Hearst Foundations' Mission

The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

Hearst Foundations' Goals

The Foundations seek to achieve their mission by funding approaches that result in:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Access to high quality educational options to promote increased academic achievement
• Arts and sciences serving as a cornerstone of society
• Sustainable employment and productive career paths for adults
• Stabilizing and supporting families

Funding Priorities

The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – culture, education, health and social service – and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Culture

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those which enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Education

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

Types of Support: Program, scholarship, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Health

The Hearst Foundations assist leading regional hospitals, medical centers and specialized medical institutions providing access to high-quality healthcare for low-income populations. In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals necessary to meet the country’s evolving needs, the Foundations also fund programs designed to enhance skills and increase the number of practitioners and educators across roles in healthcare. Because the Foundations seek to use their funds to create a broad and enduring impact on the nation’s health, support for medical research and the development of young investigators is also considered.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, endowment support

Social Service

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Types of Support: Program, capital and general support

The Salvador Fund will consider applications from nonprofit groups from any sector (e.g. education, housing, transportation, health care, the arts and culture, public health) seeking financial support for programs, projects, or events that fit the Salvador Fund’s criteria and priorities.

The purpose of the Salvador Fund is to honor the memory of Salvador Castañares by offering small grants ($250 to $3,500) to benefit low-income people in the mid-Columbia region of Oregon and Washington. The grant committee will consider applications from nonprofit groups from any sector seeking financial support for programs, projects, or events that fit the criteria in the grant guidelines which are available here – Salvador Fund Grant Guidelines. The submission process is open and grant requests will be accepted at any time.

Walmart’s more than 2 million associates are residents, neighbors, friends and family in thousands of communities around the globe. Walmart works to strengthen these communities through both retail business and community giving, and we support and invest in communities through local giving. The following programs have open application processes with specific deadlines for eligibility and consideration.

Local Community Grants

Each year, our U.S. stores and clubs award local cash grants ranging from $250 to $5,000. These local grants are designed to address the unique needs of the communities where we operate. They include a variety of organizations, such as animal shelters, elder services and community clean-up projects.

Areas of Funding

• There are eight (8) areas of funding for which an organization can apply. Please review the areas listed below to ensure your organization’s goals fall within one of these areas.
• Community and Economic Development: Improving local communities for the benefit of low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering the building of relationships and understanding among diverse groups in the local service area
• Education: Providing afterschool enrichment, tutoring or vocational training for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Environmental Sustainability: Preventing waste, increasing recycling, or supporting other programs that work to improve the environment in the local service area
• Health and Human Service: Providing medical screening, treatment, social services, or shelters for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating: Providing Federal or charitable meals/snacks for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Public Safety: Supporting public safety programs through training programs or equipment in the local service area
• Quality of Life: Improving access to recreation, arts or cultural experiences for low-income individuals and families in the local service area

Focus Grants

From humble beginnings, our competitive grant programs have grown to change thousands of lives, bolster many missions and create more vibrant communities in Clark, Cowlitz and Skamania Counties. Focus Grants are awarded to organizations that clearly demonstrate how they are disrupting intergenerational poverty. Our awards vary in size, typically ranging between $25,000 and $50,000.

Through our discretionary grantmaking, we acknowledge the experience of intergenerational poverty is not shared equally in our community. Throughout history, policies have systemically excluded communities of color from the opportunities we all need to thrive, directly affecting their disproportionate experience of poverty.

Through our discretionary grantmaking, we are committed to reducing disparities by:

• Supporting organizations working to address the root causes of intergenerational poverty like racial and structural inequities and helping create policies and systems that center people with lived experience.
• Prioritizing organizations led by members of the communities for which they serve.
• Reaching into each of our communities in southwest Washington and actively engaging as a strategic partner to all the counties we serve.
• Increasing the capacity of organizations in the community whose work, mission and values align with the mission, vision and values of the Community Foundation.
• Investing in innovative strategies that are guided by community need to solve emerging and structural societal issues.

Seeking Shared Prosperity

To accomplish this goal we invest in the following community impact areas, which we believe will improve all lives in southwest Washington.

• Basic Human Needs: Many in our community are working to survive, and every day presents a challenge to find food, shelter and security. For this reason, we fund organizations and programs that fulfill the basic needs of underserved people, families and communities. This includes needs such as food security, rent and utility assistance, affordable housing, physical and mental health, caregiving, domestic violence services and more. By addressing these pressing needs as they arise, people are better able to plan for their futures.
• Educational Attainment: In today’s economy, a good job and upward mobility increasingly depend on educational attainment. Without access, inclusivity and strong social supports, even students with great potential can encounter barriers. We invest in efforts that provide equitable opportunities along the entire educational continuum from birth to adulthood, so that every child enters school ready to learn and is able to achieve their goals for post-secondary success.
• Asset Building: All southwest Washington residents should have the opportunity to achieve financial security. We fund efforts to improve the economic health of the people and communities who face the biggest barriers to mobility. These include asset- and wealth-building strategies, employment services, financial planning and credit repair, small business development, homeownership, community livability, economic development and more.

Community Impact Lens -The following priorities help guide our funding toward projects and programs that have the greatest potential for community impact.

• The program or organization addresses an important community need in southwest Washington and is focused on dismantling disparities and increasing opportunities for historically underserved communities;
• The proposed project or work is consistent with the organization’s mission, and the organization has the experience and knowledge to address the identified community need;
• The organization is committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion both internally, through its institutional practices and policies, and externally, through its partnerships and program delivery;
• The program or organization is working to build awareness around intergenerational poverty and address its root causes;
• The organization’s programs are clearly defined, avoid duplication and are grounded in strength-based best practices in the field;
• The organization seeks to include the voices and perspectives of the people and communities it serves during program development and conducts outreach and service delivery with cultural sensitivity;
• The organization has established trusted community relationships and meaningful community partnerships;
• The organization seeks to collaborate and share, carrying out their work in coordination with partners or through coalition building efforts;
• The outcomes and activities noted are realistic and the organization has demonstrated potential of future impact;
• The organization demonstrates competency in fiscal planning and management; the project budget and grant request are commensurate in size with the organization’s overall budget and with the proposed impact of the work; and additional support is sought from other funding sources.

NOTE: BECU member nominations are accepted through the Letter of Inquiry deadline, above. Nonprofit supplemental applications are due by the full proposal deadline.

Nominate a Nonprofit

Not all heroes wear capes. Some work to end hunger, others push for social equity and justice, and others transform lives through mentorship, education or the arts. Heroism takes many forms, and we're counting on you to help us identify the heroes among us.

The People Helping People Awards is an annual, member-driven program that recognizes members and nonprofits that help others. Each winner receives up to $50K in grant funds. This year, through our Black Community Development Project (BCDP), a five-year, $5 million commitment to Black communities and racial equity, we're giving up to $150K in additional funding to Black-led nonprofits nominated by BECU members.

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

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/chambers of commerce.

Charitable Foundation

The Paul Lauzier Charitable Foundation was created pursuant to the Last Will and Testament of Paul Lauzier. During his lifetime, Mr. Lauzier made numerous contributions to religious, educational, and community organizations. His legacy of charitable giving continues through annual grants awarded by the Paul Lauzier Charitable

Foundation in support of community development, youth programs, public health and safety, education, and agriculture.

There is no geographical limitation for funding requests. With that said, the Paul Lauzier Charitable Foundation prefers to fund programs and projects geographically located in rural communities in central and eastern Washington, with an emphasis within Grant County.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

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.

The Icicle Fund: Unrestricted 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.