Tag Archives: grantmaking

Grant Applications now available!

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Applications for the Blue Mountain Community Foundation Discretionary Grants Program are now available on our website.

The guidelines and application are available by clicking here.

Who may apply?
501(c)(3) orgs in the Foundation’s service area

How much is available?
Approximately $225,000 will be available to grant

When will grants be awarded?
Grant checks are usually issued in late October

When are applications due?
July 1, 2013

For more information visit our website at http://www.bluemountainfoundation.org/grants/discretionary-grants-program2013/

First ever gifts to Impact! Funds!

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by Mari Sanders,
Assistant Director of Donor Services

I did some filing today. Now normally I couldn’t admit getting excited about filing, but today was a different story.

Here at the Foundation we have files for each of our funds where we file deposit slips and any fund specific documents. Today I am proud to say that I filed the first ever deposit slips for our Impact! Funds.

Why is this exciting you ask? Because these were the first ever gifts to our Impact! Funds. These gifts go directly into our grants program! Direct to local non-profits!

The Foundation categorizes all of our grants by Impact! area, for example Arts or Education. A gift to an Impact! Fund is a way that you could make a gift to an array of local non-profits, knowing that BMCF is evaluating grant requests and grants are being made to support work that is valuable to our communities.

If you’d like to make a gift to an Impact! Fund, click here. There’s still time to avoid some taxes and also to make a positive impact on the communities you care about. And also to make me a smile the next time I get to file gifts to Impact! Funds!

To read more about Impact! Funds and our 2012 grantees click here.

Lawson Knight on KUJ

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Lawson will be on KUJ Monday morning at 7:30 a.m. visiting with Jim Bock to talk about the first ever Blue Mountain Community Foundation year-end giving campaign. Tune in at 1420 a.m. to listen in and learn about how you can make an Impact! on your community this Holiday Season.

Blue Mountain Community Foundation Awards 2012 Grants!

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Blue Mountain Community Foundation held it’s Annual Meeting on October 18th where it announced the grantees for it’s 2012 grant cycle. There were approximately 130 people in attendance which included, Grantees, Volunteers and Donors.

Lawson announced the grants by Impact! Area which include:
Arts!
Needs!
Economy!
Education!
Health!
Earth!
Neighbors!

Over $233,000 in grants were awarded.

To read more about the grants or to see a list of grantees please click here.

The Foundation’s Annual Report is also available on our website.

Two Additonal Grants from Blue Mountain Community Foundation’s First Fruits Fund!

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Blue Mountain Community Foundation has awarded two additional grants from the First Fruits Fund, a component fund of the Foundation.

Community Council, a citizen led group that brings people together to study regional issues and follow up with actions, was awarded $3,395.00 which helped them meet their $80K fundraising goal for the fiscal year and receive a Sherwood Trust matching grant. Community Council has completed three community studies in the four years since the organization was founded on the following topics:

  • Enhancing the Educational Attainment of our Region’s Children
  • Optimizing Resources; Value-added Agriculture
  • Reducing Gang Membership Through Prevention

Links to the study reports can be found here. A new study on Effective Communication between Citizens and Government will begin this fall. Visit Community Council’s website at www.communitycouncil.org to learn more about the work Community Council is doing and the process used to study issues.

Walla Walla Public Schools’ Farm to School Program was awarded $6,200.00 to help establish a program that will bring more local farm fresh produce to school lunches and will expand the school garden programs and curriculum. This effort led by Beth Thiel has already been able to bring local farm fresh asparagus to Sharpstein and Blue Ridge this spring. Click this link to read an article in the Union Bulletin about the program.

The First Fruits Fund was established in 2008 with a generous grant from the Vista Hermosa Foundation.  Since that time, the Fund has made 69 grants exceeding $567,000.

The stated goal of the First Fruits Fund is to “encourage collaborative and innovative approaches to building self-sufficiency for the most under-served in our communities, including improved access to such basic needs as housing, food, education and livable wages.”  Founders believe that the most impactful way to achieve that goal is to support community-based initiatives that empower people themselves to identify their needs and collectively own the process of change.

Now Accepting Proposals

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Blue Mountain Community Foundation welcomes you to its 2012-13 Grant Year. It is our goal to make the grant application process easy for the grant seeker and also greener for our environment, requiring much less paperwork. Please read the Guidelines for Grant Applications carefully before submitting an application to determine if your organization is eligible and if the Foundation’s funding timeline suits the needs of your program.

Applying is easy!

Submit the following items to Blue Mountain Community Foundation by JULY 2, 2012:

  • An original and nine copies of the completed Grant Application form.
  • Ten copies of a one-page description of the program/project or idea on your organization’s letterhead.
  • One copy of your organization’s IRS Letter of Determination.

Do not use a binder. Staple each application and program/project description sheet together in the upper-left hand corner. Upon review of your submission, BMCF may request additional information, including but not limited to financial statements, project budgets and a list of members of your governing board.

DON’T BE LATE!

All grant applications must be postmarked or received in the BMCF office at 8 South 2nd Avenue, Suite 618, Walla Walla, WA 99362, by JULY 2, 2012

Grant awards will be announced at the Foundation’s annual meeting in October, 2012.  Declined proposals will be notified in writing by or before the annual meeting.

First Fruits Fund Grants of Spring 2012: 11 totaling $118,000!

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The following eleven grants represents Blue Mountain Community Foundation‘s recent awards from its First Fruits Fund.

The 2012 First Fruits Grantees:
11. Community Health Assessment Task Force (CHAT) – $500
10. College Spark Program  - $5,000
9.Walla Walla Symphony, Rock n’Roll Camp – $5,000
8. Trilogy Recovery Community – $7,500
7. Children’s Home Society Family Support – $10,000
6. Friends of Children of Walla Walla, Children’s Resilience Initiative – $10,000
5. Columbia School District General Support – $10,000
4. Blue Mountain Action Council Skill Steps – $10,000
3. Student Health Options – $10,000
2. Lincoln High School – $20,000
1. Commitment to Community – $30,000
TOTAL: $118,000

 

The First Fruits Fund was established in 2008 with a generous grant from the Vista Hermosa Foundation.  Since that time, the Fund has made 66 grants exceeding $550,000.

The stated goal of the First Fruits Fund is to “encourage collaborative and innovative approaches to building self-sufficiency for the most under-served in our communities, including improved access to such basic needs as housing, food, education and livable wages.”  Founders believe that the most impactful way to achieve that goal is to support community-based initiatives that empower people themselves to identify their needs and collectively own the process of change.

 

 

Commitment to Community: 2012 First Fruits Grantee

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Blue Mountain Community Foundation recently awarded grants from the First Fruits Fund, a component fund of BMCF. As promised, we are announcing grant awards over the next few weeks.

The Eleventh grantee is…

Commitment to Community, $30,000

Commitment to Community, a grassroots movement, commonly known as C2C, serves four Walla Walla neighborhoods, namely Blue Ridge, Edith Carrie, Jefferson Park and Washington Park.  The residents of these neighborhoods are predominantly low-income and roughly 60% of the residents are white and 40% are Latino.

The goal of C2C is to develop a sense of ownership among neighbors through ongoing relationship building and project activity, based on the neighbors’ priorities and initiatives.  C2C also seeks to build relationships with new and existing major stakeholders, including funders and service providers.

The neighborhoods recently identified goals specific to their area.  Examples are a Spring graffiti clean-up and Summer trash clean-up in the Blue Ridge area, organizing the fourth season of the community garden in the Edith Carrie neighborhood, Spring clean-up, Summer BBQ and December Tree Lighting at Jefferson Park and the 6th Dia de los Ninos (Children’s Day) held in Washington Park.

Funds from this grant will provide ongoing program support for C2C.

The First Fruits Fund

The First Fruits Fund was established in 2008 with a generous grant from the Vista Hermosa Foundation.  Since that time, the Fund has made 66 grants exceeding $550,000.

The stated goal of the First Fruits Fund is to “encourage collaborative and innovative approaches to building self-sufficiency for the most under-served in our communities, including improved access to such basic needs as housing, food, education and livable wages.”  Founders believe that the most impactful way to achieve that goal is to support community-based initiatives that empower people themselves to identify their needs and collectively own the process of change.

2012 First Fruits Grantees:
11. Community Health Assessment Task Force (CHAT) – $500
10. College Spark Program  - $5,000
9.Walla Walla Symphony, Rock n’Roll Camp – $5,000
8. Trilogy Recovery Community – $7,500
7. Children’s Home Society Family Support – $10,000
6. Friends of Children of Walla Walla, Children’s Resilience Initiative – $10,000
5. Columbia School District General Support – $10,000
4.  Blue Mountain Action Council Skill Steps – $10,000
3. Student Health Options – $10,000
2.  Lincoln High School – $20,000
1. Commitment to Community – $30,000

 

Lincoln High School: 2012 First Fruits Grantee

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Blue Mountain Community Foundation recently awarded grants from the First Fruits Fund, a component fund of BMCF. As promised, we are announcing grant awards over the next few weeks.

The Tenth grantee is…

Lincoln High School, $20,000

The effort of faculty and staff at Lincoln High School continues to impact positively the lives of students.  Funds from this First Fruits grant will support the school in ways that Lincoln Principal Jim Sporleder decides.  This is the fourth grant from the First Fruits Fund, totaling $68,000.

During the time that Blue Mountain Community Foundation has been making grants to the school, Lincoln’s faculty and staff implemented an innovative approach to discipline, the result of which has yielded an 85% drop in suspensions.  The changes began in the classroom.

“Teachers started becoming detectives,” says Erik Gordon, Lincoln High School Science Teacher. “We began focusing our concern on what we know that’s going on that might be causing behavior in a kid,” versus what type of punishment to mete out.

Read more about the work that the staff at Lincoln is doing by following this link. The article details the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) on a child’s ability to learn. Much of the work that is being done with the students at Lincoln is in conjunction with 2012 First Fruits Grantee, Children’s Resilience Initiative.

The work at Lincoln is changing the climate of the school. Past grants supported the Boy’s Basketball program, Girl’s Volleyball team and a weekend retreat for students. These are programs that build students’ pride in their school and build community within the student body.

The First Fruits Fund

The First Fruits Fund was established in 2008 with a generous grant from the Vista Hermosa Foundation.  Since that time, the Fund has made 66 grants exceeding $550,000.

The stated goal of the First Fruits Fund is to “encourage collaborative and innovative approaches to building self-sufficiency for the most under-served in our communities, including improved access to such basic needs as housing, food, education and livable wages.”  Founders believe that the most impactful way to achieve that goal is to support community-based initiatives that empower people themselves to identify their needs and collectively own the process of change.

2012 First Fruits Grantees:
11. Community Health Assessment Task Force (CHAT) – $500
10. College Spark Program  - $5,000
9.Walla Walla Symphony, Rock n’Roll Camp – $5,000
8. Trilogy Recovery Community – $7,500
7. Children’s Home Society Family Support – $10,000
6. Friends of Children of Walla Walla, Children’s Resilience Initiative – $10,000
5. Columbia School District General Support – $10,000
4.  Blue Mountain Action Council Skill Steps – $10,000
3. Student Health Options – $10,000
2.  Lincoln High School – $20,000
1. stay tuned….

 

 

 

 

 

Student Health Options, The Health Center at Lincoln: 2012 First Fruits Grantee

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Blue Mountain Community Foundation recently awarded grants from the First FruitsFund, a component fund of BMCF. As promised we will be announcing recent grant awards over the next few weeks.

The Ninth grantee is…

Student Health Options, The Health Center at Lincoln, $10,000

Great things continue to happen at the newly dubbed Health Center at Lincoln.  This clinic, situated next to Lincoln High School, provides free medical and mental health services to the student population at Lincoln.

Through the generosity of the community, including volunteers and local funders, the Health Center has been able to expand not only its space, but also its services.  A recent addition to the clinic site is a handicap access ramp.

As of April 25, 2012, the Center had served 191 different students for over 1342 visits. The goals of the Health Center are:

  • Deliver primary health and mental health care and substance abuse counseling for all the students at Lincoln High School.
  • Enable the students to obtain care that they need in a professional, confidential setting so that they may thrive.
  • Educate the students on being stronger medical consumers, while working to keep them connected to school and developing healthier choices.

Funds from this grant will be used for existing program support, including development of a new site at Blue Ridge Elementary School.

To view an amazing video about the work at The Health Center at Lincoln click here.

The First Fruits Fund

The First Fruits Fund was established in 2008 with a generous grant from the Vista Hermosa Foundation.  Since that time, the Fund has made 66 grants exceeding $550,000.

The stated goal of the First Fruits Fund is to “encourage collaborative and innovative approaches to building self-sufficiency for the most under-served in our communities, including improved access to such basic needs as housing, food, education and livable wages.”  Founders believe that the most impactful way to achieve that goal is to support community-based initiatives that empower people themselves to identify their needs and collectively own the process of change.

2012 First Fruits Grantees:
12. Community Health Assessment Task Force (CHAT) – $500
11. College Spark Program  - $5,000
10.Walla Walla Symphony, Rock n’Roll Camp – $5,000
9. Trilogy Recovery Community – $7,500
8. Children’s Home Society Family Support – $10,000
7. Friends of Children of Walla Walla, Children’s Resilience Initiative – $10,000
6. Columbia School District General Support – $10,000
5.  Blue Mountain Action Council Skill Steps – $10,000
4. Student Health Options – $10,000
3. Stay tuned…