative Writing Scholarship

Kathryn Lodge Mhatre (mah’-tray) graduated from Wenatchee High School in 2004 with a 3.9 GPA and was in the top ten percent of her class in the state of Washington. She continued her education at Wenatchee Valley College and Seattle Central Community College where she earned her Associate of Science degree and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Kathryn then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from the University of Washington and was posthumously awarded a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Oregon State University, putting an exclamation point on the title of life-long learner.

Kathryn was a very compassionate and empathetic person. She worked in a number of caregiving facilities, giving aid to individuals with developmental disabilities. She also volunteered at an animal rescue and daycare facility, as her love for animals, especially dogs, was abundant.

Unfortunately, Kathryn suffered from depression for a good portion of her life, which evolved into a debilitating mental illness that consumed the better part of her last four years. After trying every treatment, therapy, and drug imaginable to ward off the effects of her miswired brain, she finally gave up any hope of ever getting better and took her own life on April 3, 2023 at age 37.

Through all of this, Kathryn was working toward her master’s degree in creative writing. She started writing journals at an early age and never stopped, having dabbled in poetry, short stories, blogs, and books. Her ultimate goal was to write a novel, which she submitted, a chapter at a time, as her master’s thesis and had nearly completed. Oregon State University graciously returned to us all of her submissions, which we are hoping to eventually get published.

One of Kathryn’s last acts was to write out a very generous check to the animal rescue organization that she so loved.

In recognition of Kathryn’s life-long desire to learn, her passion to write, and her empathy toward others and animals, her parents felt compelled to set up this scholarship in her name.

How and Why Giving Back to Communities is Important to O’Reilly

From O’Reilly Auto Parts’ inception, O’Reilly co-founder C.H. “Chub” O’Reilly instilled the culture of maintaining high standards for every endeavor, including the area of building civic pride. With Chub’s good example to guide them, all four of his children adopted a business and family philosophy of “giving back” to the community as the Company grew and prospered. Supporting a large number of charitable organizations in all communities in which we operate has long been a focal point for O’Reilly Auto Parts. In order to make an even greater impact, the O’Reilly Automotive Foundation was established in 2020.

O’Reilly Automotive Foundation, Inc.

Impact

The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation complements O’Reilly Auto Parts’ role as the Friendliest Parts Store in Town. The Foundation serves as an additional conduit to connect with, support, and strengthen the communities in which O’Reilly Auto Parts’ team members and customers live and work. The Foundation continues the philanthropic legacy of the O’Reilly family as dependable community partners, seeking to support critical services in times of need to build stronger communities.

Mission

The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation strives to have a lasting, positive impact in the communities where O’Reilly Auto Parts’ team members and customers live and work by supporting organizations and programs which address issues critical to improving the quality of life for underserved and underrepresented individuals and families. In particular, the Foundation will concentrate its giving in support of organizations and programs addressing economic stability and mobility, workforce development, health and social services, and disaster relief.

Economic Stability and Mobility

Advocating for and endowing programs which provide assistance with issues including hunger, homelessness, and poverty for the economic betterment of the communities in which we operate.

Workforce Development

Promoting programs which aid in workforce readiness, technical training, and literacy, including children’s literacy, to ensure the continuance of an educated society and a capable, innovative workforce.

Health and Social Services

Championing and prioritizing matters of health, including mental and behavioral health, access to basic needs such as medical and dental care for underprivileged communities, and providing funding for organizations focused on childhood development and children’s advocacy as well as care and support for victims of domestic violence.

Disaster Relief

Providing funding and visibility to organizations specializing in providing relief from natural disasters and state of emergency, including providing temporary shelter, food, water, and hygiene or sanitation products to those affected and aiding in cleanup efforts.

Application Requirements

We will consider three principal types of grants:

Project Support Grants support specific projects or programs aligned with our mission. These requests may include some funds earmarked for the overhead costs associated with running a project.

General Operating Support Grants provide limited general operating support for the core operations or organizations whose missions and activities are aligned with our mission. These grants will often help the grantee build organizational, programmatic, and fundraising capacity. Operating support is not intended to help organizations in fiscal crisis. Applicants must have a current strategic or business plan that clearly outlines the organization’s goals and presents a plan for achieving results. Operating support grants must not exceed 15% of an organization’s total agency budget.

Capital Support Grants provide limited support for capital campaigns to fund the acquisition and construction of facilities, existing property renovation, or the purchase of major equipment. The program has a comprehensive approach to funding capital initiatives, which also includes funding for increased program capacity. A feasibility study may be required for capital initiatives to be considered.

Liberated Paths Grantmaking Program

Building a More Just and Sustainable Outdoor and Environmental Movement Together

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led organizations are on the frontlines of the grassroots work being done to build a better planet but our work is chronically overlooked and underfunded. We know that when our voices are left out, our communities suffer, and our planet does too. With the Liberated Paths Program, we envision a way to bridge that gap.

Through this program, we are working to create a more just and sustainable outdoor and environmental movement by shifting resources to and building power with Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color. The Liberated Paths Program supports outdoor initiatives and organizations that cultivate and celebrate the contributions of Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color and affirm the many experiences and identities our communities hold, through grantmaking, capacity building, and network building.

Through our Liberated Paths regional grants, we support organizations and initiatives of all sizes located in California, the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington), the Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico), and the Delaware River Watershed that work at the intersection of racial justice, outdoor experiences, and the environment. In 2023, we will also launch grantmaking in North and South Carolina. Our Liberated Paths: Youth Access to Nature Fund supports efforts in the San Francisco Bay Area that increase safe and equitable access to the outdoors for Young People of Color.

We work with leaders and organizations who are rooted within their communities with the lived experiences to understand how to best advance justice and center the needs of the community. We support Leaders of Color to design and lead the types of joyful outdoor experiences and environmental efforts that are most meaningful to them and their communities. 

Liberated Paths support looks like:

• Relationship-driven and trust-based support
• Multi-year grants of $1,000 to $20,000 per year when possible
• Long-term, deep engagement in financial, operational, and fundraising capacity building
• Network building with a cohort of grantees to facilitate shared learning and systems-level changes
• Eligibility that is not hinged on organization size, ability to do impact reporting, or 501(c)(3) status
• Support for organizations and initiatives of all sizes and in all stages of their development
• Prioritized funding for organizations and initiatives led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
• Capacity building trainings and workshops for grantee partners

Capacity Building

Our model offers financial grants, as well as consistent coaching and mentorship. We want to connect our grantee partners with the tools and resources they need to sustain their vital work. To that end, in addition to trainings and workshops for all grantee partners, we work with each partner to identify areas where they want to grow and tailor our support to their needs. These areas could include: board recruitment, financial sustainability, staffing and hiring considerations, executive leadership coaching, budget planning, program design, insurance and liability considerations, safety, guidance on applications for additional grants, and more.

Network Building

Through Liberated Paths, we seek to bring together organizations and leaders working at the intersection of environment and racial justice. We do this through virtual get-togethers and information sessions. We facilitate network building within each cohort of grantees to facilitate shared learning and systems-level changes.

We also bring together funders and partners through a webinar series to connect, share information about the Liberated Paths Grantmaking Program and to also hold critical conversations regarding topics such as the explicit role of race in Liberated Paths, the racial funding gap, and racial bias and its impact in philanthropy.

Community Ties Giving Program

As part of the Community Ties Giving Program, Local Grants help us achieve our mission by providing small and medium-sized grants within our priority cause areas to local organizations spread widely across Union Pacific's footprint.

Funding Priorities & Objectives

Throughout its existence, the success of Union Pacific's business has been inextricably linked to the economic and community wellbeing of cities and towns across the nation. We take pride in the role we have played in helping communities thrive and believe the impact we can have on local communities is greatest when it is authentic to our history and reflective of the diverse company we are today.

As such, we have carefully aligned our Local Grants cause areas to our company's unique heritage, strengths, and assets. Specifically, we prioritize funding for direct services and efforts that build the capacity of organizations focused on the following causes within our local operating communities. Within each focus area, we aim to support programs and organizations working to advance the diversity, equity and inclusion of underrepresented populations within the local context and issue areas addressed. Find more information about our commitment to DEI in our FAQs.

Safety

In order for communities to thrive, all residents must feel safe. Just as the safety of our employees and community members is paramount to how we operate, Union Pacific is committed to helping communities prevent and prepare for incidents and emergencies, and helping residents get home safely at the end of each day. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to: 

• Encourage safe behaviors and prevent incidents through education and awareness, particularly projects which focus on rail, driver, bike, and pedestrian safety, and ensure outreach efforts reach underserved populations.
• Eliminate risks and improve safe and equitable access to community spaces through infrastructure improvements, such as signage, proper lighting, and public trail improvements.
• Prepare and equip residents and emergency responders* to effectively respond to incidents and emergencies if or when they occur.
  • *Union Pacific supports publicly funded emergency responders through a variety of corporate programs; only independent nonprofit, 501(c)(3) emergency response organizations, such as volunteer departments, are eligible for funding through this grant program
• Prevent crime and violent incidents and support survivors of domestic violence through efforts that address the root causes of these issues and seek to mitigate their occurrence.
• Build the capacity of safety-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Workforce Development

For more than 160 years, Union Pacific has helped stimulate economic growth in cities and towns throughout the nation by training and providing employment to millions of workers. More than ever, we are committed to helping underrepresented residents in our communities achieve family-supporting careers like those offered by Union Pacific. As such, we prioritize funding for programs that seek to:

• Put youth on the right track by creating awareness of and pathways toward employment opportunities; building foundational skills, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); establishing necessary technical skills and life skills; and providing mentorship and positive role models for the future.
• Raise awareness of, educate and prepare young adults for middle skills jobs like those Union Pacific offers, for instance through community colleges, vocational and career training programs, workforce readiness initiatives, and programs that assist with job placement and/or on-the-job experience.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas relevant to Union Pacific operations such as welding, electrical work, machine operations, and civil and electrical engineering are given priority.
• "Up-skill" the existing workforce by providing training and resources that enable them to reach the next level of their career.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas of relevance to Union Pacific operations are given priority.
• Resolve barriers to employment such as transportation, childcare, acquiring necessary equipment for work, and second chance employment programs.
• Build the capacity of workforce development-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Community Vitality

Union Pacific Railroad is committed to establishing vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities for employees, customers and residents to work, visit and call home. Just as the railroad opened avenues for economic development and opportunity more than 160 years ago, we maintain this tradition by cultivating unique cultural and recreational experiences and equipping community members with opportunities to live healthy, vital lives. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Create, sustain or expand artistic and cultural experiences offered to a broad and diverse audience (e.g., museums, theaters, zoos, cultural and local heritage, visual and performing arts, etc.)
• Provide recreational opportunities that foster wellbeing, enrichment and/or an appreciation for our natural environment (e.g., parks, libraries, senior centers, recreation centers, learning centers, etc.).
• Revive neighborhoods and main street areas, especially in historically underinvested neighborhoods, to improve livability, promote commerce and attract more residents, businesses and visitors to town.
• Ensure residents’ basic needs are met and barriers are overcome (e.g., safe shelter and homelessness prevention, hunger relief, mental health and community health needs, etc.).
• Offer youth development and educational opportunities to ensure young people can thrive into healthy and productive community members (e.g., mentoring, leadership development, tutoring, services for youth in foster care, etc.).
• Build the capacity of community vitality-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Environmental Sustainability

The future of our business, communities and planet depends on bold, collective action to reduce and slow the impacts of climate change while building a more sustainable economy for the next generation. Union Pacific is taking deliberate steps to reduce our environmental impact and helping our partners improve their own. Extending this commitment to our community investments, we seek to support leading environmental nonprofits and community-based organizations to advance the health of our environment. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Preserve and restore nature, including programs focused on natural habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
• Protect and enhance water, soil and air quality through innovative and proactive solutions such as water conservation, carbon sequestration and emission reduction programs.
• Reduce waste through initiatives focused on promoting recycling and circularity throughout the community, including recycling and composting programs and other efforts that reduce waste.
• Develop environmental stewards through youth programs focused on fostering environmental appreciation, responsibility, and leadership.
• Advance a sustainable economy by helping communities accelerate their transition to environmental jobs and renewable energy, as well as helping nonprofits and small businesses build their own capacity to operate more sustainably.
• Promote environmental justice through initiatives that ensure access to clean air, water, and land and protect underserved populations from disproportionate and adverse environmental effects.
• Build the capacity of sustainability-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience.

WSOS is the first public-private scholarship program dedicated to building lasting pathways to post-secondary education and high-demand STEM and trade careers for all Washington students. We accelerate equitable change for historically excluded students and increase the local talent pool for Washington businesses.   

Graduate Scholarship (GRD) 

GRD is one of three pathways to high-demand careers in Washington State offered by WSOS. This program aims to increase the number of nurse practitioners providing health care in medically underserved areas of the state. Funding can be used for eligible Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs at one of five nursing schools in Washington state for students who are pursuing a specialty in Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP- primary care), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Psychiatric Mental Health (PMHNP) or Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP – primary care).

The scholarship provides up to $25,000, up to Cost of Attendance (COA), and after other financial aid has been applied, over three years and can cover tuition, fees, housing, transportation, and more. Recipients can also receive a travel stipend when training at a remote site. The scholarship is divided evenly across the remaining academic terms, starting with the fall term after a Scholar is selected. Funding does not exceed $6,250 per term.

Stipends

To help Scholars serve Washington’s Medically Underserved Areas (MUA) and Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), WSOS provides two stipends. We ask Scholars to complete at least half of their clinical credit hours in a Washington State MUA or HPSA. Recipients can receive a travel stipend of $500 per term if training at a remote MUA or HPSA. Practicum sites in MUA or HPSAs can also receive a stipend of $3,600 per 120 clinical hours if they host a GRD Scholar.

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award

The Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming recognizes excellence in humanities programming in libraries that serve children in grades K-8.

The $5,000 award, presented annually by the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, is sponsored by the American Library Association’s Cultural Communities Fund in cooperation with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

What counts as a humanities program?

The humanities program can be focused in many subject areas, including, but not limited to, social studies, poetry, drama, art, music, language arts, foreign language, and culture. Programs should focus on broadening perspectives and helping students understand the wider world and their place in it. The humanities program should be initiated and coordinated by the school librarian and exemplify the role of the library program in advancing the overall educational goals of the school.

What types of libraries and programs are eligible?

U.S. school libraries, public or private, that serve children in any combination of grades K-8 are eligible, provided the library is staffed by a state-certified librarian. Libraries are encouraged to self-nominate.

Nominated programs must have taken place during the current school year. Programs that are still in progress as of the award deadline are eligible.

Who was Sara Jaffarian?

Sara Jaffarian was a dedicated school librarian and longtime ALA member. She began her career as a librarian in the public school system of Quincy, Massachusetts. She later served as the director of libraries for the Greensboro Public Schools in North Carolina and the Supervisor of Libraries for the Seattle Public Schools in Washington. Read more about Mrs. Jaffarian.

What is the award?

The Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award is an annual award to a school library that has conducted an exemplary program or program series in the humanities during the current school year. It consists of 

• a $5,000 cash award;
• a crystal award; and 
• the promotion of the winner as a model program for other school libraries.

Recent Jaffarian Award-winners have included:

• Empathizing with Teens in Trauma: An Exploration of the Terezin Ghetto/Camp, a program where students researched the artwork, poetry and music created by teenagers in the Theresienstadt/Terezín Nazi concentration camp during World War II.
• Teaching the Tulsa Race Massacre with Guided Inquiry Design, a program that taught students about how assumptions create conflict in society using the Tulsa Race Massacre as an example. Students then completed research projects on assumptions causing conflict in the world today or in their own experience. Students chose a topic to research further.
• Junior Ambassadors, a program that brings a global perspective to students through a book club focused on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
• Poverty and Philanthropy, a program where students researched famous philanthropists including how much money they donate, which nonprofit they support, and why.

Named after the late Sara Jaffarian, a school librarian and longtime ALA member, ALA’s Jaffarian Award was established in 2006 to recognize and promote excellence in humanities programming in elementary and middle-school libraries. It is presented annually by the ALA Public Programs Office in cooperation with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). The award is selected by a committee comprising members of the ALA Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee (PCPAC), AASL and the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC). 

Preservation Sustained Support

Sustained Support assists with the day-to-day needs of preservation organizations over two-year cycles, providing a reliable funding source that promotes stewardship, advocacy and educational opportunities around historic preservation.

What Sustained Support Funds

Preservation Sustained Support typically provides operating funds to groups all over King County for two calendar years with allocations made annually. These awards provide unrestricted support to organizations that have a track record of delivering historic preservation programs and services, for the benefit of the public.

You can use this grant for:

• Annual operating expenses related to preservation programs and activities that are accessible to King County residents and visitors and provide public benefit.
• Staff salaries, utilities, supplies, fees, or consultant services.

Criteria

For this particular grant, we focus on different criteria depending on how your organization is structured and what type of work you do. Below we outline the different types of groups that can typically apply, and what we look for—please contact us if you’re unsure of what category you fit into.

For non-profit organizations and development authorities:

• Quality of programs related to historic preservation, as well as diversity and reach of programs available to the public.
• Tangible contribution to the preservation, conservation, or interpretation of King County’s built environment. Focus on resources that represent neglected aspects of the built environment.
• Public benefit, which may include accessibility of services, open hours of facilities, community outreach and efforts to expand or diversify audience, membership, staff, and leadership.
• Experienced staff, volunteers, and/or board, with background or training in historic preservation or a closely related field. Sound management and oversight by a governing board.
• Community support for an organization as reflected in its financial information, including cash and in-kind contributions from volunteers, the community, and/or partnering governments. The portion of your budget devoted specifically to preservation activities.

For municipalities:

• Volume and impact of activity, as reflected in surveys and inventories, landmark designations, and design review.
• Additional program offerings, such as design guidance, technical assistance, grant-making programs, and tours or events related to preservation.
• Community engagement, as reflected in advocacy, partnerships, and volunteerism. Community outreach, including efforts to expand or diversify audiences, and efforts to diversify commission or board leadership.
• Commitment of local government as demonstrated through staff time dedicated to historic preservation and annual investment in preservation activity.

Geographic Equity Enhancement

4Culture recognizes that where an organization is based or provides its services can affect access to funding and other resources. Many cultural organizations in greater King County have less access to public and private support than those located in Seattle. To take a step towards balancing these disparities, 4Culture will give a modest award increase to the 2021 Sustained Support awards for organizations located outside the City of Seattle, and for organizations located in Seattle in a 2010 US Census tract area with a Communities of Opportunity index percentile of 60% or greater.

Communities of Opportunity (COO) is a partnership and initiative of the Seattle Foundation and King County, whose purpose is to direct resources where they can have the greatest impact while overcome ongoing patterns of underfunding. Annual measures of life and health indicators by census tract are averaged over multiple years and combined to create a single index. 4Culture will use this index for the 2021 Sustained Support cycle to guide award increases toward applicants located in Communities of Opportunity.

Public Benefit: Why It Matters

Every time a visitor to Washington State stays in a hotel, they pay a Lodging Tax—this is where our funding comes from, and our mission is to put it back into the community. As you work through your application, tell us exactly how your fellow King County residents will be able to enjoy and learn from your work. Here are some ways you can provide public benefit:

• Free performances, exhibitions, workshops, screenings, or readings.
• Events in the often under-served areas of suburban or rural King County, to low-income, youth and senior groups, individuals with limited physical abilities, recent immigrants, or residents from minority races or ethnicities.
• Free, electronically accessible materials, including literary publications, audio, or video recordings.

Jean E. Thomson Foundation Grant

The Jean E. Thomson Foundation considers grant requests from Non-Profit Organizations located in Tacoma and Seattle, Washington; as well as Minneapolis, Minnesota. These Organizations must fall under one of the following catagories:

• Religious, Charitable, Scientific, Literary, or Education.

Our cut-off date for receiving grant applications is October 1st of each year, and our grants are usually awarded towards the end of each year.

A Brief History

The Jean E. Thomson Foundation is a 501(c)3 Organization that is named in memory of the Founder & primary contributor; Jean Eleanor Thomson of Tacoma, Washington, and makes donations in memory of her and Carol D. Zajac, a dear friend of Jean's. The Foundation was organized in 1999 under the name Thomson-Zajac Foundation in memory of Carol D. Zajac, who passed in 1998. The Foundation name was later changed to the Jean E. Thomson Foundation, which continues to donate in memory of both Jean and Carol.

Mission Statement

The JET Foundation operates as an Endowment-funded Non-Profit that supports the following categories of 501(c)3 Organizations: 

Religious, Charitable, Scientific, Literary, and Education. 

The Foundation's guidelines are for these Organizations to be located in Tacoma/Seattle, as well as considerations to Minneapolis, Minnesota, as Jean was born and raised there, and that the contributions are made to be a positive influence in the local community's health, well-being, and advancement of humanity. Consideration is also given to programs and research that benefits advancements in human diseases treatments and cures.

Corporate Contributions

Community involvement and corporate citizenship are an example of Insperity’s mission in action. We are committed to helping the communities where we live and work because together, we know we can make great things happen.

Grants

Philanthropic grants are a strong part of our community outreach and aid institutions needing financial support to meet important service goals.

Event Sponsorship

Fundraising events are an important part of nonprofit support. Insperity provides event sponsorships to approved charities to assist them in meeting their financial and community goals.

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

Landmark Nomination Support

In 2025, 4Culture Historic Preservation Program offers a new funding program to support landmark nominations. These grants help individuals or organizations that are preparing a local landmark nomination of a historic place in Seattle or other areas of King County, Washington.

 What Landmark Nomination Support Funds

This grant funds the preparation of local landmark nominations for historic places in King County, Washington. For 2025, it is open to individuals, groups, and municipalities that have the property owner’s consent for landmark designation. Properties must be located in Seattle, Bothell, unincorporated King County, or in a city with an Interlocal Agreement for Landmark Designation and Protection Services with King County. Funds can be used to support historic preservation consultant fees or other expenses related to the preparation and submission of a landmark nomination. Awards typically range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Landmark nominations that address underrepresented aspects of King County history, and projects that serve or engage underrepresented communities in historic preservation, will receive additional priority for funding.