Where, exactly, does the giant Bigfoot live? According to sightings and legend, the wild forests of the Pacific Northwest is his likely home. Okay, that’s a very wide-open range to search, but you have to start somewhere, right?
It can feel the same way when searching for grant funds for your nonprofit organization. But wait! We have an excellent and very specific location right here! Check out our list of Washington State Funding Sources below for the top giving foundations and corporations that provide grants within the state.
What comes next? Narrowing down your search to find the specific funders who support your type of organization and how to approach them. Need help with that? We have trainers around the country providing fast-paced and inspiring workshops designed to guide you in developing those skills and in writing exceptional grant proposals. Click here on The Grantsmanship Center Training Programs to find our schedule.
Whatever valuable mission you’ve set out to accomplish in Washington state, there’s one of 24 Community Foundations nearby to assist in every aspect of your work, including the granting of funds! Just click on that link to find the closest Foundation to you in Washington’s 39 counties. The directory includes the counties of Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, and Yakima.
If you're a person living or working in Seattle, check out the Seattle Community Foundation. It's the oldest community foundation serving the Pacific Northwest and also one of the largest in the U.S. The foundation's motto: "Leveraging private investment to create community benefit"
Here are other links to elected officials and other useful agencies for grant-seeking groups in Washington. Please let us know about others that you feel would be helpful so that we can continue to improve this listing. Thanks!
Government Offices:
Governor Jay Inslee - (360) 902-4111 Olympia, WA
State Senator Patty Murray - (202) 224-2621, Washington, DC
State Senator Maria Cantwell - (202) 224-3441, Washington, DC
Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib - (360) 786-7700, Olympia, WA
Secretary of State Kim Wyman - (360) 902-4151, Olympia, WA
Attorney General Bob Ferguson - (360) 753-6200, Olympia, WA
Superintendent of Public Instruction - Chris Reykdal - (360) 725-6000, Olympia, WA. In addition to its many tracking, supervisory and coordination services, the SPI’s Office posts iGrants available for teachers at public schools on its website.
If you’d like to know the names and addresses of other elected officials that represent you and your area, click here to locate them: Washington State Elected Officials.
State Funding Sources:
Washington State Dept. of Health 360-236-4501, Olympia. Grants that support public health programs are available in counties throughout the state. Click on the link in the sentence above for a current listing.
Washington State Community Services Block Grants - The CDBG program provides funding to improve the economic, social and physical environment of eligible, rural cities and counties to enhance the quality of life for low- and moderate-income residents, thereby strengthening the entire community.
Washington State Arts Commission - WSAC is dedicated to funding the arts and arts education, building leadership and participation in the field, and acquiring and maintaining artwork in the State’s publicly displayed Art Collection.
Serve Washington (Washington Commission for National and Community Service) advances national service, volunteerism and civic engagement to improve lives; expands opportunity to meet the local critical needs of residents of Washington; and strengthens community capacity while creating healthy and resilient communities.
Other Helpful Organizations:
Association of Fundraising Professionals - Advancement Northwest Based in Seattle, AFP Advancement Northwest is one of the largest Association of Fundraising Professionals chapters in the world. Its mission is to advance the skills of development professionals and elevate our profession by providing workshops, seminars and other monthly events.
Washington Nonprofits - Serves as the state association for all nonprofits in the state, helping them to learn, increase their influence, and connect with people and resources.
501 Commons/Executive Service Corps is a Seattle-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support to other nonprofits through 30+ services, including a full range of management consulting; technology consulting (IT planning and database development); outsourced HR, accounting, IT infrastructure, and database management services; professional development; board training, and free information and referral services.
Building Changes helps build the capacity of community-based housing and service providers through technical assistance, training, and consulting services. Find out more about their consulting staff in and specialized services in Seattle, including HOPWA Technical Assistance and Community Employment Pathways (CEP).
Center for Ethical Leadership cultivates leadership and change capacity that advances social change. Based in Seattle, it supports individual, institutional, and community transformation necessary to creating healthy, just, and inclusive communities. Part think tank, incubator, and change agency, they help people develop and carry out change initiatives.
Companis matches professional volunteer and community workers in Seattle with nonprofit agencies in need of staffing assistance. In addition to a core group of full-time volunteer professionals who commit to working for client agencies for at least one year (and who may receive a stipend), Companis also serves as a matchmaker to connect talented part-time volunteers from the community with nonprofits who need their specialized skills.
Global Washington is a catalyst for strengthening the global development sector in Washington state by leveraging resources; increasing visibility; sharing best practices; convening the sector by country, issue, and organization type; and advocating around education, global engagement, and foreign policy.
Impact Capital helps build strong communities by providing community-based organizations with the tools they need to develop quality, affordable housing; promoting economic development; and providing other vital services in rural, urban, and suburban areas throughout Washington state by leveraging investments, offering tailored loans, and building capacity through technical assistance.
InterConnection connects nonprofit organizations and underserved communities around the world to the computers and communications technology they need. Based in Seattle, they provide refurbished hardware, including laptops, desktops, monitors and peripherals at discounted rates through their nonprofit online store, Seattle retail store, and grant program.
Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits & Philanthropy works to enhance the understanding and vitality of the nonprofit and philanthropic sector through research, education, and community engagement. The Center is base on the campus of Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington.
Nonprofit & Philanthropy Resource Center at the King County Library System, a Foundation Center Funding Information Network Partner at the Redmond Library, helps all types of nonprofit organizations, fundraisers, grantseekers and others interested in philanthropy get the information they need.
Nonprofit Assistance Center - With offices in Seattle and Kent, NAC empowers communities by building strong nonprofits and community leaders to achieve social justice and equity. It provides technical assistance, training, leadership development, and community-based research and evaluation, primarily to communities of color and low-income, refugee, and immigrant communities.
Nonprofit Network of Southwest Washington offers Clark County-area nonprofits communications and networking resources, access to knowledge and best practices, and advocacy support. It also nurtures philanthropy in Clark County.
Northwest Nonprofit Resources offers training, access to information, communication links, and publications.
Puget Sound Grantwriters Association promotes responsible, effective grantseeking, and fosters connections among grantseekers, non-profits, and funders located in the Seattle/Tacoma areas.
Rainier Valley Corps cultivates leaders of color to strengthen the capacity of community-of-color-led nonprofits and foster collaboration between diverse communities to effect systemic change.
Shunpike - From its center in Seattle, Shunpike helps all types of small-to-mid-sized arts groups across Washington state better manage the business aspects of art. They offer fiscal sponsorship, business clinics, a leadership lab, and can partner with you on special projects.
Social Venture Partners - Based in Seattle, SVP is a network of individuals who combine financial contributions and professional skills with a passion for philanthropy. Leveraging their collective expertise and resources, it partners with and strengthens promising nonprofits for maximum community impact.
South King Council of Human Services hosts monthly meetings where members and allies teach each other about emerging issues. It also provides technical support to agencies through a Capacity Building Project and brings the human services community together for annual events and awards.
TechSoup provides other nonprofits and libraries with technology that empowers them to fulfill their missions and serve their communities. They offer free articles, webinars, forums to everyone, and qualified nonprofits can also access 400+ discounted and donated tech products from providers like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, and Intuit.
Wayfind (formerly Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations, or WAACO). From its offices in Seattle, Wayfind promotes community development and organizational capacity building throughout Washington State by assisting charitable and community-based nonprofit corporations in obtaining free legal assistance on business-related matters.
Washington Lawyers for the Arts, based in Seattle, is dedicated to supporting the arts in Washington State by creating alliances and making legal resources accessible to artists and arts organizations of all disciplines. It offers legal clinics, workshops, and a speakers bureau.
Whatcom Council of Nonprofits, based in Wellingham, seeks to strengthen Whatcom County's nonprofits by building relationships, sharing resources, and communicating the vital role of nonprofit organizations in the community. It offers a variety of resources and training sessions.
United Ways of Washington is the state association for the 22 local United Ways in Washington State. Its mission is to assist and benefit United Way member organizations on matters of regional and statewide significance and to help these organizations accomplish their mission of helping people care for one another in their communities. This includes supporting each local chapter’s mission of providing funding and coordination for nonprofit organizations throughout the state. For more information on each of the chapters, click on the links below.
Spokane County United Way - Spokane, WA
United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties - Kennewick, WA
United Way of central Washington - Yakima, WA
United Way of Chelan & Douglas Counties - Wenatchee, WA
United Way of Clallam County - Port Angeles, WA
United Way of Cowlitz & Wahkiakum Counties - Longview, WA
United Way of Grant County - Moses Lake, WA
United Way of Grays Harbor - Aberdeen, WA
United Way of Island County - Oak Harbor, WA
United Way of King County - Seattle, WA
United Way of Kitsap County - Bremerton, WA
United Way of Lewis County - Chehalis, WA
United Way of Mason County - Shelton, WA
United Way of Pierce County - Tacoma, WA
United Way of Pullman - Pullman, WA
United Way of San Juan County - Friday Harbor, WA
United Way of Skagit County - Burlington, WA
United Way of Snohomish County - Everett, WA
United Way of Thurston County - Olympia, WA
United Way of Walla Walla County - Walla Walla, WA
United Way of Whatcom County - Bellingham, WA
United Ways of the Pacific Northwest - Olympia, WA
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