Community
Community Stories
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Threading the Needle: Donating Business Interests to Charity
Because business owners are focused on the growth and success of their business, they may not have philanthropy on their radar right away. However, if they decide to sell their business, they have an opportunity to make a major impact for the causes and organizations in their community that matter to them. Often referred > Continue Reading
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Young-Adult Leaders Use Local History to Build Blueprint for the Future
As racial and political tensions were at an all-time high across the U.S. in the late 60’s, Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood reached a boiling point, stirring up an event known as the 1969 Mother’s Day Uprising. Blackpast.org recounts the event: “An attempted arrest on the Hilltop led to a night of angry, youthful confrontation > Continue Reading
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Local Journalism and Local Funders Fuel Civic Voice and Power
Local journalism can make the difference between getting involved in community solutions or being caught off guard by events that arise from otherwise unseen issues. That was the case following a recent article from the nonprofit news site, Gig Harbor Now (GHN). Newcomers could see how beautiful the view is, but I wanted them to > Continue Reading
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Loving Tacoma for the Long Term
Sitting around the dining room table at her family’s Tacoma home, Ann Wiborg and a group of fellow local leaders met in the Fall of 1977. They shared a vision of supporting the needs and opportunities of their community for generations to come. Four years later, Greater Tacoma Community Foundation (GTCF) officially launched with $10,000 > Continue Reading
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A Face-to-face, Family-to-family, Friend-to-friend Approach To COVID-19 in Pierce County
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department held a vaccination clinic on Key Peninsula a couple weeks ago where they vaccinated eighteen people and saw that as a success. She asked many questions and got good information and then made her decision when she felt like it was an informed one for her. “In the beginning > Continue Reading
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Toward Transformation: Equity-Centric Philanthropy in the Pacific Northwest
For the first time in her professional career, Elena Pullen-Venema can say that her personal racial equity values and those of her employer are coming into alignment. Elena, who’s been with the Community Foundation of Snohomish County since 2012 and now serves as Director of Gift Planning there, says the foundation began “deep-dive” equity discussions as a staff a > Continue Reading
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Vaccine Participation vs. Hesitancy – Who Do You Trust?
According to Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, as of June 30, 2021, Pierce County’s vaccination rate was 50.5%. COVID-19 vaccines are now widely available, but the number of people seeking vaccines has decreased. Organizations and agencies around Pierce County are sharing data, resources, and tools to help community members make informed decisions about vaccination. As part > Continue Reading
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This Could Not Have Been An Email: Social Emotional Learning Makes Meetings Meaningful
A common complaint heard after many work meetings is, “This could have been an email”. For Expanded Learning providers participating in Tacoma’s Whole Child partnership under COVID-19 conditions, virtual team meetings have been something they actually look forward to. After 3 years of providing programs on-site at 12 elementary schools across Tacoma, Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) had to shift to an online format under COVID-19 conditions. This meant that ELO providers wouldn’t see > Continue Reading
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Complex Gifts Can Simply Transform Communities
“Sometimes the most important stuff is not all about the money.” – Marydale Brooks The late Marydale Brooks believed the “important stuff” happened “when everyone starts pitching in with their talents, resources, or pure grunt work to get the job done.” A longtime Buckley resident, she was unassuming in her demeanor, community-minded, and collaborative in > Continue Reading
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Good Information And Trusted People Critical To COVID-19 Vaccine Equity
COVID-19 vaccine supply now exceeds demand. However, vaccine availability does not automatically equal vaccination for all people in all places. In Pierce County, efforts are underway to make it easy and desirable for all communities to get the vaccine. In Yakima, an effort called the Partnership for Food Security offers valuable lessons for improving vaccine equity. Yakima County Commissioner Amanda McKinney shared an important insight from the partnership about encouraging vaccine participation, “You need to > Continue Reading