Until Feb. 1, 2023, we were Group Health Foundation. This post was written under our former identity. To learn more about our new name, read our announcement here.
We are excited to share the recipients of our 2020 Community Learning Grants, which support organizations throughout Washington State who reflect and represent their communities. Each grantee has been awarded a three-year general operating grant of $150,000 to $225,000 to support their work for a more equitable Washington. This group of 48 organizations complements our 2019 Community Learning Grants recipients.
The Foundation started Community Learning Grants to help us better understand what equity means for communities and nonprofits throughout the state and the approaches they’re taking to advance it. We are supporting organizations whose leadership reflects the communities they serve; who are based in parts of Washington that have been chronically underfunded or overlooked; and who are working toward a more just and liberated future.
Our team began this year by assessing where we were not meeting our promise of supporting the breadth of Washington’s communities. We examined how we could better support organizations led by Black people, Asian Pacific Americans, people with disabilities, and queer and transgender people. We were especially looking for groups that do leadership development, organizing, and advocacy work with these communities.
In February, we reached out to a group of organizations who had previously applied for a grant and invited them to submit additional information. We formalized our support for their work in March and April. All of us at the Foundation look forward to deepening our relationships with these organizations.
As we previously shared, the process for Community Learning Grants this year is on an invitation-only basis. Even though we will not be issuing requests for proposals this year for the second round of our 2020 Community Learning Grants, we will likely reintroduce an open-invitation process in future years. Meanwhile, we plan on revisiting more than 1,000 proposals we’ve received in the last 10 months for event sponsorships and other funding, plus the recommendations communities throughout the state have given us.
We hope that the groups we are funding through Community Learning Grants demonstrates our commitment to equity and our desire to support community aspirations for vibrant, healthy future in Washington.
Initial List of 2020 Community Learning Grants
View the 2019 list.
| Grantee | Description | Service Area |
|---|---|---|
| African Community Housing & Development (ACHD) | Culturally specific organization that serves African immigrant and refugee families in South King County through health, housing, economic development, and legal services. | Families from Kent, SeaTac, Tukwila, Des Moines, Federal Way, Renton, Skyway, Delridge, and White Center |
| Aging in PACE Washington | Community-led model for Asian elders with low incomes who are nursing-home eligible that provides culturally relevant wraparound services to age in place. | Seattle |
| Asia Pacific Cultural Center | Network building organization that provides arts, language, and educational programs for Asian and Pacific Islander families representing over 45 cultural communities in Pierce County and across Washington State. | South Puget Sound, communities across Washington State |
| Asian Pacific Islander Americans for Civic Empowerment (APACE) | Statewide civic engagement and action organization that works to transform democracy by politically engaging and empowering the diverse Asian Pacific Islander community, in addition to holding leaders accountable to progressive values of social, economic, and political justice. | Seattle/King County, Washington State |
| Black Education Strategy Roundtable | A coalition of community members, educators, and partner organizations advocating for equitable outcomes for Black students in the state of Washington. | Statewide |
| Byrd Barr Place | Longtime Seattle organization engaging the community while providing energy assistance, food bank services, housing and personal finance assistance in the Central District. | Central District of Seattle and other historically-Black neighborhoods |
| Communities in Schools of Benton-Franklin | Serves K-12 students and families in 25 schools across Benton and Franklin counties within four school districts, working with youth and families to ensure academic and non-academic success through empowerment and advocacy efforts. The organization’s leadership is increasingly reflective of the families it serves. | Benton and Franklin counties |
| Community Action Center | Resource center that provides direct support and access to healthy foods in addition to safe, secure housing for families with low incomes living in Whitman County. | Whitman County |
| Community Health Worker Coalition for Migrants and Refugees | An organization dedicated to the education, promotion, empowerment, leadership development, and integration of community health workers into the healthcare system to improve the lives of immigrants and refugees. | Statewide |
| Crisis Support Network | Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault organization providing advocacy services to survivors and others in Pacific County. | Pacific County (both north and south county) |
| Eastside for All | Racial and social justice organization that serves East King County through its mission to institutionalize equity by mobilizing communities to transform local policies, practices, relationships, and investments. | East King County cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, and Sammamish |
| Emmanuel Family Life Center | Resource center that partners with education programs, nonprofit organizations, and social service agencies to meet the needs of families in Spokane’s East Central and South Perry neighborhoods. | East Central Spokane and south Perry District neighborhoods |
| Entre Hermanos | Promotes the health and well-being of the Latino LGBTQ community in a culturally appropriate environment through disease prevention, education, support services, advocacy, and community building. | King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties |
| Farmworker Center of Mount Vernon | The Farmworker Center empowers Indigenous Latino farmworkers to identify their own needs, access resources, and use their voices to speak out for their community’s concerns. It is a distinct program of Catholic Community Services of Western Washington, and is co-led by women who grew up in farmworker families in the local community. | Skagit and Whatcom counties |
| Geeking Out Kids of Color | Multicultural organization focused on closing the digital learning gap through technology programs centered around racial and gender equity. | King County |
| Gender Diversity | Gender Diversity provides family support, community building, and education that serves to increase awareness and understanding of the wide range of gender diversity in children, adolescents, and adults through societal awareness and improving the well-being for people of all gender identities and expressions across Washington State. | Statewide |
| GenPRIDE | LGBTQ elders organization in Seattle supporting aging through training, education, connection, organizing, and more. Growing to provide housing through an affordable housing senior center. Successful advocacy at statewide and local levels in the past several years. | King County with focus on Capitol Hill |
| Global Perinatal Services | Community-based doula services that educate, respect, and empower refugee and immigrant women with lower incomes and their families during pregnancy, birth, and the first year of parenting. | South King County |
| Hispanic Disability Support SWWA (“Pasitos Gigantes”) | Culturally specific organization that supports, educates, empowers, and advocates for individuals with disabilities and their families in Southwest Washington. | Southwest Washington |
| Hmong Association of Washington | A cultural, advocacy, and education organization serving 2,400 Hmong folks in Puget Sound and greater Washington State. | Puget Sound region |
| Hope Alliance (formerly The Human Response Network) | Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault organization providing advocacy services to survivors and others in Lewis County. | Lewis County |
| Iraqi Community Center of Washington | Culturally specific organization that empowers the Iraqi immigrant and refugee community in King County and throughout the state of Washington through culturally and linguistically competent programs and services. | Washington State |
| Lavender Rights Project | Provides low-cost civil legal services and programs centered in values of social justice for trans and queer people with low incomes and other marginalized communities. | Statewide |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Outreach Center | Family support organization focused on improving the quality of life for children, youth, seniors, and families through an array of culturally responsive education and support programs in Spokane’s East Central community. | East Central Spokane |
| Mother Africa | An important access point for resources for African immigrant and refugee women, providing unduplicated services and celebrating resiliency with an amazing leadership team. | South King County |
| Mother Nation | A Native women-led organization providing advocacy and cultural services to strengthen families and prevent homelessness while celebrating sisterhood. | King, Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom counties |
| NAMI Southwest Washington | Disability- and community-led chapter of a mental health focused organization serving Southwest Washington by providing support groups, education classes, presentations, and advocacy—all free of charge. | Clark, Cowlitz, Skamnia, and Wahkiakum counties |
| NAMI Yakima | Disability- and community-led chapter of a mental health focused organization serving the Yakima area by providing support groups, education classes, presentations, and advocacy—all free of charge. | Yakima County and Yakama Indian Reservation |
| Northwest Access Fund | Organization providing low-interest loans to people with disabilities and affordable access to assistive technology. | Statewide |
| Oasis Youth Center | Organization that serves queer youth with programs and services that empower youth, create healthy community, provide essential resources, promote cultural diversity, and advocate for civil rights. | Pierce County |
| Opportunity Council | Social service organization that helps people in Whatcom, Island, and San Juan counties improve their lives through education, support, and direct assistance while advocating for just and equitable communities. | Whatcom, Island, and San Juan counties |
| Pan African Center for Empowerment (PACE) | Activism inspired hub and co-working space using STEAM education to serve all demographics in underserved communities. | Headquartered in Seattle with hope to be felt globally |
| Para Los Niños de Highline | Community-based organization created and led by Latinos to serve Latino children and their families through culturally specific education and empowerment programs. | South King County |
| Progress Pushers | Providing mentorship and skill development opportunities through the Credible Messengers model to Black, Latino, and other youth who are impacted by systemic inequities. | Seattle, Renton, Federal Way, Lacey, and Chehalis |
| Quality Behavioral Health | Behavioral health organization providing comprehensive services and fully integrated care for adults, children, and families in Southeast Washington’s rural communities. | Asotin and Garfield counties |
| Revive Center for Returning Citizens | Grassroots organization that focuses on empowering individuals impacted by the criminal legal system and providing opportunities to organize and advocate for criminal justice system reform. | Spokane County and Eastern Washington |
| Room One | Social service organization working on violence prevention and health disparities through education, direct service, prevention, and systems advocacy. | Methow Valley and Okanogan County |
| Rural People’s Platform | New organization focused on strengthening the political power of working-class people in Okanogan, Douglas, and Chelan counties to ensure economic stability across diverse communities. | Okanogan, Douglas, and Chelan counties |
| Somali Parents Education Board | Parent-driven organization addressing systemic barriers to success for immigrant families, especially related to education through a fiscal sponsorship relationship with Rainier Valley Corps. | Seven school districts in South King County |
| Spectrum | Network-building, LGBTQ+-led effort to increase social connectedness and support, arts and culture programs, access to resources, educational workshops, mentorship, and leadership development for LGBTQIA2S+ communities. | Spokane |
| The Mockingbird Society | Foster care and youth homelessness focused organization empowering direct advocacy for youth to present issues to governments. | Statewide |
| TRACTION | Aims to empower and uplift transgender and nonbinary people and create visibility through social engagement, outreach, and community service. | Statewide |
| Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | The Hispanic Chamber connects and empowers community members and owners of small businesses in the Tri-Cities with technical assistance, educational resources, and peer learning. | Benton and Franklin counties |
| Vibrant Schools Tacoma | Education collaboration focused on eliminating disparities for students and families of color, as well as those impacted by poverty, who are served by Tacoma Public Schools. | Tacoma |
| Wa Na Wari | Feeding Black resilience and endurance in the historically Black Central District of Seattle via a fiscal sponsorship with the Northwest Film Forum. | Central District of Seattle |
| Washington Gorge Action Programs | Community action agency that provides human service supports to individuals and families living in rural communities across Klickitat and Skamania counties. | Klickitat and Skamania counties |
| White Center Community Development Association | Community-driven development association in unincorporated King County serving the broad range of needs within the diverse community of White Center. | White Center and unincorporated King County |
