Fall 2023 Grants Awarded: $300,000 to 17 Nonprofits

17 NONPROFITS SHARE $300,000 IN GRANTS FROM FIRST FED FOUNDATION

Total Grant Awards Surpass $6.7 Million Since 2015

December 8, 2023

 

Port Angeles, Washington – First Fed Foundation (formerly First Federal Community Foundation) announced today that it has awarded a total of $300,000 in grant funding to 17 nonprofits that are bringing housing, help, and hope to community members in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties, and the city of Bellevue.

“The initiatives we funded provide access to housing, create family-wage jobs, support military families, deliver life-changing programs for disadvantaged youth, and more. Our grant recipients understand what it takes to build healthy, vibrant communities, and they are tenacious and creative in pursuing their missions,” said Karen McCormick, member of First Fed Foundation’s Board of Directors.

“We are inspired by their passion and dedication, and proud to provide resources to assist them in reaching their goals,” she continued.

“The impact our nonprofit partners are having on low-income children and elders, those who are food and housing insecure, and the disabled, inspires us each day, especially now as we head into a winter season of extreme need. As year-end approaches and families think about giving of their time, talents, and treasure, our grantees are a great place to consider,” said Norman J. Tonina, President of the Foundation’s board.

“With these fall grant awards, the Foundation’s giving has exceeded $6.7 million, and aligns with the vision of our sole donor, First Fed, by investing in projects and programs that foster the well-being and prosperity of our communities,” said Jan Simon, First Fed Foundation’s Executive Director.

Grants in the Foundation’s fall cycle were awarded for the following purposes and funding priorities:

Housing & Homelessness Grants:

Housing Connector: $25,000 to expand tech-for-good housing solutions to Bellevue, Washington, increasing access to affordable, dignified private-market rentals, making permanent housing available to those who are housing unstable or experiencing homelessness.

Lydia Place: $33,000 to expand the capacity to meet the growing need for housing case management services for individuals and families fleeing domestic violence in Whatcom County.

Serenity House of Clallam County: $30,000 to purchase a vehicle for the West End Housing Resource Center, giving the Forks-based Coordinated Entry housing specialist greater outreach capabilities to serve more of Clallam County’s low-income and homeless population.

YWCA Bellingham: $50,000 to purchase and rehabilitate the Garden Street Apartments, providing 11 permanent, affordable housing units and intensive case management services for chronically homeless women with mental, physical and/or behavioral health disabilities.

Community Development Grants:

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula: $25,000 to increase participation and enhance academic, leadership, and career readiness programs for Clallam County tweens and teens during a critical stage in their development.

Camp Beausite Northwest: $25,000 to create and deliver four new weekend programs that provide opportunities for social, behavioral, educational, and life skills development for 96 people with special needs from Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties.

Economic Development Grant:

Center for Sustainable Infrastructure: $30,000 to support the development of an inclusive, community-driven vision and strategy for establishing a Natural Resource Innovation Center that creates “prosperity wage” jobs for 25-54-year-olds in Clallam and Jefferson Counties; and resulting in a Roadmap that positions the Natural Resource Innovation Cluster to submit compelling, well-considered requests for implementation funding from private, state, and federal programs.

Community Support Grants:

Captain Joseph House Foundation: $10,000 to provide 15 surviving spouses, parents, and children of fallen service members from Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties with six days of respite and support, strengthening bonds, creating new memories, and connecting with others experiencing similar loss.

Catholic Community Services of Western Washington: $5,000 to help as many as 20 low- and fixed-income seniors in Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties remain safely in their homes by funding the purchase of materials to construct ramps, rails, and grab bars, installed at no cost by a team of volunteers.

Clallam Mosaic: $12,000 to renovate and upgrade Clallam Mosaic’s new, permanent home with an ADA-compliant bathroom and front door, making programs accessible for those living with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mobility issues.

Ginger’s Closet & Disaster Relief: $15,000 to provide individuals and families in Forks who are experiencing disaster and crisis with emergency financial aid; and make repairs and upgrades to the new, donated facility so that it is safe and accessible for use by Forks’ residents.

Jefferson County Immigration Rights Advocates: $5,000 to provide low-income Clallam and Jefferson County immigrant individuals and families, many of whom live in severe poverty and work only seasonal jobs, with financial help for food, rent assistance, car repair, medical bills, and more.

Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts: $5,000 to support the free Music in the Schools program, connecting 2,000 K-12 students, their parents, and teachers from school districts in Clallam and Jefferson Counties with workshops, performances, and outreach from national touring artists.

Morningside: $10,000 to support the growth and expansion of the Pre-Employment Transition Services for high school students with disabilities in Clallam and Jefferson Counties, helping them identify and prepare to achieve their employment goals and make a more successful and seamless transition into adulthood.

Port Townsend Marine Science Center: $5,000 to support more than 200 low- and middle-income K-12 students from Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties to participate in science education, increasing learning opportunities, improving science literacy, and inspiring careers in science and an ethic of stewardship.

Wild Bird Charity: $10,000 to cover the cost of providing 3,000 of the 25,000 weekend bags of food –each one containing six meals and snacks– for distribution to 750+ Whatcom County kids experiencing food insecurity during the 2023-2024 school year.

YMCA Pierce and Kitsap Counties: $5,000 to support the YMCA’s swim program, which provides free transportation and swim lessons to all 600+ third grade students in the Bremerton School District.

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About First Fed Foundation:

First Fed 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.

“Committed to supporting nonprofits, tribes, school districts, and government agencies that provide critical, timely assistance, while also building a brighter future, we are proud and privileged to have contributed $6,701,500 since 2015,” noted Jan Simon, the Foundation’s Executive Director.

Intended to create broad impact that benefits low-to-moderate-income, disadvantaged, and/or marginalized persons or families in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties, and the city of Bellevue, the Foundation’s giving to date has been allocated to the following funding priorities:

     $1,744,300 to organizations addressing homelessness and the availability of and access to affordable housing.

     $2,590,000 to community development projects.

     $1,097,200 to organizations providing a wide array of critical, life-enhancing support to our communities.

     $1,050,000 to efforts that stimulate and support economic development.

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

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 100-year history of investing in its local communities. With a vision of creating well-being and prosperity for its employees, customers, and communities, First Fed and First Fed Foundation contributed over $1.3 million to nonprofits in 2022. Last year, First Fed employees –supported by the bank with up to three paid days of volunteering each year– donated nearly 6,900 hours of volunteer service to more than 380 organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest.

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