FIRST FEDERAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDS 17 NONPROFITS A TOTAL OF $400,000 IN GRANTS

Total Giving Since 2015 Surpasses $5.7 Million

Port Angeles, Washington – First Federal Community Foundation today announced it has selected 17 nonprofit organizations that are enhancing the quality of life in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Whatcom Counties to share a total of $400,000 in funding during its current spring grant cycle.

“Having received 44 applications totaling more than $1.6 million in funding requests, and with great need in our communities, the awards process was challenging,” said Norman J. Tonina, President of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

“As our communities are still recovering from the toll of COVID, the Foundation focused its giving on supporting youth, veterans, families and the uninsured in the face of devastating health and financial impacts of the pandemic,” continued Mr. Tonina.

“We also supported innovative projects that are intended to stimulate economic recovery and sustainability, and efforts to expand access to housing and quality childcare,” said Jan Simon, Foundation Executive Director.

Recipients of First Federal Community Foundation’s Spring 2022 grant awards are:

Bainbridge Island Child Care Centers: $25,000 Community Development grant to fund capital improvements, allowing the Center to continue its programs at its current rates in a safe and secure facility.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County: $25,000 Community Development grant to purchase the childcare facility and surrounding property on Yew Street in Bellingham, ensuring the expansion of affordable, quality childcare services.

Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship: $50,000 Economic Development grant to support up to 60 underserved Clallam and Jefferson County entrepreneurs in starting small businesses that will generate revenue, create jobs and contribute to a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient community.

College Success Foundation: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide emergency funding to low-income students in Port Angeles and Bremerton, helping to stabilize their families and supporting them to stay on track in school.

Communities In Schools of Whatcom-Skagit: $7,500 Community Support grant to provide clothing, school supplies, personal care items, learning resources, counseling support and more to 4,000+ students of five middle and high schools in the Bellingham and Ferndale school districts.

Growing Veterans: $7,500 Community Support grant to refurbish the damaged hoop house and procure accessible tools and equipment, increasing the sustainability and impact of the Dirt Therapy Program and donations to Whatcom County food banks.

Housing Resources Bainbridge: $50,000 Affordable Housing grant to support 31 households with approximately 65 individuals to become owners of new, permanently affordable homes located on Bainbridge Island, near shopping, schools and parks.

Jefferson Teen Center: $5,000 Community Support grant to launch a new summer program and maintain programming for middle and high schoolers during the 2022-2023 school year.

North Olympic Foster Parent Association: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide backpacks, school supplies, gifts for the Magical Gift Program and items for the Annual Holiday Dinner, to support Clallam County’s foster children and foster families.

North Olympic Healthcare Network: $25,000 Community Development grant to support the renovation of the new Eastside Health Clinic, which provides community members, regardless of ability to pay, with full-spectrum primary care, behavioral health services and nurse care management, expanded COVID testing/vaccination and telehealth capacity, and eye care services.

Northwest Maritime Center: $80,000 Economic Development grant to help fund the pilot year of expanded fleet operations, supporting workforce development opportunities for Clallam, Jefferson and Kitsap County youth, and stimulating economic development and enhancing visitor experiences in Port Townsend’s business districts.

Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding: $30,000 Economic Development grant funding a dedicated Financial Aid Officer to help incoming classes access federal student aid, veterans’ benefits, third-party scholarships, and other sources of tuition assistance, creating access to workforce skills for students from Clallam, Jefferson and Kitsap Counties.

Olympic Angels: $5,000 Community Support grant to recruit and match 16 or more community volunteers with Clallam and Jefferson County foster kids and their foster families, providing long-term mentorships, relationships and support.

Olympic College Foundation: $35,000 Economic Development grant to expand the Promise Program to an additional Kitsap County high school, so that 30 additional low-income students can complete their first year of college tuition-free.

Road2Home: $25,000 Affordable Housing grant to provide six months of funding for the Allyship Program, assisting those living on the streets in Bellingham with navigating social services, developing sustainable life skills, and providing support for healthcare, transportation and emergencies.

The Coffee Oasis: $15,000 Community Support grant to respond to the Surgeon General’s December 2021 Advisory stating that “the effect of COVID on the mental health of America’s adolescents has been devastating,” by providing staff to reach out to and support 300 youth in crisis in Kitsap County.

Vamos Outdoors Project: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide summer programs, in partnership with the Lynden and Bellingham School Districts, for 80 Latine, migrant, and multilingual youth.

Since it began making grants in 2015, the Foundation’s giving totals $5,701,500. Committed to creating broad impact that benefits low-to-moderate-income, disadvantaged and/or marginalized persons or families in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Whatcom Counties, the Foundation has awarded grants to nonprofits, government and tribal organizations and school districts in the following funding priorities:

     $1,326,300 to organizations addressing homelessness and the availability of and access to affordable housing;

     $2,355,000 to community development projects;

     $855,200 to organizations providing a wide array of necessary support to our communities;

     $945,000 to efforts that stimulate and support economic development;

     $220,000 to organizations addressing hardships caused and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

About First Federal Community Foundation:

First Federal Community Foundation is a private charitable corporation that began making grants in 2015, thanks to a generous gift valued at nearly $12 million from the parent company of First Fed, when the bank was converted to a publicly traded company.

“Since 2015, First Federal Community Foundation has awarded more than $5.7 million to nonprofit, tribal, and government agencies in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Whatcom Counties. The Foundation’s partnership with these dedicated organizations to bring resources to those in need has never been more crucial,” said Karen McCormick, Foundation Board Member.

About First Fed, the Foundation’s sole donor:

First Fed is a local community bank in Washington serving customers and communities since 1923, with 16 locations in Clallam, Jefferson, King, Kitsap and Whatcom Counties. First Fed is a subsidiary of First Northwest Bancorp (FNWB), a holding company for the bank and other investments.

First Fed has a long history of investing in its local communities. With a vision of creating wellbeing and prosperity for its employees, customers, and communities, First Fed and First Federal Community Foundation contributed over $1.1 million to nonprofits in 2021. Also in 2021, First Fed employees donated 4,400 hours of volunteer service in the communities First Fed serves.

For more information, contact Jan Simon, Executive Director, at jan.simon@firstfedcf.org or 360-417-3112

Thank you to the following publications for spreading the word about First Fed Foundation’s grant awards!

Peninsula Daily News May 23, 2022

Forks Forum May 26, 2022

Whatcom News May 29, 2022

Lynden Tribune June 1, 2022

My Clallam County June 3, 2022

Sequim Gazette June 3, 2022

Kitsap Daily News June 8, 2022

Radio interview with KONP’s Todd Ortloff, June 28, 2022, featuring Karen McCormick, the Foundation’s founding executive director and current board member, and the executive director of the Forks Food Bank, who has served in this volunteer capacity for 30 of the Food Bank’s 50 years:

FIRST FEDERAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 16 NONPROFIT GRANT RECIPIENTS

Total Giving Since 2015 Surpasses $5 Million

Port Angeles, Washington – First Federal Community Foundation today announced it has selected 16 nonprofit organizations to share a total of $392,500 in funding during its current grant cycle.

Foundation Executive Director, Jan Simon, described the fall grant recipients as “difference-making organizations in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties that bring hope and help to individuals and families in need.” These organizations provide housing, food, emergency cash assistance, medical and mental health services, and so much more, she said.

Including this fall grant cycle, the Foundation’s giving in 2021 will total $860,000, said Foundation Board President Norman J. Tonina. “We are proud to provide resources for these dedicated organizations that are serving as a lifeline and building brighter and better futures for our friends, neighbors, and communities,” he said.

Committed to improving the quality of life in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Whatcom Counties, the Foundation has, in seven years of grantmaking, awarded more than $5.3 million in grants to nonprofits, government and tribal organizations, and school districts. Of that total, grant awards have been made in the following funding categories:

     $1,251,300 to organizations addressing homelessness and the availability of affordable housing;

     $2,280,000 to community development projects;

     $800,200 to organizations providing community support;

     $750,000 to efforts that support economic development;

     $220,000 to organizations addressing hardships caused and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fall 2021 Grant Recipients:

Dungeness Valley Health & Wellness Clinic/Sequim Free Clinic: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide free podiatric services to medically underserved, low-income patients in Clallam County.

East Jefferson Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide vouchers for housing and utilities, groceries, transportation, and more for individuals and families in need.

Forks Community Food Bank: $25,000 Community Development grant to underwrite a portion of the wages of the Food Bank’s first—and only—employee, ensuring that it can continue serving as it has for the last 50 years; and fund the purchase of meat and dairy products for distribution to approximately 11,255 families in 2022.

Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County: $100,000 Affordable Housing grant to purchase 4.5 acres of property within Sequim city limits, on which Habitat will build 30-40 new, permanently affordable homes for ownership by Clallam County residents.

InvestED: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide emergency financial assistance for students of 50 secondary schools in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties.

Jefferson Healthcare Foundation: $30,000 Community Development grant to replace and upgrade a fleet of advanced life support defibrillators at Jefferson Healthcare Medical Center.

Master Gardener Foundation of Clallam County: $5,000 Community Support grant to replace the greenhouse, which is used to propagate, overwinter and maintain vegetable starts and tender plants grown to provide produce for local food banks.

North Kitsap Fishline: $7,500 Community Support grant for a refrigerated produce case for Fishline’s Healthy Foods Market, a Food Bank that has been operating continuously for more than 50 years and serving as many as 50 Kitsap County households per day, five days a week.

Parkview Services: $50,000 Affordable Housing grant to fund the Homeownership Program, providing no-cost, pre-purchase homebuyer education, housing counseling, and down payment assistance to low- and moderate-income people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Whatcom Counties.

Peninsula Behavioral Health: $50,000 Affordable Housing grant to fund crucial renovations to the Arlene Engel Home in Port Angeles, an assisted living residence providing specialized care for vulnerable low-income residents with severe and persistent mental illness.

Peninsula College Foundation: $25,000 Economic Development grant for the Transitional Studies Computer Access Project, which will provide 58 laptops so that Clallam and Jefferson County students enrolled in the College’s GED and High School Diploma programs will have the tools needed to complete their studies and achieve their educational and professional goals.

Puget Sound Voyaging Society’s Community Boat Project: $30,000 Affordable Housing grant funding paid internships for local youth between the ages of 18-24, to learn life skills and carpentry while building tiny houses for the homeless of Jefferson County.

Soroptimist International of the Olympic Rainforest: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide for basic and targeted needs of low-income veterans, single moms and families, homeless adults and children, and women and children fleeing domestic violence in Clallam County.

The Benji Project: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide mindfulness-based stress management and emotional resiliency training to adolescent students in Jefferson County schools.

Western Washington University Foundation: $40,000 Economic Development grant to support a pilot project intended to deliver free technical assistance—including planning, operations, marketing, sales, government contracting, and more—to Hispanic, Asian, Indigenous, and Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs in Whatcom County.

Wild Bird Charity: $5,000 Community Support grant to support the Wild Bird Starfish Backpack Food Program in providing nutritious, kid-friendly, easy to prepare weekend meals for 350 children who qualify for free or reduced meals in school districts in Whatcom County.

About First Federal Community Foundation:

First Federal Community Foundation is a private charitable corporation that began making grants in 2015 thanks to a generous gift valued at nearly $12 million from the parent company of First Fed, when the bank was converted to a publicly traded company.

“Since 2015, First Federal Community Foundation has awarded more than $5.3 million to nonprofit, tribal, and government agencies in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Whatcom Counties. The Foundation’s partnership with these dedicated organizations to bring resources to those in need has never been more crucial,” said Karen McCormick, Foundation Board Member.

About First Fed, the Foundation’s sole donor:

First Fed is a local community bank, serving customers and communities since 1923, with 13 locations in Clallam, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties. First Fed is a subsidiary of First Northwest Bancorp (FNWB), a holding company for the bank and other investments.

In 2020, First Fed bank and foundation donated over $1 million to nonprofit organizations and First Fed’s team volunteered over 2,400 hours with nonprofits.

For more information, contact Jan Simon, Executive Director, at jan.simon@firstfedcf.org or 360-417-3112.

The year 2020 was, for most of us, overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, as it wreaked havoc on individuals, families, and communities worldwide. The regions that First Federal Community Foundation supports were not exempt. Our healthcare systems, schools, businesses, community institutions, and community members were stressed as never before.

Yet, as the pandemic tightened its grip on every aspect of our daily lives, the organizations featured in this annual report responded swiftly to mitigate its impact. These nonprofits were creative, agile, resourceful and resilient in assessing and addressing immediate and critical community needs and working to rebuild lives and economies. They served as a lifeline to keep our communities afloat during this troubled time.

We at First Federal Community Foundation are honored to have provided grants to these organizations in 2020-more than 40, with total contributions of $765,000-to support them in fulfilling their critical mission and furthering our shared commitment of strengthening our communities.

“We dedicate this Annual Report to the nonprofits that helped our friends and neighbors in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Whatcom Counties weather the storm that was 2020. We extend our appreciation for the positive and significant difference they make. Together, we are strengthening our communities.”

– Norman J. Tonina, Jr., President of the Board

Click below to view the 2020 Annual Report:

FIRST FEDERAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2021 SPRING GRANT AWARDS

19 Local Nonprofits to Share $452,500

Port Angeles, Washington – First Federal Community Foundation has selected 19 nonprofit organizations to receive a total of $452,500 in funding during its spring 2021 grant cycle.

These nonprofits provide essential services and basic support for individuals and families in need in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties, said Foundation Executive Director, Jan Simon.

During this grant cycle, Simon noted, the Foundation has directed support to “nonprofits that are working to increase access to food, affordable housing, education, and healthcare, with additional funding directed to organizations that are fulfilling immediate needs that were caused and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Foundation President, Norman J. Tonina, described this year’s spring grant recipients as “organizations that make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable residents, serving as a lifeline – particularly during the pandemic.” He added, “The Foundation is proud to provide financial resources to these effective and responsive nonprofits who change people’s lives for the better, day in and day out.” Since the Foundation began making grants in 2015, it has contributed $4,894,000 to nonprofits in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties.

Spring 2021 Grant Awards were made to:

Bellingham Public Schools Foundation: $5,000 Community Support Grant for the GRADS program, which provides onsite, high-quality childcare and social-emotional support services to low-income teenaged parents, many of whom are homeless and non-English speaking, making it possible for them to focus on, and graduate from, school.

Cascade Medical Advantage: $7,500 Community Support Grant to help remove barriers to recovery by offering essential short-term assistance—including food, temporary housing, transportation, and medication—to people in Whatcom County who are engaged in opioid addiction treatment, most of whom are indigent and often homeless.

Coats for Kids: $5,000 Community Support Grant to provide new coats, socks, and shoes to approximately 200 low-income children in Clallam and Jefferson Counties.

Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County: $50,000 Affordable Housing Grant to establish the infrastructure – including streets, sewer, and utility hook-ups – for 20 units of permanent affordable housing in Port Townsend.

Jefferson Healthcare Foundation: $20,000 COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant to provide emergency food assistance to 300 patients of the hospital, emergency room, family birth center, and primary care clinic, as well as financial aid to Jefferson Healthcare staff to relieve some of the burden of childcare costs.

Kids in Concert: $5,000 Community Support Grant to sponsor the participation of 100 Kitsap County children in one of four free summer learning camps.

Kitsap Community Resources: $50,000 Affordable Housing Grant to fund the construction of the Manette Project, which will provide affordable housing and case management support for nine low-income families with children who are formerly or currently homeless.

Kitsap Harvest: $7,500 Community Support Grant to fund the build-out of cold storage units, along with a food aggregation station, that will make it possible to provide more fresh and perishable foods to 3,000+ low-income Kitsap County community members.

NAMI of Whatcom County: $5,000 Community Support Grant to build capacity to serve the Latinx Community affected by mental illness.

Olympic Peninsula YMCA: $50,000 Community Development Grant to purchase a refrigerated cargo van to deliver more than 50,000 meals annually to 325 food-insecure Jefferson County children on weekends, non-school days, holiday breaks, and over the summer.

Opportunity Council: $5,000 Community Support Grant to help feed hungry home-bound Whatcom County residents by delivering food from food banks to their homes.

Port Angeles Food Bank: $50,000 Community Development Grant to help fund the purchase of the Food Bank’s “forever home.” This facility will serve more than 500 households weekly, and will include an innovative open market, commercial kitchen, and meeting space.

Port Townsend Marine Science Center: $5,000 Community Support Grant to provide more than 200 low- and middle-income students from Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties with engaging and meaningful science education.

Sequim Education Foundation: $7,500 Community Support Grant to make laptops available to low-income and homeless students in the Sequim School District.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul: $50,000 Community Development Grant to help meet the emergency needs of hundreds of individuals and families in Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties who would otherwise have nowhere to turn for help.

The Nature Conservancy: $50,000 Economic Development Grant to support three pilot projects that, when brought to full scale, will create approximately 30 jobs and generate $10 million in revenue in Clallam and Jefferson Counties.

Unity Care Northwest: $50,000 Community Development Grant to fund capital expenses for The Way Station in Whatcom County, where individuals and families experiencing homelessness will be able to access needed services and receive assistance in transitioning to sustainable housing.

Vamos Outdoors Project: $5,000 Community Support Grant to provide academic and outdoor programming for approximately 60 Whatcom County migrant youth.

Western Washington University Foundation: $25,000 COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant for the Student Emergency Fund, which provides a financial lifeline for students needing support with rent, utilities, groceries, medical and dental bills, and more.

About First Federal Community Foundation:

First Federal Community Foundation is a private charitable corporation established with a gift of stock and cash valued at nearly $12 million from the parent company of First Fed, when the bank was converted to a publicly traded company. This gift underscored First Fed’s commitment to continue its tradition of giving back to the communities it serves.

In that same spirit, First Federal Community Foundation is committed to creating broad impact in the communities in which First Fed, the Foundation’s sole donor, maintains full-service branches.

Since the Foundation began making grants in 2015, it has contributed $4,894,000 to nonprofits making a difference in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties.

About First Fed:

First Fed is a local community bank, serving customers and communities since 1923, with 13 locations in Clallam, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties. First Fed is a subsidiary of First Northwest Bancorp (FNWB), a holding company for the bank and other investments.

In 2020, First Fed bank and foundation donated over $1 million to nonprofit organizations and First Fed’s team volunteered over 2,400 hours with nonprofits.

For more information, contact Jan Simon, Executive Director, at jan.simon@firstfedcf.org or 360-417-3112.

For a PDF of this press release, please click here.