The Legacy Foundations

Our foundations support the work of a wide variety of non-profit organizations that serve our communities. The foundations are guided by the values of the Milgard family and represent the passions of the individual board members.

Ruth Foundation

The Ruth Foundation supports organizations primarily in Pierce County, Washington that focus on and provide direct services for animal welfare and marine life preservation. The foundation also supports some pre-selected homelessness initiatives.

The Ruth Foundation funding priority areas are animal welfare, marine life preservation and some pre-selected homelessness initiatives.

Whisper Foundation

The Whisper Foundation supports Pierce County, Washington organizations that work to improve the quality of life and impact a positive change in the under-served community.

The Whisper Foundation serves the Pierce County, Washington area with grant requests over $50,000.

The funding priority areas include animal welfare, education, health and social services.

Windows of Hope Foundation

The Windows of Hope Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life for the residents of Pierce County, Washington. We passionately support programs and organizations that work toward the betterment of our community by having a direct, meaningful impact on those they serve.

The Windows of Hope Foundation serves the Pierce County, Washington area with grant requests from $1,000 up to $50,000.

The funding priority areas include social service programs, senior services, youth, homelessness, health and wellness, and education

Skylight Foundation

The Skylight Foundation focuses on the improvement and health of the greater Los Angeles, California community by supporting organizations that provide well managed programs and projects.

The Skylight Foundation serves the greater Los Angeles, California area.

The funding priority areas include social service programs, education, health and wellness and youth programs.

Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is part of a national network, funded and coordinated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through a federal–state partnership. WSG activities for the period February 1, 2014–January 31, 2018 are funded through a federal omnibus grant that integrates research, education, public engagement, and administrative activities.

WSG sets aside a portion of its federal budget for small Program Development grants that allow timely responses to new or changing needs and provide the capacity to plan and begin implementation in emerging program areas. The grants address problems and opportunities that further our mission, but which may not be readily identified during our program’s four-year planning and budgeting cycle or fit into our competitive research project selection cycle. 

Program Development funds may be used for diverse purposes that fall into several categories:

• rapid response research, education, and outreach activities to address urgent marine and coastal needs
• early start-up of projects that will become part of our next four-year planning cycle
• joint activities with other Sea Grant College programs or partners
• seed grants to support new technologies or young investigators
• seed grants to expand WSG-supported research and education
• participation in activities that build and strengthen ties within and among marine sectors and institutions
• student support, through advisor or school, to complete long-term projects and allow participation in educational activities
• program planning and development
• needs not anticipated during routine WSG planning cycles

NOTE: The NW Fund is in a transition. There are no application deadlines for 2023. All grants will be foundation initiated.Growth ManagementThe goal of the Growth Management Program is to promote smart growth land use policies and to prevent damage to environmentally sensitive areas that are threatened by development, climate change impacts and the weakening of existing environmental laws and regulations. The Northwest Fund seeks to fund work advancing these objectives:

• Encourage transparent, sustainable, inclusive, community-driven land use planning and management within the State of Washington.
• Promote land use practices and policies which seek to reduce impacts, such as carbon emissions, that contribute to climate change.
• Increase the effectiveness of citizen advocates and nonprofit organizations to implement and maintain smart growth land use policies.
• Support compliance with and enforcement of growth management laws and regulations that result in long-term, statewide net benefits for the natural resources of Washington State.

We place emphasis on these strategies to advance our objectives:

•  Use litigation, mediation and other legal tools to enforce and monitor compliance with existing growth management laws.
•  Educate, organize and engage the public in land use planning processes and management that is consistent with smart growth.
•  Promote and defend the use of best available science to achieve growth management objectives.

Aquatic EcosystemsThe goal of the Aquatic Ecosystem program of the Northwest Fund for the Environment is to protect and restore the extensive network of fresh and saltwater ecosystems in the State of Washington and the native species that inhabit these ecosystems. Our program is divided into two areas of emphasis:

• Freshwater ecosystems including rivers, streams, wetlands, and riparian areas. We are concerned with water quality, water quantity and connectivity issues as they affect aquatic ecosystems.
• Saltwater ecosystems of Puget Sound and the Washington Coast, including estuaries and saltwater shoreline areas.

The NWFE seeks to fund work advancing these objectives:

Freshwater Ecosystems

• Improve implementation of water quality standards throughout Washington State, including the protection of waterways  from both point and non-point sources or the weakening of existing environmental regulations.
• Establish and protect adequate instream flow levels statewide to provide healthy habitat for native species.
• Enhance connectivity of freshwater systems – both instream and with other functioning water bodies and sources.
• Prepare and plan for changes in water availability attributed to climate change.

Saltwater Ecosystems

• Reduce and respond to threats to marine resources from external harms such as oil spills, invasive species and climate change impacts.
• Protect marine and estuarine habitat and native species from pollution or weakening of existing environmental regulations.
• Support and promote marine resource management that is sustainable, transparent, community-driven and ecosystem-based in its approach.

The NWFE places emphasis on these strategies to advance our objectives:

• Monitor the implementation and application of existing laws.
• Promote public policies that enhance, protect or restore aquatic ecosystems.
• Litigate to enforce and defend key laws e.g., Clean Water Act (CWA), Shoreline Management Act (SMA), and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as they apply to these areas.
• Participate in ongoing public processes and negotiations.
• Inform and engage the public in the stewardship and protection of aquatic ecosystems and resources

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.

Our Mission

The RPM Foundation supports restoration and preservation training programs for the next generation of automotive, motorcycle and marine craftsmen. As the educational arm of America’s Automotive Trust, the services, resources and grants provided by the RPM Foundation safeguard the future of the collector vehicle industry by sustaining hands-on training for young adults. The RPM Foundation is based in Chicago with an office in Tacoma, Washington, and Ambassadors in 11 states and abroad.

The RPM Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that critical skills necessary to preserve and restore collector vehicles are not lost by providing scholarships and educational grants to students and organizations committed to hands-on training of the trades.

We promote interest in collectible vehicles by developing the next generation of enthusiasts and restorers in the following ways:

• Support the post-secondary education and training of youth in the manual arts.
• Work to ensure no skill is lost, no master craftsman is without an apprentice and no student is without an opportunity.
• Fund individual career-focused training in the skills and trades especially important to the future of the collector vehicle community through educational scholarships, internships and apprenticeships.
• Provide grants to educational institutions and organizations engaged in training and developing skills related to promoting, protecting and preserving collectible vehicles.

Who We Are

The RPM Foundation provides the pathway to careers for the next generation of automotive, motorcycle and marine restoration and preservation craftsmen and artisans through formal training and mentorship.

What We Do

We promote interest in collectible cars, motorcycles and boats by developing the next generation of enthusiasts, restorers and craftsmen. By providing funding through scholarships and grants to organizations that have a proven history of being committed to the ‘hands-on’ training of young people, we are securing the future of the automotive and marine restoration and preservation industries.

What We’re Looking For

We are concerned about the future and the fact that fewer young people are learning the trades and skills that will help preserve our heritage. To that end, we help organizations who are dedicated to instructing and training young people, primarily 18-25 year olds, to restore and preserve vintage cars, motorcycles and boats, as well as providing them with a pathway to careers.

Typical Grant Awards 

An average first-time grant award is about $10,000. 

In 1984, the Washington State Legislature created this grant program to ensure that money generated from aquatic lands was used to protect and enhance those lands.

Grants may be used for the acquisition, improvement, or protection of aquatic lands for public purposes. They also may be used to provide or improve public access to the waterfront.

Aquatic lands are all tidelands, shore lands, harbor areas, and the beds of navigable waters.

Typical Projects

• Removing bulkheads to restore natural beach functions
• Restoring an estuary
• Replacing a waterfront boardwalk
• Restoring shoreline for salmon habitat
• Developing a waterfront park

Funding

Funding generally is awarded every 2 years.

ALEA is funded almost entirely by revenue generated from aquatic lands and is used to improve those lands or access to them. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources manages the state-owned aquatic lands and generates revenue from activities such as leasing waterfront sites to marinas and selling harvest rights for geoduck clams.

Combination (acquisition and development or restoration)  up to $1 million. Not more than $500,000 may be for development or restoration.

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.

The Community Response Fund (CRF) is for work being done that enhances the greater objectives of our Growth Management and Aquatic Ecosystems programs. With this program, the Foundation aims to honor and sustain the rich history of grassroots engagement in our state and bring new voices and organizations into our grantmaking.The Community Response Fund serves two main goals: Grassroots Engagement: We invest in local organizations that are often the first to see, experience and understand environmental needs, threats and trends, but they may lack the resources of larger organizations to respond. Environmental Movement Building: We support efforts to bring new voices into the environmental movement and encourage proposals that will grow the base of environmental advocates beyond those historically involved.In both cases, sample activities may look like:

• Lead community engagement on a proposed plan, vision or process. 
• File lawsuits or comments to stop proposed projects or activities that violate local, state or federal environmental regulations pertaining to aquatic ecosystems, land use or native species.
• Support leadership development and organizing capacity, particularly in under-resourced communities.
• Support for: trainings, list-building, canvassing and developing and implementing communications needs.

Likely Candidates:

• Community-based, locally-focused organizations 
• Applicants with a need for one-time funds for a discrete project
• Organizations piloting new projects, seeking small start-up funds

Growth ManagementThe goal of the Growth Management Program is to promote smart growth land use policies and to prevent damage to environmentally sensitive areas that are threatened by development, climate change impacts and the weakening of existing environmental laws and regulations. The Northwest Fund seeks to fund work advancing these objectives:

• Encourage transparent, sustainable, inclusive, community-driven land use planning and management within the State of Washington.
• Promote land use practices and policies which seek to reduce impacts, such as carbon emissions, that contribute to climate change.
• Increase the effectiveness of citizen advocates and nonprofit organizations to implement and maintain smart growth land use policies.
• Support compliance with and enforcement of growth management laws and regulations that result in long-term, statewide net benefits for the natural resources of Washington State.

We place emphasis on these strategies to advance our objectives:

•  Use litigation, mediation and other legal tools to enforce and monitor compliance with existing growth management laws.
•  Educate, organize and engage the public in land use planning processes and management that is consistent with smart growth.
•  Promote and defend the use of best available science to achieve growth management objectives.

Aquatic EcosystemsThe goal of the Aquatic Ecosystem program of the Northwest Fund for the Environment is to protect and restore the extensive network of fresh and saltwater ecosystems in the State of Washington and the native species that inhabit these ecosystems. Our program is divided into two areas of emphasis:

• Freshwater ecosystems including rivers, streams, wetlands, and riparian areas. We are concerned with water quality, water quantity and connectivity issues as they affect aquatic ecosystems.
• Saltwater ecosystems of Puget Sound and the Washington Coast, including estuaries and saltwater shoreline areas.

The NWFE seeks to fund work advancing these objectives:

Freshwater Ecosystems

• Improve implementation of water quality standards throughout Washington State, including the protection of waterways  from both point and non-point sources or the weakening of existing environmental regulations.
• Establish and protect adequate instream flow levels statewide to provide healthy habitat for native species.
• Enhance connectivity of freshwater systems – both instream and with other functioning water bodies and sources.
• Prepare and plan for changes in water availability attributed to climate change.

Saltwater Ecosystems

• Reduce and respond to threats to marine resources from external harms such as oil spills, invasive species and climate change impacts.
• Protect marine and estuarine habitat and native species from pollution or weakening of existing environmental regulations.
• Support and promote marine resource management that is sustainable, transparent, community-driven and ecosystem-based in its approach.

The NWFE places emphasis on these strategies to advance our objectives:

• Monitor the implementation and application of existing laws.
• Promote public policies that enhance, protect or restore aquatic ecosystems.
• Litigate to enforce and defend key laws e.g., Clean Water Act (CWA), Shoreline Management Act (SMA), and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as they apply to these areas.
• Participate in ongoing public processes and negotiations.
• Inform and engage the public in the stewardship and protection of aquatic ecosystems and resources

The Inukai Family Foundation was established in honor of Richard Michael “Dick” Inukai.

Born May 25, 1943 to Tom and Mecha Inukai in a Japanese internment camp in Tule Lake, California, Dick’s parents moved to Hood River while he was an infant, and later relocated the family to Portland where his father owned a gasoline service station. A graduate of Madison High School, Dick joined the Marine Corps where he served four years as a reserve. Eventually, Dick’s love of cars drove him into the automobile industry in 1962 when he took his first job with a local auto dealership as a salesperson. Dick quickly established himself as a top salesman and worked his way up the ladder. Inukai found his way into ownership with his first auto franchise at the young age of 30.

Coming to Hillsboro in the early 1970’s, Inukai later acquired what is now known as Dick’s Country Chrysler Jeep Dodge and in 1994 became a full partner in Dick’s Mackenzie Ford. Hard work, honesty and integrity were the foundation of Dick’s business dealings which quickly endeared him to the local business community. Dick’s philosophy on running his business was simply never asking anyone to do something he would not do himself. Inukai devoted much of his work in the community to dozens of organizations with causes that impact children, such as providing books and readers to elementary schools through Operation Outreach; providing food, gifts and adopt-a-family coordination during the holidays for the Domestic Violence Resource Center; and with Hillsboro Parks and Recreation.

Areas of Support

The Foundation supports the legacy of Richard M. (Dick) Inukai to help make society better by supporting organizations serving children, underprivileged youth, minorities, seniors, health care and education. The Foundation funding priorities are: Education; Community and Social Services; and Health Care and Medical Research.