A coalition of leaders from Black, Indigenous and communities of color working to create equitable futures through affordable housing and essential facilities across Washington State.
Communities of Concern Commission directs capital toward BIPOC-led community development projects in Washington, with a clear emphasis on affordable housing and essential facilities. Its recent awards show a pattern of early-stage support for projects that need predevelopment, design, and project-management resources before construction can move forward. The largest recent grant went to Chief Seattle Club in Seattle for the Sacred Medicine House, a supportive affordable housing project with associated project management costs. Other significant awards include support for Asia Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma for predevelopment work and for the Foundation for Homeless & Poverty Management in Bremerton for design and construction-related work on a homeless rejuvenation center. The foundation also backs projects tied to specific communities, including the Ethiopian Community in Seattle and the Lhaq'Temish Foundation. Across these grants, the commission appears to fund community-led real estate and service infrastructure rather than broad general operating support alone, with a focus on getting projects to the point where they can be built, stabilized, or expanded.
Affordable housing is a central theme in the commission’s grantmaking. It gave $100,000 to Chief Seattle Club for the Sacred Medicine House in supportive affordable housing development and project management costs, and $24,500 to Ethiopian Community in Seattle for predevelopment costs tied to the Ethiopian Community Village project and community services. The foundation also funds essential facilities and community infrastructure. It awarded $34,276 to Foundation for Homeless & Poverty Management for design and construction-related work on a homeless rejuvenation center. Community-specific facilities appear as another priority: Lhaq'Temish Foundation received $20,200 for design of the Lummi Stepping Stones Training & Technology Center and emergency repairs to a homeless housing facility. The grant list also includes predevelopment support for African Community Housing & Development in SeaTac, reinforcing the commission’s interest in community-led development work.
The grant size profile centers on mid-sized awards, with a p25 of $11,125, a median of $22,350, and a p75 of $39,207. The recent record also includes a $100,000 award at the high end, showing that the commission can make larger project-specific investments when needed. Grantmaking is local and all reported recipient organizations are in Washington. The data also shows repeat funding to the Ethiopian Community in Seattle across two grants in different years, suggesting some ongoing project support rather than a purely one-time pattern. The commission is a community commission rather than a private foundation with public individual applications, and its programs include member organization support, predevelopment grants, and project funding.
$6K
$500K
$117K
$45K
Most grants fall between $11K and $39K, with a median of $22K.
25th Percentile
$11K
Median
$22K
75th Percentile
$39K
Kenny Pittman
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All reported grants go to recipients in Washington, and Seattle appears multiple times in the recent grant list. Tacoma, Bremerton, Bellingham, and SeaTac also appear among recipient locations. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 8 grants and 100% in the United States. The geography fits a Washington-only funding pattern focused on local BIPOC-led organizations and projects across several cities in the state.
The commission funds affordable housing, community development, capacity building and technical assistance, economic development, and policy or legislative advocacy. In the recent grant list, the projects include supportive housing, a homeless rejuvenation center, a training and technology center, and predevelopment support for community-led housing and service projects.
No. Its recent grants support BIPOC-led community organizations and member projects, including Chief Seattle Club, Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Foundation for Homeless & Poverty Management, Ethiopian Community in Seattle, and Lhaq'Temish Foundation. The program descriptions also emphasize support for member organizations across Washington State.
The grant-size distribution is centered on mid-sized awards: p25 is $11,125, median is $22,350, and p75 is $39,207. The recent record also includes larger project grants, including a $100,000 award.
It gives most often in Washington State, and every reported grant in the data goes to a Washington recipient. Seattle, Tacoma, Bremerton, Bellingham, and SeaTac all appear in the recent grant list.
Yes. Multiple active programs mention predevelopment and project support, and the recent grants include predevelopment costs for Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Ethiopian Community in Seattle, Community to Community, and African Community Housing & Development. That pattern shows early-stage capital is a regular part of the commission’s approach.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Communities of Concern Commission that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations serving Black, Indigenous, and communities of color in Washington State; eligible project types include essential facilities, affordable housing, and community infrastructure.
Deadline: Spring deadline: March 30 at 5 PM PST; Autumn deadline: August 30 at 5 PM PST.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia Pacific Cultural Center | Tacoma, WA | $6,000 | 2025 | Predevelopment costs |
| Asia Pacific Cultural Center | Tacoma, WA | $54,001 | 2024 | Predevelopment costs |
| Ethiopian Community in Seattle | Seattle, WA | $24,500 | 2024 | Predevelopment costs associated with Ethiopian Community Village project - affordable housing & community services. |
| Community to Community | Bellingham, WA | $7,000 | 2024 | Predevelopment costs |
| African Community Housing & Development | SeaTac, WA | $5,500 | 2024 | Predevelopment costs |
| Chief Seattle Club | Seattle, WA | $100,000 | 2023 | Sacred Medicine House in supportive affordable housing development and associated project management costs. |
| Foundation for Homeless & Poverty Management | Bremerton, WA | $34,276 | 2023 | Costs associated with design and construction-related work on homeless rejuvenation center. |
| Lhaq'Temish Foundation | Bellingham, WA | $20,200 | 2023 | Costs associated with design of Lummi Stepping Stones Training & Technology Center and emergency repairs to homeless housing facility. |
| Ethiopian Community in Seattle | Seattle, WA | $12,500 | 2023 | Predevelopment costs associated with Ethiopian Community Village project - affordable housing & community services. |
Predevelopment costs associated with Ethiopian Community Village project - affordable housing & community services.
Community to Community
$7,000Predevelopment costs
Chief Seattle Club
$100,000Sacred Medicine House in supportive affordable housing development and associated project management costs.
Foundation for Homeless & Poverty Management
$34,276Costs associated with design and construction-related work on homeless rejuvenation center.
Costs associated with design of Lummi Stepping Stones Training & Technology Center and emergency repairs to homeless housing facility.
Predevelopment costs associated with Ethiopian Community Village project - affordable housing & community services.
