SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Washington Women’s Foundation has awarded grants to five nonprofit organizations totaling $500,000. Overall Foundation giving since 1996 now totals over $13 million, both through individual grants of $1,000 each and through Pooled Fund Grants of $50,000 - $100,000.
“Reaching $13 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 make a significant philanthropic impact across our state.”
Pooled Fund 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:
- Burke Museum Association will expand services provided by BurkeMobile, a portable museum and educational outreach program that brings museum experiences to rural, underserved schools across Washington, and guides students to understand the heritage that makes Washington state unique. burkemuseum.org
- Literacy Council of Seattle will meet accelerated demand for free, on-site English and literacy skills classes for adult learners, empowering them to be successful in their families, jobs and communities. literacyseattle.org
- Washington State Parks Foundation will increase outreach, raise awareness, inspire community engagement and create sustainable stewardship to save Washington’s State Parks, our state’s invaluable natural assets that are currently under threat. wspf.org
- The Health Center – Walla Walla will deliver free, coordinated medical and mental health services at two school-based health clinics near an elementary school and a high school in Walla Walla, keeping students healthy, in the classroom, and ready to learn. thehealthcenterww.org
- Northwest Immigrant Rights Project will meet increasing needs for a full range of critical, life-changing legal services that help over 10,000 individuals a year access basic needs, prevent unlawful deportations and keep families intact. nwirp.org
Washington Women’s Foundation also 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 2013 Merit Awardees are: On the Boards, New Futures, Center for Environmental Law and Policy, Antioch University Seattle: Community Counseling & Psychology Clinic and Recovery Café.
In addition to combining their giving dollars for the Pooled Fund grants, Washington Women’s Foundation members will distribute an additional $500,000 this year in Individual Grants to nonprofits of their choice as part of their annual membership contribution. Total Foundation giving for 2013 alone will reach $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 $13 million of their own resources in nonprofit organizations in the last 18 years. Membership is open to all women interested in philanthropy. For more information, visit www.wawomensfoundation.org.