Years ago, when we started our Community Grants program, it was our vision to inspire and encourage like-minded groups to join us and continue the noble work to preserve our lands and waterways, inspire kids of all ages to be good environmental stewards, and educate the next generations of nature enthusiasts, scientists and advocates.
Today, we continue to see the ripple effects of our grants across the Salish Sea region and beyond. The best part is, when we bundle donations together, we maximize the impact. The new Norm Winn Grant program means we are able to support even more groups inside and outside Washington state. In fact, to date, we’ve awarded more than $3 million in grants and that number continues to go up.
Awarding grants comes with great responsibility. The Foundation Board does its research and weighs the benefits of each application to make sure the grants that we award not only have the biggest benefit but also align with our mission and vision. This detailed look at applications allows us to fund programs that might not be as well-known or visible to the general public, which gives us the opportunity to put the spotlight on them and their work.
And, we’re always looking ahead. Just like we began setting aside funds for transportation grants for school groups a couple years ago, we’re now working on being able to expand the reach of the learning modules that our grantees create by sharing links to those modules/curriculums/education protocols/teaching methods. These resources are invaluable to visitors and community groups that want to participate in their own ways.
In time, these links will join our list of resources on our website, probably on the education resources webpage. If you have resources you want to share from your organization – as a grant recipient or not – please email us at info@ketalegacy.org.
– Linda Anderson-Carnahan, Secretary