Washington Women’s Foundation Awards $475,000 in Pooled Grants to Five Local Nonprofits

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Washington Women’s Foundation has awarded grants to five local nonprofit organizations totaling $475,000, bringing total foundation giving since 1995 to over $11 million, both through individual grants of up to $1,000 each and through Pooled Fund Grants of $50,000 - $100,000.

“Our members have combined their resources, their knowledge and their passion for improving our community to have an enormous philanthropic impact in the region.”

“Reaching $11 million in cumulative grants is a testament to the power and leverage of our collective giving model,” said Carla Lewis, President of Washington Women’s Foundation. “Our members have combined their resources, their knowledge and their passion for improving our community to have an enormous philanthropic impact in the region.”

Pooled grants were awarded in each of the Foundation’s five giving areas: arts and culture, education, environment, health and human services. Here’s a closer look at the award-winning organizations and the purpose of the grant funds:

• Seattle Shakespeare Company presents year-round productions of plays by Shakespeare at the Center House Theatre at Seattle Center, and during the summer at free, outdoor productions at parks in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. The $85,000 grant will help fund a new program model that will create regional alliances to support affordable Shakespeare education for students across Washington State. SeattleShakespeare.org
• Seattle Education Access provides advocacy and higher education opportunities for motivated, low-income young adults to attain two-year or four-year college degrees. The Foundation’s $100,000 grant will fund gap scholarships in the form of bus passes, textbooks, computers, testing fees, and child care so that students can afford to stay in school. SeattleEducationAccess.org
• Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network engages with partners to promote farming and food through economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and socially equitable means. The $90,000 grant will fund the Fresh Food in Schools program, which seeks to reverse farmland loss and epidemic childhood obesity by purchasing and serving more Washington-grown fruits and vegetables in school cafeterias across the state. wsffn.org
• Sound Mental Health delivers innovative mental health services throughout King County. The Foundation’s $100,000 grant will support the Children’s Domestic Violence Response Team, which provides comprehensive, intensive support—including safety planning, advocacy, and evidence-based, recovery-oriented mental health treatment—for children and their families who have been traumatized by domestic violence. smh.org
• Family Law CASA of King County focuses on the needs of children in high-risk custody cases by recruiting, training, supervising and supporting community volunteers in order to give children a strong voice in court. The $100,000 grant will provide an additional advocate supervisor to the team, which will improve their work for children in some of King County's most contentious custody cases so that the children have the best chance possible for a safer, more secure home life. familylawcasa.org

The Washington Women’s Foundation presents a WWF Merit Award to the five finalists who were not awarded the Pooled Fund Grants. The Merit Award is in recognition of the Grant Committee’s strong endorsement of these organizations and includes a $2,000 grant in appreciation for the time and effort invested in WWF’s rigorous grant process. The 2011 Merit Awardees are: Burke Museum Association, Little Red School House, Seattle Audubon, Kindering Center, and Cocoon House.

In addition to combining their giving dollars for the large impact grants, Washington Women’s Foundation members will distribute an additional $475,000 this year in individual grants to nonprofits of their choice as part of their annual membership contribution. Total foundation giving for 2011 will approach $1 million.

About Washington Women’s Foundation

The mission of Washington Women’s Foundation is to educate and expand the number of women engaged in philanthropy, and to build and strengthen community through individual and large impact grants. The Foundation’s members, now more than 500 strong, have invested $11 million of their own resources in nonprofit organizations since 1995 ($5.7 million in pooled grants; $5.3 million in individual grants). Membership is open to all women interested in philanthropy. For more information, visit www.wawomensfoundation.org.