Community Foundation awarded over $1 million in grants in 2020

Community Foundation awarded over $1 million in grants in 2020

The Community Foundation for Mason County awarded $1,246,772 in grants in 2020. That included $135,708 through the Community Foundation’s competitive grant process, as well as $1,111,064 granted from donor-advised, scholarship, community project and organization endowment funds. Grants out of Community Foundation funds provided support to a wide variety of nonprofit programs, pandemic relief efforts, scholarships and community projects in 2020. A full list of 2020 grant awards can be found here or at https://mason-foundation.org/grants/past-grant-awards/.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been a tremendous challenge to our community in so many ways,” said Lynda Matson, Mason County Community Foundation’s board chairman. “However, it has been truly remarkable to see the outpouring of compassion and generosity offered by so many. I feel incredibly grateful to be part of such a forward-thinking community that unites together in order to support one another.”

In order to support area nonprofit organizations in learning how to be strategic in writing a strong grant application using the Community Foundation’s new online system, Submittable, the Community Foundation hosted a grant seekers workshop on January 12 and will continue to provide learning opportunities in the future. Grant awards from the spring 2021 grant round will be announced in the coming weeks.

“With a 2020 that no one could have predicted, the impact of these grants was especially meaningful this year,” said Community Foundation executive director Andrea Large. “We are so grateful for the generosity that lives in this special place we get to call home.”

Priority areas for funding are the arts, community development and revitalization, education, environment, health and human services, meeting needs of children 0-5, and emerging community needs.