Community Foundation of South Puget Sound

About Community Foundation of South Puget Sound

A year-long youth mental health learning cohort sits alongside two-year Community Grants, showing how The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound combines direct funding with capacity building in Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties. The foundation’s recent giving is rooted in local operating support for nonprofits, with recurring awards to organizations serving children, families, food access, health, and civic life in the South Puget Sound. Recent grants point to a broad community role. Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County received $418,607 in 2024, and United Way of Thurston County received $320,928 in 2025, both for operating support. Other sizable awards went to Mason County HOST, Griffin School Foundation, Thurston County Food Bank, SafePlace, and Capitol Land Trust. That mix suggests a funder that backs established service providers while also supporting education, environmental stewardship, and basic-needs organizations. The Community Foundation also administers scholarship programs for local students, connecting donor-established funds to post-secondary education across the region. Its structure as a mixed community foundation fits a model of donor engagement and place-based grantmaking rather than a single-issue funder.

What Community Foundation of South Puget Sound Funds

In education, the foundation supports student aid through Community Foundation Scholarships, a program for local students pursuing college, certificates, and other post-secondary education. It also runs Scholarships for donor-established scholarship funds managed through the scholarship portal. For civic engagement and belonging, Project Connect is a pilot grant program for emerging nonprofit projects that foster connection among diverse individuals and strengthen community. A separate Project Connect Grants program uses direct funding for selected local projects with the same focus on inclusion and civic life. Health and human services are another clear thread. The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound has funded The Olympia Free Clinic, SafePlace, and Thurston County Food Bank, reflecting attention to health access, safety, and basic needs. Environmental and place-based work also appears in grants to Capitol Land Trust, Puget Sound Estuarium, and Nisqually Land Trust.

How Community Foundation of South Puget Sound Gives