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 $30,000, with most grants in the range of $10,000 – $20,000.

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 

2023 Deadlines

Early Bird Deadline: Thursday, January 26, 2023

Application Closes: : Thursday, February 16, 2023

Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account Volunteer Cooperative Grant Program

Over the years, The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's (WDFW) ALEA Grant Program has supported hundreds of individuals and organizations who have undertaken a variety of projects that engage volunteers and benefit fish and wildlife resources.

ALEA grants are in high demand; therefore, we follow a competitive process to select recipients.

What projects are eligible for funding?

Many project types are eligible, including:

• Habitat - activities that restore and/or preserve fish and wildlife habitat.
• Research - activities that increase our knowledge of fish and wildlife species.
• Education - efforts to share information or provide hands-on experiences to enhance public knowledge of fish, wildlife and their habitats.
• Facility development - efforts to provide or enhance access to fish and wildlife related recreational opportunities.
• Artificial production - efforts to rear and release fish or wildlife to restore populations or for public recreation. Applicants must obtain pre-approval from WDFW to be eligible for funding.

Program Goal

The goal of the Sustainable Forests and Communities Initiative is to promote the creation of environmentally and economically sustainable forest communities in the regions of the United States where the Weyerhaeuser Family's business interests originated. 

Program Guidelines

The Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation through its Sustainable Forests and Communities Initiative is interested in supporting organizations that work in forested landscapes to enhance the environment, the economy, and community. Implementation of integrated approaches in these areas that also enhance market valuation of forest ecosystem services is favored.

Program Priorities

The Foundation gives priority to projects that promote vibrant forest-based communities that address one or more of the following outcome areas:

• Environment
• Employing sustainable forest management, conservation, and ecological restoration.
• Economy
• Developing and encouraging enterprise-based sustainable economic activities.
• Community
• Use innovative social and locally-based business processes to meet agreed- upon environmental and economic sustainability goals.
• Forest Ecosystem Services
  • Use innovative business or policy models to better establish prices and markets for ecosystem services.
  • Forest ecosystem services can include, but are not restricted to, carbon sequestration, forests' role in the carbon, nutrient, and water cycles, providing habitat to support biodiversity, and providing aesthetic, educational, and other cultural services.

Projects of potential interest include the following examples:

• Creation of local market-based jobs for in-forest activities (such as sustainable forest management, forest restoration, or sustainable silviculture).
• Development of demand for certified wood and for products made with sustainably produced forest resources (e.g., wood, boughs, biomass, and mushrooms).
• Promoting sustainable forest management alternatives to conversion of private forested land to other uses.
• Creating value in forests and forest communities through developing, producing, and marketing new forest products or forest ecosystem services.
• Advancing community-wide long-term planning for monetizing the full range of forest values, including explicit valuation of and creation of markets for forest ecosystem services.

The Foundation offers a competitive grant program to qualifying conservation-focused non-profit organizations whose programs and activities preserve and protect environments and living organisms of the Salish Sea region. By helping others fulfill their conservation missions, we support the health of the Salish Sea region.

The Salish Sea region is the intricate network of coastal mountains, land, and waterways that include the southwestern portion of the Canadian province of British Columbia and the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Washington. Its major bodies of water are the Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound.

Our funding criteria for these conservation education grants are based on our by-laws, articles of incorporation, status as an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) organization, and the wishes of Paul Wiseman, founding member of The Foundation.

Level 1: Community Conservation Education Grants

Community Conservation Education Grants are limited to no more than $5000 and are meant to support modest, short-term projects related to conservation education and consistent with our vision and mission. 

Projects may include

• direct educational programs and materials related to environmental conservation
• lectures, conferences, seminars
• written or audiovisual awareness materials
• curriculum or other instructional materials

NOTE: Applications must be completed in the same cycle in which the LOI is submitted.

Mission

The mission of Burning Foundation is to protect our region’s rivers, forest, native fish and land.

Environmental Programs:

We supply financial assistance to organizations that engage in the preservation of habitat that supports biodiversity and quiet remote recreation in Washington or Oregon. We believe that it is most important to preserve habitat that is part of a larger functioning ecosystem. 

Funding

Grants range from $5,000 to $15,000. Approximately $650,000 is granted each year.

Our Core Principles:

• Relevance: We continually seek information regarding significant opportunities in our region and in our focus areas to ensure that we are responding to current needs and opportunities.
• Community Engagement: We seek to foster community engagement in protecting wildlife and habitat and in engaging youth skills to build directly on community needs and strengths.
• Focus on Place: Grounded in the Northwest, we fund in urban, rural and tribal communities in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington where people work to improve the places that they live.
• Expand Opportunity: We give special consideration in our grant making to benefit and expand opportunities for underserved populations in our region.

Wildlife and Habitat Programs: Promoting Biodiversity in a Changing Climate

Conservation efforts that utilize the impacts of climate change when selecting areas for protection.

Engaging a community of citizens, scientists, and conservationists in educating the public about biodiversity and climate change.

Restoring important lands for biodiversity, focal species, and landscape connectivity. Including but not limited to:

• Assessments to identify species and communities at risk, including strategies to work toward ecosystem resilience.
• Identification of barriers to migration and mitigation measures to enhance landscape connectivity.
• Adaptive restoration strategies based on predicted species range expansion and contraction.
• Promoting the biodiversity of the marine and freshwater environments.

Guidelines for Wildlife and Habitat Programs

As development pressures increase, the stewardship of vital ecosystems is critical for protecting wildlife populations and habitat. The effort must be based on solid conservation biology, recognizing the resilience, complexity and interdependence of all life. Conservation of critical habitat and species requires comprehensive strategies and collaboration among partners working in the region, recognizing the limitation of funds available. Stewardship is the shared responsibility of empowered citizens, engaged scientists, collaborating foundations, informed business and property owners, and an accountable government. Healthy and diverse wildlife populations and habitat must be preserved through sound government policies and a range of creative conservation approaches. The principle of sustainability requires that environment, economics and equity are considered together to protect the quality of life at every level.

KLF offers a competitive grant program to qualifying conservation-focused non-profit organizations whose programs and activities preserve and protect environments and living organisms of the Salish Sea region. By helping others fulfill their conservation missions, we support the health of the Salish Sea region.

The Salish Sea region is the intricate network of coastal mountains, land, and waterways that include the southwestern portion of the Canadian province of British Columbia and the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Washington. Its major bodies of water are the Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound.

Our funding criteria for these conservation education grants are based on our by-laws, articles of incorporation, status as an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) organization, and the wishes of Paul Wiseman, founding member of the Keta Legacy Foundation.

Level 2: The Paul Wiseman Conservation Education Grant

The Keta Legacy Foundation is pleased to announce the expansion of the Paul Wiseman Conservation Education Grant. We will offer two grants during this round with a $15,000 limit for each.

• For one award, we will welcome substantial projects that envision significant environmental education benefits with carefully articulated goals and outcomes.
• The second award will be given for a restoration project that includes a strong educational research component.
• Both grant types should have high impact or visibility and could span multiple years.

Our Story

In 1998, the Icicle Fund was established by Harriet Bullitt to support the work of six named partner organizations focused on protecting the environment, advancing the arts, and promoting the natural and cultural history of the Wenatchee River watershed. This work quickly expanded to include the North Central Washington region counties of Chelan, Okanogan, Douglas and Grant. At an early board meeting, Harriet told "The Parable of the Long Spoons", which conveys the caring and cooperative spirit with which she hoped the Fund would operate.

Now, as we look back at our work over the past 20 years, we are committed to a sense of place as central to the Icicle Fund’s mission. It is this belief that strong connections to the land and the communities in which we live are nurtured through artistic expression and imagination, an understanding of our past, and experience in and love for our natural landscapes and wildlife. 

Our collective focus on this mission has centered our work on three areas in which the Icicle Fund awards grants: Arts, Cultural and Natural History, and Environment. Integration of two or more of these areas can be very impactful.

The Icicle Fund is a 501(c)(3) supporting organization. As we look back at the past 20 years, and forward to the next 20, representatives of the six named partner organizations continue to hold the majority of seats on the Board of Directors and work collaboratively with each other and other organizations to carry out the Fund's mission. It is this collective impact that will allow our work to continue to care for and be shared by the partners and communities we serve for the next 20 years. We strive to make a positive difference in the quality and health of all life in North Central Washington. Our work is inspired by a vision of North Central Washington as a region where nature, the arts and the area’s natural and human history inspire an appreciation, understanding and stewardship of this special place.

The Icicle Fund: Project Specific Funding

The Icicle Fund awards grants to non-profit organizations who develop North Central Washington as a region where nature, the arts, and the area’s natural and human history encourage appreciation, understanding and stewardship of this special place.

This year, we have again adapted our grant programs to further deepen partnerships with organizations that serve North Central Washington communities. Last year highlighted the power of flexible funding in allowing nonprofits to deliver mission in innovative and impactful ways. Depending on organizational mission and service areas, unrestricted or project support is available this year.

Our goal is to empower organizations to do their most important work in the community, implementing not only the high-profile but also the hard-to-fund projects while building and maintaining high performing organizations. 

We acknowledge the need for intentional strategies to engage community organizations and members who have been historically under-served through our programs. As a result, the application process and our applicant support service have been changed. 

Funding Priorities

We value both young (“upstart”) and mature organizations that foster a collaborative atmosphere, deliver mission in innovative and impactful ways, and connects with our diverse North Central Washington community.

Collaborative

We fundamentally believe that by working together we can increase the impact of organizations across this region. When mutually beneficial, we encourage exploration of collaborative relationships with one or more of the six Icicle Fund lead partner organizations.

Impactful

We support nonprofits in doing their most important work in the community, implementing not only the high-profile but also the hard-to-fund projects while building and maintaining high performing organizations.

Connected

We believe that strong, thriving communities are created and maintained through engagement of all its members and value nonprofits that remove barriers for community members who have been historically under-served or under-represented.

Our Mission

The three areas in which we awards grants are Environment, the Arts, and Cultural and Natural History. Integration of two or more of these areas can be very powerful and is encouraged when relevant.

The Arts

The Icicle Fund envisions a culture where a diversity of the Arts is accessible and valued as a critical component of vibrant communities in North Central Washington.   

We Believe That

• The Arts nurture the human spirit, transform lives, and connect people to place
• The Arts build strong economies and cohesive communities across social, economic, and racial boundaries
• The Arts are fundamental to a well-rounded education and help all students to succeed in school and life
• Collaboration between community leaders, artists, schools, and businesses ensure sustainable, quality arts programs
• Everyone in NCW deserves access to, and engagement with, the Arts at levels similar to urban areas

Environment

Icicle Fund envisions a future where intact landscapes, representative of the biodiversity of the region, provide opportunities for all people to connect with the land and water through stewardship capacity and policies that inspire long-term commitment to place. 

Strategic Goals

• Enhance the capacity of the North Central Washington community to know and care for and to access the land and water
• Build partnerships to advocate for strong policies to support land and water conservation through a variety of approaches
• Collaborate to conserve priority areas that sustain natural systems and species, connect across habitat types, and protect the flow of ecological and socioeconomic services
• Increase resilience to the local effects of climate change, in particular for climate-vulnerable populations or communities, and
• Work collaboratively to utilize multiple funding sources and increasingly leverage the Icicle Fund investment in conservation 

Priority Landscapes Include

• Natural lands that sustain systems and species, connect habitat types, and ensure the flow of ecological and socioeconomic services
• Working farms, ranches, and forests that balance human use with habitat protection and contribute to landscape connectivity
• Recreational lands such as parks and trails that provide opportunities for people to experience the outdoors close to home
• Lands that increase our resilience to the impact of climate change

History

The Icicle Fund envisions a future where North Central Washington residents and visitors understand and appreciate our region’s cultural and natural historical past.

NOTE: Pre-application Due: Applicants must start an application in PRISM by June 15, 2023 - see pre-proposal deadline above. Applications are due July 13, 2023.

Outdoor Learning Grants

All children deserve equitable access to outdoor spaces where they can learn, play, and grow, but access to outdoor educational opportunities is inequitable. In 2022, the Washington State Legislature funded the Outdoor Learning Grants program, with a goal to develop and support outdoor educational experiences for students in Washington public schools.

Grants are available for federally recognized tribes and outdoor education providers to support existing capacity and to increase future capacity for outdoor learning experiences. Grant applicants must partner with at least one Washington public school or district (this includes public preschools, tribal schools, public charters schools, and Open Doors Youth Reengagement programs).

The grant program is managed by the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), which teamed up with the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) to administer the grant program.

Typical Projects

• Hands-on, environmental education, nature-based learning experiences
• Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) education activities
• Learning about habitat restoration and environmental stewardship activities
• Integration of professional environmental and land management mentors in learning
• Immersive field studies, journaling, and group discussions