Grants
Our Foundation adopted a poverty-reduction focus in 1998. Since then, we have devoted more than $200 million to this mission throughout our service region.
We provide grants to proven and promising organizations that benefit low-income populations, and organizations serving them, in rural, urban, American Indian and reservation communities throughout the Foundation’s eight-state service region.
Our grants align with our strategic plan, and more specifically, with three interconnected, mutually reinforcing outcomes:
- • Increased assets and wealth among people with low incomes.
- • Increased capacity and leadership to reduce poverty.
- • Improved public policy solutions to reduce poverty.
We will evaluate success based on the results achieved by grantees, knowing that impact depends on their work. Effectiveness measures will be tailored to the specific activities undertaken by grantees and the Foundation.
The Foundation’s grants budget is significantly constrained due to existing grant commitments and challenging market conditions. As a result, the work described in our strategic plan will be phased in gradually over several years.
In 2012, the Foundation will issue targeted invitations for proposals to organizations doing proven or promising work in the focus areas described (above). We anticipate that most of our funding decisions will be shaped through this process. Therefore, we cannot accept unsolicited proposals at this time.
Your ideas, comments and questions about reducing poverty and building sustainable prosperity are important to us. You can contact the Foundation at grants@nwaf.org, or call us at 888-904-9828.
