Search Through Sustainability Grants in Washington in the U.S.

Ben B. Cheney Foundation Grant

The Ben B. Cheney Foundation makes grants in the communities where Mr. Cheney’s lumber company operated.

Within those communities, the Foundation will respond to a wide variety of requests. The Foundation’s main goal is to support efforts that help to improve the quality of life in those communities.

Type of Grant

The Foundation is open to a wide variety of programs serving the communities where we give. We prefer to focus on project grants rather than ongoing operating support.

A project has three distinguishing features:

• A specific time period with a beginning and an end,
• Specific accomplishments for the project, and
• A specific budget that outlines both what resources the organization needs to achieve the stated accomplishments and where the organization plans to obtain those resources.

Project Grants

Project grants are generally given on a one-time basis. The Foundation will evaluate an organization's plans for sustaining the impact of project grants, especially those for program expansion or starting new programs. That evaluation will include these questions:

• Are there identified sources of support capable of sustaining the program?
• Is the organization committed to a strategy to gain those sources of support?
• Does the project plan include activities towards gaining that sustainability?

While the Foundation understands that fund raising is a part of many organizations' budgets, we feel that this approach allows us to respond to needs that go above and beyond the annual operating budget. As a result, projects for one-time capital or equipment needs often gain priority.

Through this approach the Foundation is able to make grants to a number of first time grantees every year. Since 1975 the Foundation has supported 1,200 organizations.

Program Areas

The Foundation organizes its grant making into eight categories. They are displayed here for information purposes only. The Foundation does not budget to categories in advance and grant seekers are not required to apply by category.

• Charity - Programs providing for basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing.
• Civic - Programs improving the quality of life in a community as a whole such as museums and recreation facilities.
• Culture - Programs encompassing the arts.
• Education - Programs supporting capital projects and scholarships, primarily for six pre-selected colleges and universities with a record of service to Pierce County.
• Elderly - Programs serving the social, health, recreational, and other needs of older people.
• Health - Programs related to providing health care.
• Social Services - Programs serving people with physical or mental disabilities or other special needs.
• Youth - Programs helping young people to gain the skills needed to become responsible and productive adults.

Overview

Founded in 2007 by Kat Taylor and Tom Steyer, Beneficial State Bank is a B Corp Certified community development bank with branches in California, Oregon, and Washington. One hundred percent of the economic rights of Beneficial State Bank are owned not by private shareholders, but by nonprofit organizations, including Beneficial State Foundation. As nonprofit shareholders, we reinvest all distributed bank profit back into communities to promote thriving people, a healthy economy and a prosperous planet. This ownership structure allows us to learn and develop new metrics and standards as Beneficial State Bank tests and implements equitable banking products and practices.

As of 2023, Beneficial State Bank is a $1.7 billion asset state-chartered, federally insured bank with branches in California, Oregon, and Washington. Learn more about the origins of Beneficial State Bank.

Supporting Our Communities With Sponsorships

From day one, Beneficial State Bank has been committed to supporting our community above and beyond our lending by providing sponsorships to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations each year. We provide sponsorships to 501(c)(3) organizations in California, Oregon, and Washington that are engaged in transformative social justice and environmental work in our target sectors:

Social:

• Affordable and Multi-family Housing
• Arts, Culture and Community Building
• Education and Youth Development
• Beneficial Financial Services
• Economic, Business and Job Development
• Making, Manufacturing and Production
• Social Justice

Environmental:

• Environmental Sustainability
• Health and Well-being (non-food)
• Healthy Food
• Other Mission Categories (Business Ownership, Structures and Practices)

Beneficial State Bank has a unique business model compared to other banks. As a mission-driven bank majority-owned by the nonprofit Beneficial State Foundation, we work to maximize prosperity for our communities and our customers instead of working to maximize shareholder profits. We structure our business practices to benefit our stakeholders, not just our shareholders, so our total sponsorship budget is smaller than what you’ll find at a large, national bank. Therefore, we are limited in the number of sponsorships we can approve each year.

Vision

While talent may be spread evenly throughout humanity, opportunity is not. Comis Foundation envisions that every child has access to opportunities to not only succeed in life, but to thrive.

Mission

Comis Foundation invests in organizations that provide opportunity and access to equip children with skills to explore, learn, and thrive in their chosen communities.

Guiding Principles

Comis Foundation has 5 principles which guide our focus: We work to build relationships of mutual trust with our grantees; We value sustainable systems and solutions; We are not experts, we want to learn and enable learning; We are willing to accept risk when warranted to achieve greater impact; We value both new and established ways of serving communities.

Area of Interest

Comis Foundation supports programs and policy work that drive improvements in educational outcomes for children and youth. We are interested in programs that support the community as well as children and youth directly. We embrace the whole child concept of full community engagement to drive better outcomes for the child and our society at large.

Comis Foundation Grant

Pilot and Proof of Concept: $5,000 – $25,000

• New programs within existing organizations, standalone new organizations just getting off the ground, or testing new approaches within a current scope
• Smaller-scale research or data collecting project or other similar short-duration investigations
• Timeframe is single-year; multi-year research or evaluation projects will not be considered under this program

Capacity Building and Innovation: $25,000 up to $75,000 per year

• Capacity building for organizations, including but not limited to staff professional development, strategic planning, leadership development, and supplemental expertise (e.g., communications)
• General operating support for innovative organizations. We consider the concept of innovation broadly: organizations that create opportunity for children to explore, learn and thrive are by definition innovative until all children can engage with the world through the same set of opportunities.
• Multi-year research or evaluation projects will be considered under this program, particularly as a pre-cursor to scaling innovative programs
• Multi-year grants will be considered under this program at $25,000 – $75,000 per year

The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation funds direct service non-profit organizations that help improve the quality of people’s lives by providing them with the tools they need to succeed. Since its inception in 1988, it has funded programs for those with special needs, summer camps for cancer-stricken or troubled children and ensured access to theater, arts and music programs by economically disadvantaged youth and their families. It has granted wishes for terminally ill children, awards for science and math fair winners, and funded programs to purchase clothing, school supplies and toys for needy children. The Foundation also has supported rescue missions, food banks, shelters for victims of domestic violence, free mammogram exams for low-income women, and dental screenings and preventive care for underprivileged youth.

When making a grant decision, we examine each organization’s financial stability, staffing and facility capacity, and relevant partnerships. Additionally, we assess the capability of an organization to sustain a program into the future and their ability to show measurable impact on the population they serve. Finally, funding is guided toward organizations that support low income, rural, and underserved populations through one of our four main focus areas:

Our Four Main Focus:

The Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation funds organizations that have accurately identified needs consistent with our mission and scope and who have successfully worked to provide programs and services that give youth and economically and socially disadvantaged individuals, families and those with special needs the tools they need to succeed in life.

Education

Education taps the immeasurable potential of the mind. Reaching children through early childhood education, after-school learning programs, post-secondary and graduate scholarships help our young people get the start they deserve. Providing higher education scholarships and funding educational programs helps build a strong educational foundation for future leaders.

Health and Human Services

Health and Human Services ensures the vitality of the human body and spirit. We target programs that ensure access to basic health care services to the most vulnerable members of our communities, as well as programs that educate our youth about wellness, nutrition, exercise and healthy lifestyles. We also support experiential programs that offer disabled or disadvantaged people opportunities they may not have otherwise.

Arts and Culture

Arts and Culture represents the innovation and creativity of a society. Through cultural endeavors we help bring people together to share their creative talents, intellects, passions, customs and bold initiatives to explore new ways of doing things. In the areas of theatre, art, and music the Foundation grants have helped organizations reach a broader audience, infused new life into programs and created long-lasting cultural traditions within our communities.

Community Service

Community Service touches the lives of everyone where they work, play and live. Despite our individual differences, we are linked by common interests to do more for the places we call home. The Foundation invests in organizations that fortify this connection. When everyone is involved one way or another in the improvement of their community, the community progresses in a positive direction.

Our  Mission

Driven by a commitment to overall health, our mission statement guides our work.

Kaiser Permanente exists to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve.

Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente is recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. We currently serve members in 8 states and the District of Columbia.

Our care model enables our teams to think and work as one, coordinating your care seamlessly, so you don’t have to — and delivering better care when it matters most. Our members have access to care from Kaiser Permanente health care professionals by phone or video 24/7.

Care for members and patients focuses on their total health. Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and teams of caregivers guide all care. Our medical teams are enabled by industry-leading technology and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, care delivery, and chronic disease management.

Washington Region - Community Health Grant

To better understand the needs of each community we serve, we conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment every 3 years. This strategic process informs our community investments and helps us make long-term, equitable, and sustainable changes. It also allows us to strengthen relationships with community organizations as we work together to improve community health.

Focus Areas

Current community health focus areas:

• Access to health care
• Mental and behavioral health
• Housing
• Efforts to dismantle structural racism
• Income and employment
• Food security

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. ​

Background

Established in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union has become Oregon’s largest credit union with over 500,000 members. As we have grown, so has our commitment to community engagement, from the volunteerism encouraged among employees to direct financial support of schools and nonprofits.

Through an inclusive and equitable approach, OnPoint supports organizations in our membership area that align with our core impact values. We offer funding for community grants, sponsorships, and schools making a positive impact.

Focus Areas

All three potential funding tracks fall under OnPoint’s focus areas of Economic Opportunity and Community Vitality.

Economic Opportunity

• Financial Education and Programming
  • Organizations dedicated to empowering youth and adults through educational programming that connects them to all aspects of personal finance in order to make informed financial decisions
• Access to Capital
  • Organizations dedicated to empowering and supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses with education on accessing capital, technical assistance, etc.
• Workforce Development
  • Organizations dedicated to creating pathways to career building, job training education, etc.

Community Vitality

• Hunger and Shelter
  • Organizations dedicated to supporting individuals/communities facing food and housing insecurity including, but not limited to food banks, rent assistance, etc.
• Education
  • Schools, school-adjacent, and other organizations dedicated to informing and educating individuals or the general public and providing teachers, parents and students with products and services that improve learning and decisions about opportunities.
• Community Development
  • Organizations dedicated to supporting and revitalizing communities through behavioral health, arts & culture, etc.
• Sustainability and Environmental Health
  • Organizations dedicated to sustainability efforts and projects.

Events & Sponsorships

OnPoint sponsors events and other activities for nonprofit, community-based organizations delivering programs that align with OnPoint’s key focus areas.

Funding

While we will consider all eligible requests, our average contribution ranges from $100 to $10,000.

WaFd Bank Foundation

The WaFd Bank Foundation's purpose is to facilitate direct giving to community-based nonprofits that primarily serve the needs of people with low- and-moderate incomes.

Community Impact Grants:

• Permanent, affordable, and sustainable housing: Creation of individual and multi-family housing for LMI populations.
• Economic development: Programs that promote economic development for businesses (primarily small business) that target LMI geo areas, size eligibility and gross revenue of $1million or less. Preference is given to businesses owned by women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, minority and immigrant individuals.
• Community revitalization: Programs that stabilize and recover communities by attracting or retaining jobs, businesses, and homes.
• Job development: Apprenticeships, job training and employment education programs that enable communities to revitalize their workforce and attract businesses that provide living wages.

Grant Opportunities

Communities need nonprofits to thrive

We believe in transformational ideas that help individuals, families and communities flourish—and since 1975, the Murdock Trust has invested more than $1.4 billion into nonprofit organizations that share our commitment to thinking bigger, challenging problems and making a true difference.

Strategic Project Grants

Capacity-building awards for mission-focused projects and infrastructure investment

Capital Grants

Is capital growth or expansion important to your nonprofit’s vision for long-term growth and success? The Murdock Trust regularly makes grants that support construction, renovation, land purchase and other capital projects. In most cases, we prefer to receive requests for these types of projects once your organization has raised a portion of the needed funds.

Grant Opportunities

Communities need nonprofits to thrive

We believe in transformational ideas that help individuals, families and communities flourish—and since 1975, the Murdock Trust has invested more than $1.4 billion into nonprofit organizations that share our commitment to thinking bigger, challenging problems and making a true difference.

Strategic Project Grants

Capacity-building awards for mission-focused projects and infrastructure investment

Equipment & Technology Grants

Best practices suggest that a healthy equipment and supporting technology infrastructure is essential. Please note that with these grants, recipient organizations are responsible for 50% or greater of the purchase cost.

Grant Opportunities

Communities need nonprofits to thrive

We believe in transformational ideas that help individuals, families and communities flourish—and since 1975, the Murdock Trust has invested more than $1.4 billion into nonprofit organizations that share our commitment to thinking bigger, challenging problems and making a true difference.

Strategic Project Grants

Capacity-building awards for mission-focused projects and infrastructure investment

Program & Staff

Expanding programs and adding staff are important markers of nonprofit success. Murdock Trust grants help fund both new programs and the expansion of existing programs and may be used to cover start-up costs and/or related staff member additions. Typically, we fund program and staff grants on a declining basis over three years (100/67/33%). 

The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms who seek to confront economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since our founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has made more than 800 recoverable grants totaling more than $10 million for impact litigation. We award grants four times per year, most within the range of US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Social Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. We have helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Texas and North Carolina, incarcerated people with mental health disabilities are forced to remain in jail despite being found not guilty and unable to proceed with a criminal trial.
• In Orange County, California there are currently 13 gang injunctions under effect, which disproportionately affect young men of color.
• In Chicago, Illinois, the city’s homeless shelter program is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
• In Springfield, Oregon, the city and its police department used excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters.
• In West Virginia, the state fails to protect children in foster care from abuse and neglect. 
• In Montana, voter suppression laws disadvantage young adults and give priority to gun owners.
• In Gary, Indiana, a gun manufacturer negligently marketed and distributed its guns, leading to an epidemic of gun violence in the city. 
• In Vancouver, British Columbia, the police perpetuate systemic discrimination against Indigenous people through bureaucratic measures.

Environmental Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants to support local litigation for environmental justice. These grants are for cases aiming to help people or communities who are affected by environmental harm or who lack access to basic environmental needs, such as clean water, clean air, adequate waste treatment, and green spaces. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Centreville, Illinois, the city’s failure to maintain its sewer system has caused raw sewage to flood peoples’ homes, endangering the property and health of a predominantly Black community.
• In Fresno County, California, the California Department of Transportation approved a highway expansion project that would increase air pollution and traffic in one of the state’s most environmentally burdened communities.
• In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the proposed expansion of a highway would divide the region's Black, Asian, and Latine neighborhoods and cause pollution and ill health.
• In North Dakota, the five-month closure of a highway in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests disproportionately affected the livelihoods and health of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members.
• In Ontario, Canada, mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system causes catastrophic environmental and health impacts for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
• In Sacramento, California, the county government and Sacramento Area Sewer District violated the Clean Water Act by discharging raw sewage into nearby rivers.
• In the Eastern Coachella Valley in California, 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park suffer from arsenic-laced drinking water, wastewater contamination, and overcharging for utilities.

Economic Justice

The Impact Fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From workers' rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporationss and the government accountable. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Brooklyn, New York, a prominent mortgage lender engaged in predatory practices, leaving homeowners of color at risk of losing their homes. 
• In Washington, live-in caregivers are unconstitutionally excluded from the state’s wage-and-hour protections.
• In Ravalli County, Montana, the county has created a “modern-day debtors’ prison” by incarcerating people unable to afford pre-trial fees. 
• In San Diego, California, vehicle ordinances target unhoused vehicle owners even when no adequate housing alternative exists.
• In New York, a federal immigration detention facility is violating minimum wage and forced labor laws by forcing detainees to work for just a dollar a day. 
• In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city and county destroy the property of unhoused individuals and conduct forced evictions from public spaces. 
• In Miami, Florida, insurance companies discriminate against a nonprofit community development corporation renting to tenants with Section 8 rental subsidies.

Community Grant Program

The Community Grant Program is comprised of more than 90 funds established by donors who have given Innovia Foundation the flexibility to make funding decisions that accommodate changing needs and capitalize on timely and compelling opportunities in our 20-county region. This program has one cycle per year and organizations are eligible to submit one application per cycle. The maximum award amount is $15,000, with most grants in the range of $2,500 – $15,000.

Program Areas

Guided by local priorities and engaged residents, Innovia Foundation will invest in programs and initiatives that promote vibrant and sustainable communities where every person has the opportunity to thrive.

Impact Areas

• Education and Youth Development
• Innovia Foundation invests in nonprofit organizations providing access to learning opportunities for all ages – from early childhood reading programs to college campus site visits for first generation college students.
• Arts and Culture
• From rural community theaters to large symphonies, Innovia Foundation partners with nonprofit organizations that support the arts as economic drivers, educational assets, civic catalysts and bridges between cultures.
• Economic Opportunity
• Whether it’s providing job skills training for refugees or developing a commercial kitchen for local entrepreneurs, Innovia Foundation works with nonprofit partners to build prosperity for local families, businesses and communities.
• Health and Wellbeing
• From programs addressing child hunger to those ensuring no senior falls victim to abuse or neglect, Innovia Foundation partners with nonprofit organizations to improve the social determinants of health in our community and meet the basic needs of our most vulnerable populations.
• Quality of Life
• Innovia Foundation recognizes that land conservation, compassion for our furry friends and wellplanned community spaces add so much to the quality of life we enjoy in the Inland Northwest and invests in organizations providing access to these community assets. 

Guiding Principles

Within our impact areas, we aim to fund proposals that are a strong fit with one or more of the following Guiding Principles:

• Respond compassionately to meet basic human needs
• We know that meeting basic human needs is fundamental to improving the quality of life for everyone. Innovia Foundation will collaborate with community partners to address both systemic issues and immediate needs.
• Bring people together to build inclusive communities
• We believe in bringing people together and building connections that enrich us all. We seek to develop places and spaces where everyone feels they belong and can participate in decisions that affect their lives.
• Expand opportunity and reduce inequity
• We recognize that persistent and systemic disparities diminish opportunities. We will bridge the divide that isolates and prevents members of our community from recognizing and reaching their full potential and will invest in organizations that address the root causes of issues and promote self-sufficiency

Project Types

Organizations may request a Community Grant for any of the following project types:

• Build a new program
• Expand an existing program
• Support for an existing program
• Capital projects/equipment
• This could include, but is not limited to, technology, furnishings, equipment, vehicles or building construction or renovation
• Capacity building
• This could include, but is not limited to:
• Collaborating with other organizations to improve services or eliminate duplication
• Strengthening governance, leadership or staff expertise
• Restructuring business models and accounting practices to improve organizational stability
• Building and diversifying revenue streams
• Developing and implementing long-term strategic plans 
• Refining communications, marketing and outreach 
• Improving volunteer recruitment, training and engagement
• Acquiring or improving impact measurement tools and program evaluation capacity 

Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N)

Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) is founded on the core values of Seattle Foundation: equity and opportunity. 

N2N supports grassroots efforts that increase engagement, power and influence of community members affected by poverty and racial disparities. Begun in 1991, N2N is a grant and technical assistance program and a key strategy of Seattle Foundation’s Center for Community Partnerships. Serving community-based organizations in South Seattle, White Center and Kent, N2N plays a crucial role in supporting the Foundation’s mission: to ignite powerful and rewarding philanthropy to make Greater Seattle a stronger, more vibrant community for all.

N2N Goals: Increased Engagement, Power and Influence to Achieve Greater Equity

Increased Engagement

• Grassroots organizations increase resident engagement and mobilization
• N2N advisory members effectively support community priorities
• Communities and funders develop and sustain strong networks and relationships

Increased Power 

• Community-initiated efforts are strengthened through funding
• Effective strategies leading to systemic change are demonstrated

Increased Influence 

• Community influence to improve practices, programs, initiatives and policies is strengthened 
• N2N advisory members amplify community voices

What N2N Funds

N2N supports grassroots efforts that lead to increased engagement, power and influence of community members affected by poverty and racial disparities. Priority is on efforts led by people from diverse and under-invested communities.

Gould Family Foundation Grant

Mission

The mission of the Gould Family Foundation is to support innovative programs that promote Experiential Learning and the Arts. 

Funding

Grant amounts given are between $2,500 – $10,000.

Charitable Contributions Mission

Charitable Contributions Fund provides the opportunity for a sustainable and healthy community for all. The Tulalip Tribes strives to work together with the community to give benefits back to others to help build a stronger neighborhood. That's why, in Tulalip, it is traditional to “raise our hands” to applaud and give thanks to those who have given to us. We “raise our hands” to the numerous organizations in our region that contribute to our communities.

Charitable Giving

The Quil Ceda Village of the Tulalip Tribes donates funds to the local community as approved by the Tulalip Tribes Board of Directors. Qualifying programs may only be funded once each calendar year to help improve arts and culture, education and youth, social services, public services and the environment.

The Tulalip Tribes Charitable Contribution Funds program has assisted over 245 charitable organizations with over 50 million dollars since 1993 working in partnership with the surrounding communities including Marysville, Everett and Snohomish County to make a positive difference. Many of these programs are documented here including the six featured charitable organizations on this page. Tulalip Cares is pleased to demonstrate the past efforts and looks forward to receiving and funding qualifying proposals for benefiting the community in the future.

About our Grant Making

Ninety-nine girlfriends makes annual grants, called Impact Awards, in the Portland Metro/SW Washington region from a pool of money contributed by our members. Impact awards range from $50,000-$100,000 each year, depending on that year’s pool.

We fund equally in four focus areas, selecting nonprofits whose work is aligned with our vision of a more equitable future for all and our values of strength in diversity, collective action, and community impact.

Letters of Interest are due in early April. Then, we use our internal processes to select the ones that are most aligned with our vision and values. These organizations are invited to submit applications. During this time, our member-volunteer teams are learning about implicit bias, equity and inclusion, Trust-Based Philanthropy, and consensus building. 

Guiding Principles

In addition to our eligibility criteria, we apply the following principles and trust-based philanthropy to guide decision-making on grant applications.

Equity - Grant making must be grounded in equity.

Trust - We believe the organizations that apply for our grants are the experts in their field. We will lead with trust, respect, humility and curiosity.

Learning - At our heart, we are a learning organization. We value new approaches as much as experience, we recognize our missteps as learning opportunities, and we learn best together. 

Responsiveness and Transformative Impact - We fund organizations that respond to a critical need and/or are working to address the root causes of systemic issues.

Initiative and risk-taking - We believe that taking risks and exploring new ideas can lead to innovative solutions to complex societal problems.  

We engage women in a collaborative learning environment of inclusiveness and mutual respect, incorporating our collective voices, perspectives, talents, and skills. We educate ourselves about implicit bias, equitable grant making, and consensus-building, and we are embedding racial equity in our work. Each year is a new year of grantmaking at ninety-nine girlfriends. Community context changes as do our members, our grant review teams, and our annual Funding Priority. In the end, what we fund is determined by the votes of our members. 

Focus Areas

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our work. Our vision is a more equitable community for all, therefore we prioritize funding that supports communities that are historically and/or currently underserved with respect to socioeconomic status, race, identity, or ability.

We seek to fund organizations working to improve educational equity, opportunity, or education-related services for children and youth from pre-K through high school in the areas of:

• Early childhood education and development
• Out-of-school time and summer learning
• Programs that work to close achievement and opportunity gaps
• Career and/or college readiness tools and skills for high school students
• Arts education, cultural education, and creative expression

We seek to fund organizations working to ensure everyone has equal access to resources and safe spaces, across environmental issues in the areas of:

• Access to environmental resources - healthy food, homes, water and green space
• Countering environmental burdens - pollution in air, water, and land
• Providing educational resources around sustainability and climate change preparedness
• Advancing participation in the green workforce
• Promoting systems change that includes meaningful and inclusive participation in the environmental decision-making process, that promotes environmental justice and equitable environmental policies

We seek to fund organizations delivering trauma-informed services that focus on housing solutions and home stability for families, youth, and adults in the areas of:

• Prevention of homelessness and helping people stabilize and keep their housing
• Emergency, temporary, and transitional housing and shelters
• Housing placement
• Resources and support that help prevent adverse childhood experiences or provide healing resources for families experiencing housing/home instability
• Wrap-around services that strengthen housing/home stability including mental and physical health services, recovery support, and domestic violence advocacy

We seek to fund organizations that advance the economic security and financial well-being of women by removing barriers to work in the areas of:

• Job readiness - including skills training, trades, and education
• Adult literacy and language proficiency
• Financial literacy
• College and post-secondary success
• Accessibility to affordable and reliable childcare
• Accessibility to safe and affordable healthcare including physical, mental, dental, and reproductive health

Ninety-nine girlfriends recognizes the complexities of gender identity and gender expression, and welcome cisgender women, transgender women, and gender non-binary, gender non-conforming, or gender queer persons.

Use of Funds

Funds may be used for general operating or project support to advance your mission. Awardees may choose to have funds disbursed in one payment in 2024, or in two payments: one in 2024 and one in 2025. 

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.

​The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation is launching a new initiative that will invest up to $5 million in support of rigorous, place-based, and inclusive Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) projects in the Pacific Northwest (PNW).

The objective of the initiative is to deploy rigorous, place-based NCS projects in the PNW to accelerate climate change mitigation, while also providing biodiversity and human well-being co-benefits. The foundation is particularly interested in projects that are community-driven and done in partnership through collaborations between Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), non-profit organizations, academic groups, and independent research labs or professional societies.

Definitions: NCS and IPLC

Natural climate solutions (NCS) are nature-based solutions that can provide up to 37% of the cost-effective global CO2 mitigation needed through 2030 to stabilize warming to below 2°C. In the United States, NCS have the potential to mitigate up to 21% of net annual emissions. The PNW is home to significant NCS potential – for example, improved fire management alone in the Cascades is estimated to provide 2.5 Tg CO2e year−1. In Washington state, an analysis of 11 NCS pathways found NCS could account for 4-9% of the State’s net zero goal. To be effective climate change solutions, NCS must be 1) nature-based, 2) sustainable, 3) climate-additional, 4) measurable, and 5) equitable to be effective. 

We use the IPBES’s definition of IPLCs. Specifically, IPLC "is a term used internationally by representatives, organizations, and conventions to refer to individuals and communities who are, on the one hand, self-identified as indigenous and, on the other hand, are members of local communities that maintain inter-generational connection to place and nature through livelihood, cultural identity and worldviews, institutions and ecological knowledge.” Here, local communities are “non-indigenous communities with historical linkages to places and livelihoods characterized by long-term relationships with the natural environment, often over generations.” As such, local communities encompass socially cohesive groups that have ties to a specific geography.

NCS Pathways

What are NCS pathways? NCS pathways are deliberate human actions that protect, restore, and improve management of ecosystems to mitigate climate change. The below table provides some of the more well-established natural climate solution (NCS) pathways, their definition, and some examples of what it means in practice. There are several candidate NCS pathways, but there may be insufficient evidence (i.e., there is still high uncertainty) that these pathways provide climate change mitigation services. 

Nominate a Nonprofit

The People Helping People Awards are a celebration of exceptional work within the communities we serve and provide us the opportunity to honor members and nonprofits that drive positive change through service to others.

Each year, BECU members can nominate local nonprofits for a People Helping People Award of up to $50,000 in grant funds.

So look around you for heroes who deserve recognition, and nominate a nonprofit for a BECU People Helping People Award today.

Giving Areas and Subcategories

Nonprofit work must be focused in any one of the following seven giving areas:

• Advancing education (Pre-K through college): Access to education, mentoring, educational materials and programming, classroom, school and PTSA funding for educational programs/materials/experiences.
• Arts and culture: Equitable access to art experiences, underrepresented art and cultural organizations, cultural programs.
• Creating economic opportunity: Living-wage jobs, small and startup businesses, job quality for low-wage workers.
• Preserving health and promoting wellness: Access to healthcare, illness prevention/cure, mental health, patient support, disabilities, veteran advocacy.
• Preserving or restoring the environment: Conservation, stewardship, sustainability.
• Providing for basic human needs: Affordable housing, homelessness, senior advocacy, infant and child advocacy, food/diaper/clothing banks.
• Strengthening local communities: Neighborhoods, public safety, search and rescue, outdoor spaces, rotary/chamber.

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). 

Our Mission

The Joseph E. and Marjorie B. Jones Foundation is a private, philanthropic institution dedicated to improving the quality of life for all people, particularly those residing in the greater Washington, D.C. region (DC/MD/VA), by funding human services and health care initiatives and furthering the cause of education.

Our Beliefs

• We believe that civic duty is not a choice; it is an important responsibility of living in a vibrant and progressive community.
• We believe that all individuals have inherent worth and dignity.
• We believe that given the right opportunities and resources, all people can improve their lives regardless of race, sex, religion or current social-economic condition.
• We believe that seemingly complex and insurmountable civic problems can be solved using cooperation, respect, hope and the combinations of physical, spiritual and financial resources.
• We believe that we must work as partners with other businesses and individuals in supporting the charitable institutions through which The Jones Foundation assists residents of Washington, DC and its surrounding communities.

Our Goals

• We strive to build partnerships that help us fulfill our mission of making a difference in the greater Metropolitan Washington, DC region (DC/MD/VA).
• We preserve our credibility by remaining independent and objective.
• We vow that although our financial resources are limited, we will aid organizations that inspire, uplift and motivate.
• With our financial help, our grant awardees will foster progression of the individual and therefore, the community.
• We seek to support organizations that create strong and sustainable bonds of trust between those living in the communities we support, and the infra-structure of that community.

HOPE Foundation

The HOPE (Hypertherm Owners’ Philanthropic Endeavors) Foundation was founded in 2010 as a public grant-making nonprofit 501(c)(3) foundation to formalize the U.S.-based financial giving we had been doing for decades across a handful of focus areas. In New Hampshire, a dozen volunteer Associates, representing a cross-section of areas within our company, comprise the Upper Valley HOPE Team and make all grant allocation decisions on behalf of the Foundation. We have similar shared decision-making HOPE teams in all our regional offices, each serving their respective communities. 

Our Mission

Enriching our Associate owner communities as a catalyst for collaboration and compassion, inspiring solutions for sustainable positive change.

Our HOPE Teams have awarded millions of dollars in grant support to hundreds of nonprofit organizations working on our shared mission of creating sustainable, positive change in the community and environment.

HOPE Foundation Grant

Hypertherm’s philanthropic mission is enriching our Associate-owner communities as a catalyst for collaboration and compassion, inspiring solutions for sustainable positive change.

HOPE Foundation grant decisions are made by the HOPE teams, which are comprised of Hypertherm Associates from all areas of the company. We have teams based in the United States in the Upper Valley of NH/VT, Lockport, NY, New Brighton, MN, and Kent, WA. Additionally, we have a North American Team comprised of remote Associates in the US and Canada.

If approved, you can expect to receive funds within two months of notification. It is important to note that depending on when your application is submitted within our quarterly review cycle, it could take four months before funds are received by your organization. Please plan your request accordingly based on your needs and our review cycle.

Focus Areas:

• Disaster Relief
• Early Childhood
• Education
• Environment and Transportation
• Food
• Health and Wellness
• Shelter and Housing
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
• SUD (Substance Use Disorder)
• United Way

.ORG Impact Awards

The .ORG Impact Awards is a global awards program hosted by the Public Interest Registry to recognize and celebrate individuals and organizations that have a connection to a registered .ORG domain for their contributions, achievements, and impact they have made in their communities.

Category Descriptions

• Health and Healing: Recognizes an organization or individual who is dedicated to providing health and wellness resources to the community including education and awareness, vaccine development, equitable distribution of medical supplies, and mental health resources.
• Quality Education for All: Recognizes an organization or individual for contributions in providing education for all, without regard to race, gender, or financial status.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Recognizes an organization or individual for efforts toward furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion in society through creation of policies, programs, and initiatives that address systemic challenges and historic injustices.
• Environmental Stewardship: Recognizes an organization or individual that works to combat the increased threats to our environment and promotes responsible consumption and environmental sustainability in communities around the world.
• Hunger and Poverty: Recognizes an organization or individual who has made significant contributions and innovations in the fight to end hunger, alleviate poverty, and reduce resource inequalities on a local, national, or global scale.
• Community Building: Recognizes an organization or individual whose efforts have contributed to changing or enhancing the lives of those in the community the nominee serves, whether on a local, national, or global level.
• Rising Star: Recognizes an individual under the age of 25 by December 31, 2023, who has created a positive impact in their community through leadership on a project, platform, task, or campaign.

What's In It For You?

Become part of the growing .ORG Impact Awards Community - there are so many reasons to enter! Here's a few:

• Receive a Significant Cash Donation
  • Selected individuals and organizations are eligible to receive up to a $50,000 USD donation to the non-profit of their choice, including our outstanding finalists.
• Drive Community Reach and Support
  • Show the world how your .ORG is impacting the community! Build support, generate funding, and rally others to your cause. Serve as a shining example to others, striving to make a better world for us all.
• Achieve a Meaningful Award
  • Display your custom .ORG Impact Award to let the world know that your organization is achieving amazing results and making a difference. Finalists will be invited to attend our in-person gala in Washington DC (including travel and accommodations)!
• Raise Awareness and Personal Profile
  • Finalists and winners will be featured across a variety of .ORG platforms throughout the year, including videos, articles, social posts, and more! We’ve expanded our programs to focus more attention on finalists and winners than ever before!

What We Fund

To maximize the impact of our financial support, the Foster Foundation cultivates long-term partnerships with organizations whose work aligns with our priority funding issues. By identifying well run nonprofit programs with the vision and capacity to get things done, we continue to make sound investments in the people, communities and future of the Pacific Northwest.

Priority Areas

Building strong communities benefits all of us. Improving community life encompasses not only meeting critical needs such as food, housing, healthcare, education and employment, but also enriching community spirt and well-being through the support of artistic expression, cultural programs and sports/recreational opportunities.

We seek to identify and fund under-resourced opportunities to make a difference in these four areas:

Social Services/ Human Welfare

We fund emergency and critical human services that support people and families in need. This includes food, emergency/transitional housing, job/life's skills training, counseling and other resources and opportunities that build economic self-reliance.

Education

We support innovative programs that improve literacy, learning and academic success for all ages. Training, tutoring, mentoring and enrichment programs are examples of our outreach in this area.

Medical Research, Treatment & Care

We provide funding for promising medical research to aid in the understanding, treatment and prevention of diseases. The Foundation also supports hospice care as well as HIV/AIDs research and education.

Community Engagement

We nurture the spirt and well-being of Northwest communities by supporting cultural, artistic and recreational activities that engage all ages and populations. Foundation grants help sustain arts organizations and programs that express and grow the creative imagination. We also support community sports/recreational programs, centers and activities that promote health, well-being and teamwork.

Geographic Reach

With both family and business roots in the Pacific Northwest, The Foster Foundation takes a regional approach to giving. We target our funding to assist nonprofits engaged in our priority funding concerns within Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.

In addressing the founders' original intent, the Foundation will expand our philanthropy into smaller, more diverse communities within this five state area over the coming years. We will continue to support existing grantees. But, we desire to learn about and fund other pioneering initiatives and nonprofit programs that address the underserved and disadvantaged segments of this population―especially children, women and seniors.

The Ruth Danley and William Enoch Moore Charitable Fund is a private grantmaking foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, established in 1992. It focuses primarily on philanthropy and voluntarism, with an emphasis on charitable and educational purposes.

The fund specifically supports K-12 education for Native American children living on reservations, aiming to improve educational opportunities in these communities.

The foundation administers grants primarily to select regions based on donor preferences, including Pittsburgh and various counties in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Washington DC, and West Virginia.

Investing in Our Communities

At OneCause, our Why is to build better tomorrows for nonprofits like yours, your supporters, and the impact you create together! To live our Why, we go beyond industry-leading software, services, and support by offering innovative programs to move your mission forward.

Our Corporate Grants Program helps nonprofits leverage technology to raise more life-changing funds and reach more donors. We offer two technology-based grants annually to registered 501c3 organizations, up to $10,000 each, used to underwrite OneCause fundraising software. Because an investment in nonprofits is an investment in our communities.

Grant Focus Areas

Mental Health & Wellness:

Everyone has a right to a safe and healthy environment. We’re looking for organizations that promote self-care and wellness to help triumph a meaningful life, free from mental illness, hunger, poverty, and social injustices or inequities. Tell us how you help members of your community reach their highest potential – mind, body, and soul.

Community:

Does your organization empower populations to thrive and grow in safe environments? Share how you contribute to community strength and pride in culture by embracing and expanding diversity, encouraging mutual support, and preserving important community history.

Sustainability:

The planet we call home needs protection now, more than ever, so that its ecosystems and biodiversity can be preserved for future generations. How does your organization help guard the planet and conserve our natural resources that are essential to our global community?

What does OneCause look for in a potential grantee?

OneCause looks at the following factors when awarding grants:

• Alignment with cause focus areas
• Needs based
• Software use case for fundraising or awareness building
• Clear focus on how the software will further the mission
• Adhering to deadline and application completeness
• Organization’s commitment to fulfilling grantee responsibilities

What is a technology-based grant?

The OneCause Corporate Grants Program provides nonprofit organizations access to OneCause software products and services to help expand their collective impact. The program includes two (2) donated subscriptions per organization (two full years, worth up to $10,000), service, support, and consulting plus discounts on additional subscriptions, products, and/or services from OneCause.

Does OneCause provide monetary award in lieu of technology-based grant?

Currently, the OneCause Corporate Grants Program is a technology-based grant offering.

The technology-based grant may be applied toward the following:

• Fundraising Platform
• Text2Give
• Online Giving
• Ambassador Fundraising
• Peer-to-Peer Solutions
• Professional Services
• Add-On Consulting Services
• Add-On Virtual Services

Grant also includes:

• Grant Liaison Representative
• Customer Success Manager
• Phone, Chat & Email Support
• Consulting
• OneCause University Fundraising Courses
• Access to OneCause Webinars and Fundraising Resources