In 2006, the Board of Directors began discussing how the Community Foundation could increase its impact and influence in Pierce County. Through that work the Community Foundation developed a new philosophy of grantmaking, one based in our values of innovation, collaboration, integrity and community. This concept of a Vibrant Community is a focused strategy to use our discretionary funding to make a defined impact in Pierce County. Through the development of the Vibrant Community program, the Community Foundation has made a philosophical shift in our grantmaking.This shift focuses our efforts on root causes and systemic issues, thinking about long term, community driven solutions, and taking a leadership role in addressing county wide issues.
The Board and staff at the Community Foundation have worked together to imagine the possibilities of a Vibrant Community, creating an aspirational vision of what could be. We developed grantmaking definitions for our values and used this as a lens to develop the Five Elements of a Vibrant Community and made the decision to prioritize funding programs that change the conditions, not just meet the needs.
To qualify for a grant from the Community Foundation’s Vibrant Community Grantmaking Program, an organization must:
* Align with one of the
Five Elements of a Vibrant Community.
* Align with our
Grantmaking Values and our Equity and Inclusion Statement.
* Not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental disabilities, gender or national origin; be inclusive with clients, volunteers and staff.
