First Federal foundation awards $340K in spring grants

The First Federal Community Foundation announced earlier this month $340,000 in funding for 13 regional nonprofits in the foundation’s spring 2020 grant cycle.

Recipients are organizations in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Whatcom counties that provide community support, address the availability of housing, and deliver community and economic development projects.

Among the grants are $100,000 in COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants, with $25,000 going to each of the four counties.

The grants include $10,000 to the Port Angeles Food Bank, $10,000 to the Jefferson County Farmers Markets Association and $5,000 for the North Olympic Foster Parent Association. Port Townsend’s Trinity United Methodist Church was granted $50,000 to make the 149 year-old building fully ADA compliant.

“These counties have significant needs, particularly exacerbated by the coronavirus,” First Federal Community Foundation Executive Director Jan Simon said.

Since the grant program was launched in January 2015, the foundation has given grants totaling more than $4 million.

First Federal Community Foundation Board Chairman, Norman J. Tonina, said that the Foundation also focused its giving during this grant cycle on the emergency response funds that community foundations are spearheading in the four-county region to address the COVID-19 crisis.

“These foundations have their finger on the pulse of the community’s needs and a nimble, effective approach to delivering critical funds for the greatly increased needs for food, shelter, childcare, and more,” Tonina said. “We appreciate their leadership and we are pleased to support them in their efforts.”

First Federal Community Foundation is a private 501(c)3 charitable corporation that began making grants in 2015 with a gift of stock and cash from the parent company of First Federal Bank, when the bank was converted to a publicly traded company.