Powered by a network of credit unions and their allies, we harness and deliver resources that strengthen the financial lives of people and communities throughout the region, creating an environment where people achieve financial prosperity and communities thrive.
Focus Areas
Workforce HousingRural Access to Financial ServicesEconomic EmpowermentAsset BuildingCooperative DevelopmentFinancial EducationSmall Business SupportDisaster Relief
Who They Fund
urban communities (Urban League partnerships)rural communitieslow-income renters/homebuyers and workforce householdssmall businesses
About Gowest Foundation
A $141,000 multi-year initiative for Urban League in Portland stands out in Gowest Foundation’s recent giving, because it shows a pattern of backing organizations that can carry regional financial well-being work over several years. The foundation funds credit union-led and partner-led projects tied to workforce housing, rural access to financial services, small business support, disaster relief, financial education, and asset building. Its recent grants also show direct support for implementation, planning, and reserve-style financing rather than only short-term program checks.
The foundation’s portfolio includes larger awards for housing and rural access, along with smaller operating and general support grants to education and financial-capability organizations. In one year, it supported Nuvista FCU in Montrose, Colorado, with a $100,000 workforce housing grant, while also funding East Idaho Credit Union Char Foundation in Idaho Falls, Idaho, for a rural access project grant. A separate set of grants to Maps Community Foundation in Salem, Oregon, and National Credit Union Foundation in Washington, DC, indicates recurring disaster-relief and loan-loss-reserve support. Financial education also appears through grants to Financial Beginnings Washington in Tukwila and Financial Beginnings Oregon in Portland.
What Gowest Foundation Funds
Workforce housing is one of the clearest themes in Gowest Foundation’s recent grants. It gave $100,000 to Nuvista FCU for a workforce housing grant, and later funded Vantage West in Tucson, Leap Charities in Boise, and Mid Oregon FCU in Bend with $20,000 workforce housing plan grants each. The structure of those awards suggests support for both planning and implementation.
Rural access to financial services is another recurring area. The foundation awarded $50,000 to East Idaho Credit Union Char Foundation in Idaho Falls for a rural access project grant and $45,000 to Clarity Credit Union in Nampa for a rural access program. It also supported community-based financial capability work: Financial Beginnings Washington in Tukwila and Financial Beginnings Oregon in Portland each received $7,500 general support grants in separate years.
Disaster relief appears through grants such as $37,500 to Maps Community Foundation in Salem for wildfire relief and $10,000 to National Credit Union Foundation for CU Aid support related to Hurricane Helene.
How Gowest Foundation Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$316K
Total Assets
$11.8M
Total Revenue
$13.5M
Total Expenses
$12.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $8K and $30K, with a median of $14K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$14K
75th Percentile
$30K
Geographic Reach
Regional8 states funded
About 10% of grants go to recipients in OR.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JENNIFER HUGGARD
Accepts unsolicited proposals
Deep Analysis
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workforce housing planning and developmentrural access & infrastructure projectssmall business implementation and supportdisaster relief and resilience (wildfire, hurricane, displacement)feasibility assessments and land acquisition planningfinancial literacy for high school studentsloan loss reserve / credit union support
Typical grant size centers on a median of $13,500, with the 25th percentile at $7,500 and the 75th percentile at $30,272. Recent awards range from small general-support checks to six-figure project funding, showing a mix of operating support and implementation-oriented grants. The grant list also includes repeated recipients across multiple years, including Urban League, Maps Community Foundation, National Credit Union Foundation, Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, and Financial Beginnings organizations, which points to recurring rather than one-time support in several cases. Gowest Foundation is an independent foundation led by Jennifer Huggard, and it makes grants rather than funding individuals or PRIs. Some programs accept unsolicited applications, including disaster relief, professional development scholarships, financial reality fair grants, workforce housing, and small business support.
Where Gowest Foundation Makes Grants
Most grants land in the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West, with Oregon appearing most often. Portland, Salem, and Bend recur in the recipient list, alongside Seattle-area Tukwila and Spokane in Washington. Idaho is another frequent destination, including Idaho Falls, Nampa, and Boise. Colorado recipients include Montrose and Tucson appears in Arizona through a workforce housing grant. All recorded grants in the dataset are to U.S. recipients, and 15% of grants go to organizations in Washington, where the foundation is headquartered.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gowest Foundation
What kinds of projects does Gowest Foundation fund most often?
Recent grants cluster around workforce housing, rural access to financial services, small business support, disaster relief, and financial education. The largest listed awards include $141,000 and $136,000 to Urban League in Portland, plus $100,000 to Nuvista FCU for workforce housing and $50,000 to East Idaho Credit Union Char Foundation for rural access.
Does Gowest Foundation support recurring grantees?
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Urban League in Portland, Maps Community Foundation in Salem, National Credit Union Foundation in Washington, DC, Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions in Madison, and Financial Beginnings in Washington and Oregon. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated grants.
What is the typical grant size at Gowest Foundation?
The grant-size distribution centers on a p25 of $7,500, a median of $13,500, and a p75 of $30,272. The recent list includes both small general-support grants at $7,500 and larger project awards such as $100,000 and $141,000.
Can organizations apply directly for some grants?
Yes. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including disaster relief, professional development scholarships, financial reality fair kit grants, workforce housing grants, and small business support grants. The small business resiliency loan pilot is listed as not accepting unsolicited applications.
Where does Gowest Foundation give most often?
By recipient count, Oregon is the top state for grants. Washington recipients account for 15% of grants, and the recipient list also includes organizations in Idaho, Colorado, Arizona, and other U.S. locations.
Latest 990 Filing
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Open Grant Opportunities
Current and upcoming funding from Gowest Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Open nowRolling / open intakeAward: $20K – $100K
Small Business Support Grants (GoWest Foundation)
small business supportentrepreneurshipaccess to capital
Who can apply: Must align with GoWest Foundation mission. Eligible applicants include GoWest-affiliated credit unions, affiliated credit union organizations, or community-based organizations/nonprofits in direct partnership with affiliated credit unions or with a robust plan to partner on aligned community initiatives.
Deadline: No application deadline; reviewed on a rolling basis.
Financial healthCommunity impactCredit union community initiatives
Who can apply: Applicants must be an Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, or Wyoming credit union affiliated with the GoWest Credit Union Association; an affiliated credit union organization; or a community-based organization or nonprofit in direct partnership with affiliated credit unions or with a robust plan to partner on community initiatives aligned with the Foundation’s focus areas.
Deadline: No application deadline; rolling grant cycle.
Who can apply: Not fully detailed on scraped pages; generally supports credit unions and community partners responding to disasters within the GoWest region.
Deadline: Not specified; likely responsive to disaster events.
Who can apply: Applicants must be a GoWest-affiliated credit union (AZ, CO, ID, OR, WA, WY), an affiliated credit union organization, or a community-based organization/nonprofit in direct partnership with an affiliated credit union. Projects must align with the Foundation mission and Workforce Housing initiative.
Deadline: No application deadline; accepted on a rolling basis.
Who can apply: All GoWest Credit Union Association members are invited to submit a grant application to host a financial reality fair in their community.
Deadline: Recommended submission six to eight weeks prior to the planned fair date.
Communications SupportCommunity ImpactCapacity Building
Who can apply: Typically available to organizations that are documenting community impact from a GoWest Foundation grant or project; limited funds and subject to program guidelines.
Deadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.