First Fed Foundation

About First Fed Foundation

First Fed Foundation’s recent grantmaking shows a clear preference for large, project-based investments in housing and place-based community development across Northwest Washington. A $100,000 grant to Mercy Housing Northwest for homelessness and affordable housing sits alongside an $80,000 award to Northwest Maritime Center for economic development, signaling two of the foundation’s strongest priorities: housing stability and local economic opportunity. The foundation also backs institutions that anchor community life in Port Angeles and nearby communities, including a $50,000 grant to Port Angeles Waterfront Center for economic development and a $45,000 grant to Volunteers in Medicine of the Olympics dba Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic for housing and homelessness-related work. Other recent awards support capital projects, community services, and workforce-linked efforts tied to the region’s economy. Across the recent grants list, the pattern is consistent: First Fed Foundation favors established nonprofit partners and public-serving organizations that can deliver tangible benefits in the communities it serves. Its giving is concentrated in Washington, with most grants landing in the state and a strong emphasis on the Olympic Peninsula and surrounding Northwest communities.

What First Fed Foundation Funds

In housing work, First Fed Foundation has supported both development and stabilization. Recent examples include $50,000 to Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County for housing and homelessness and $33,000 to Lydia Place a Nonprofit Corporation dba Lydia Place for housing and homelessness. The foundation also funds community-based housing access efforts, such as $25,000 to Housing Connector for housing and homelessness. Economic development is another core theme. It gave $30,000 to Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding for economic development and $30,000 to Olympic College Foundation for economic development, showing interest in skills-linked pathways. Community development grants also include basic-needs infrastructure and local services, such as $35,000 to Olympic Medical Center Foundation for community development and $25,000 to Port Angeles Food Bank for community development. These awards point to a funder that connects workforce, housing, and neighborhood support within the same regional landscape.

How First Fed Foundation Gives