This January and February, the 2023 Collective Grants Committee has been deeply engaged in the work of reviewing Letters of Inquiry and discussing our three priorities: Food Sovereignty & Security, Early Childhood Education, and Reproductive Justice & Maternal Health. This is the second year of our re-imagined grants process, and we are enjoying diving deep into these complex topics, including learning from community experts at our 101 series.
With our grants we seek to support organizations that are reflective of and embedded in the communities they serve, draw on the strengths and assets of these communities, and are accountable to these communities in order to achieve the long-term goals of increasing equity and reducing disparities. We are delighted to share with you the 30 organizations moving forward to the Research Phase of our grants process. Please take a moment to learn more about these incredible organizations across Washington State.
Food Sovereignty & Security
Alimentando al Pueblo: promotes healing through comunidad, comida, and celebración. (community, food, and celebration)
Black Farmers Collective: builds a Black-led food system by developing a cooperative network of food system actors, acquiring and stewarding land, facilitating food system education, and creating space for Black liberation in healing and joy.
Community to Community Development: reclaims humanity by redefining power in order to end white supremacy and structural racism in all of its manifestations including settler colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchy in their external and internalized forms.
FEEST (Food Empowerment Education & Sustainability Team) : trains youth of color and working-class youth to build collective power and organize for transformative and systemic change in their schools.
Global to Local: works to reduce health and social disparities in south King County, primarily in immigrant and refugee communities.
Living Well Kent: provides public spaces and initiatives that encourage healthier lifestyles and better living.
Peacekeeper Society: provides life changing opportunities for indigenous people, but striving to serve everyone regardless of age, ethnicity, color, enrollment or immigration status.
Rainier Valley Food Bank: nourishes with good food, empowers with knowledge, and serves with compassion.
Skagit Gleaners: addresses food waste and its associated impacts on the environment while building an equitable food system.
White Center Food Bank: minimizes hunger while nourishing community, nurturing self-reliance, and embracing our rich cultural diversity.
Early Childhood Education
Communities of Rooted Brilliance: embracing traditional customs and values, CRB provides newcomers with community-inspired educational opportunities that create pathways for self-determination as they weave into the fabric of their newfound home.
Denise Louie Education Center: promotes school and life readiness by providing multicultural early learning services to children and families, especially those who need our services the most.
East African Community Services: inspires refugee and immigrant families to succeed from cradle to career and beyond.
First Five Years & Beyond: provides parents with the tools skills and resources to support their children in early education and beyond.
La Casa Hogar: connects and educates Latinx families, to transform lives and our Yakima Valley.
Launch: leads the charge to brilliant outcomes for the children of our community by ensuring equitable access to the highest quality learning and care.
Para Los Niños: fosters academic success for every Latino student through parent and community involvement.
Raze Early Learning and Development Center: provides culturally immersive, individualized curriculum, and instruction that validates and affirms Black culture.
Voices Of Tomorrow: preserves immigrant & refugee children’s identity through culturally responsive child-focused programs.
Zeno: sparks joy and inspires a love of math in young children and families through racial equity, family engagement, and play, all centered in the experiences of communities of color.
Reproductive Justice & Maternal Health
Foundation for Youth Resiliency and Engagement: advocates for equitable opportunities that allow youth to thrive.
Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services: envisions healthy Indigenous babies being born into healthy Indigenous families being supported by healthy Indigenous communities.
Mother Africa: supports African women, immigrants, and refugees and their families, to help them reach their highest potential.
Neighborcare Health: provides comprehensive health care to families and individuals who have difficulty accessing care; responds with sensitivity to the needs of culturally diverse patients; and advocates and works with others to improve the overall health status of the communities served.
Open Arms Perinatal Services: provides community-based support during pregnancy, birth, and early parenting to nurture strong foundations that last a lifetime.
Perinatal Support Washington: shines a light on perinatal mental health to support all families and communities.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho: provides exceptional reproductive and complementary health care services, honest education, and fearless advocacy for all.
The Health Center: advances the success of students by addressing their physical, emotional, and social needs.
Ttáwaxt Birth Justice Center: reduces infant and maternal mortality by nurturing a healthy birthing community grounded in Indigenous ancestral knowledge.
Tubman Center for Health & Freedom: addresses health and wellness from both systemic and clinical approaches.
Next Steps
Next up, the Grants Committee will be researching these 30 organizations to learn more about their work and select five in each category (15 total) to move forward to the Conversations phase. All organizations that do not move forward at that time will receive a $1,500 grant. Stay tuned for another update in April and save the date for our Grant Award Celebration on June 13th!