 In the News
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Congratulations to our Foundation of Art Nominees |
Congratulations to the 16 talented artists who were nominated for our 2012 Foundation of Art Award!
Each of this year's nominees were selected by our Foundation of Art committee, comprised of local art professionals.
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Upcoming Community Events
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House Warming Tour
Saturday, June 16
9:30 am
Helping Hand House
> Click here
for more information.
Thursday, June 21
7:30 pm
Lakewold Gardens
Harbor History Museum Presents "With a Loving Eye: The Photographs of Jini Dellaccio"
Exhibit: March 31 - July 29
Do you have a nonprofit event you'd like featured? Please add it to our online Community Calendar!
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| Letter from Rose |
When it comes to the future of the Community Foundation--and of our Pierce County community--we remain steadfast in the belief that we can accomplish more, together. Today we are pleased to share with you that The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has publicly demonstrated their support of this philosophy, and has awarded $1 million to our organization for re-granting into the Pierce County community. Committed to supporting community prioritized needs in Washington state and greater Portland, Oregon, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recognized that partnering with those who know the local communities best will deepen the impact and reach more families in need. They are a like-minded partner, recognizing that local strategies and solutions are critical to creating lasting impact. In total, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is investing $5 million for re-granting through 9 organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Our organization is receiving the largest grant, with others ranging from $340,000 to $700,000, to be paid out over the next four years. This is truly an extraordinary demonstration of the confidence they have in our organization, and our long-standing history of listening to community needs and working collectively to respond through effective grantmaking. The investment will be distributed through our Vibrant Community grantmaking program over a four-year period, and will act as a springboard for furthering growth and impact in the community. This spring, the investment allowed us to more than double the funding we provided through our Vibrant Community grants--from $370,000 in 2011 to over $600,000--while maintaining our focus on addressing root causes and furthering community-driven solutions. We look forward to continuing to be good stewards of this investment, and working alongside and in partnership with the community to ensure that it has a deep and lasting impact.
All the best,Rose
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One Year Anniversary of Be the Spark
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 One year ago, 15,000 people filled the Tacoma Dome for our Be the Spark event and rallied around Archbishop Desmond Tutu's message: We are all connected and can each spark positive change. Throughout the diverse audience, more than 6,000 of whom were young people, there was a unifying theme that each person can make a difference.
We launched Be the Spark as a way to unite and inspire the community to take action and make Pierce County a more positive, caring place to live.
Now, as we reflect back on the event and remember the remarkable performances and inspirational words, we hope that each of you also remember this: Be the Spark was not just an event. It is a call to action and a reminder that we can all help make this a better place to live.
As Archbishop Tutu said, one tiny action can be a spark that inspires others. Be the Change. Be the Spark. Volunteer, mentor a youth, pay attention to small ways you can help others!
This May, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of Be the Spark by highlighting the many people who are helping spark change in our region today. Each day, we featured a new story spotlighting one of these passionate, dedicated individuals. We hope you take a moment to read their stories, to be inspired, and to contribute your own spark to make our region even better.
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Be the Spark Spotlights:
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Tacoma native Korbett Mosesly is a young, talented community leader who recently launched The Pierce County Journal, a collaborative media project for young adults ages 16-35 in the Pierce County area.
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University of Puget Sound graduate Noah Kaplan shared the stage last year with Archbishop Tutu. His powerful spoken word performance wowed speaker Craig Kielburger and after Be the Spark, Noah joined Craig's organization. Noah has spent the last year traveling the world performing to audiences of 10,000+ and spreading the Be the Spark message globally.
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Sierra Burton is a student at Todd Beamer High School and an active volunteer at St. Francis Hospital. Sierra is known for her compassion, unfailing smile, and strong work ethic.
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Community Foundation Awards
$600,000 in Vibrant Community Grants |
 As part of our work to improve life for all in Pierce County, the Community Foundation recently awarded more than $600,000 in grants to 76 nonprofit organizations under our Vibrant Community Grantmaking Program, more than double last year's amount.
Both well-known organizations with proven track records as well as innovative and newer programs were selected as grantees under each of our 5 Vibrant Community focus areas: arts & culture, basic needs, education, environment, and neighborhoods & communities.
"Using our in-depth knowledge of the community, we selected grant opportunities that will help sustain and strengthen not only the nonprofit organizations themselves, but the broader community," shared Rose Lincoln Hamilton, President & CEO.
The total amount awarded was 60% higher than the previous year, in part due to funding made available by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Grantee Spotlights
"We were extremely impressed by the breadth and depth of the applications that we received and were able to fund," shared Jessica Stokesberry, a second-year volunteer of the Vibrant Community Environment Grants Committee. "Seeing the innovation and variety of projects that are taking place throughout the County was invigorating."
One of the larger grants awarded this year was to Communities in Schools Peninsula. "We are very pleased to have been selected," said Colleen Speer, Executive Director. "The grant will allow our organization to providing caring adult mentors for children who are struggling in academics and lack the one-on-one attention needed to succeed in school."
Among the nine organizations chosen for multi-year grants was Tacoma Area Literacy Council, a volunteer-run organization that provides adult literacy programs. The three-year funding will allow the organization to expand to new location sites in Puyallup. "The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation has been a loyal supporter of Tacoma Area Literary Council since 1997...(when) seed money allowed us to start our Half Price Books Program and provided necessary books and learning supplies to over 1150 students and 950 tutors. We are thankful for their continued partnership," shared Kai Kushen, Fundraising Chair of the organization.
A full list of this year's grantees is available at: gtcf.org/2012-grantees
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| Oliver Doriss Named Foundation of Art Award Winner |
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Oliver Doriss
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Congratulations to the 16 talented artists who were nominated for our 2012 Foundation of Art Award and to our winner: Oliver Doriss!
Since 2008, this prestigious award has been honoring professional artists living and working in the region.
Oliver was selected by our Foundation of Art committee, comprised of local art professionals, for his talent and contribution to the community.
As the winner, Oliver will receive a $7,500 award and create a commissioned art piece for the Community Foundation, to be unveiled in December 2012 at a culminating art show featuring the work of Foundation of Art Award nominees from the past five years.
An artist from a young age, Doriss began working in glass at the age of sixteen and has been an active member of the contemporary glass movement for over two decades. His artwork ranges from cast glass sculptural forms to public art installation. In 2007, Doriss founded the Fulcrum Gallery, a contemporary art venue in Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood, which he owns and operates.
"Oliver is deeply committed to art in Tacoma, both as an artist and a gallerist," said Jeremy Mangan, former Foundation of Art Award winner and the Foundation of Art Committee member who nominated Doriss for the Award. "His own glass work is as unique and risky as it is beautiful, and Fulcrum Gallery is a vital and dynamic venue where art and community meet in the best way."
"I was flattered just to be nominated," said Doriss. "I couldn't have done a better job at identifying the creative community than in the artists that were nominated. To be selected as the winner and have that recognition is very validating."
Read our interview with Oliver Doriss and our many other talented nominees on our blog!
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| Youth Philanthropy Board Insider |
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2012 Youth Philanthropy
Board Members
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2012 marks the second year of our Youth Philanthropy Board, created to provide young people in Pierce County with the tools to become philanthropic and community leaders.
The year-long program provides leadership and civic engagement training, aimed to bring the important perspective of youth voice into philanthropy. Focused on the issue of youth violence prevention, the Youth Philanthropy Board will make recommendations on which youth programs to fund in an effort to reduce and prevent youth violence in Pierce County.
Below, Youth Philanthropy Board member Tono Sablan updates us on the work of the Board.
"Currently, the Youth Philanthropy Board (YPB) is working diligently on reviewing applications sent into us by potential grantees from all around Pierce County. There are a total of twenty-four applications, all from worthy organizations, answering six questions that were created by YPB members during the Request For Proposal development period. Quite a daunting task, as there was only fourteen applications sent in last year, but if any group can do it, it's the Youth Philanthropy Board!
It is through reading these applications that board members will gain a better understanding the organizations goals and ultimately decide which projects are the best fit for a grant from The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation. It is our job as YPB members to study these applications with the greatest amount of decorum possible. Members are taking notes and engaging in dialogue on the concepts of these projects. We will take into account how these projects goals align with the YPB's three vital elements for youth in a safe community: Self-Esteem, Empowerment, and Healthy Choices.
Once we narrow down the proposed projects, we will begin hands-on site visits. While doing all of this, we are continuing to learn the essentials elements of philanthropy and how it applies to the real world.
Team building, communication skills, and critical decision making are just some of the many techniques we are attaining through this process. We will continue this work, meeting the first three Wednesday's of the month, as we've found that it is very important to maintain a steady contact with each other inside, and outside, of the board room."
Learn more about the work of the Youth Philanthropy Board and Board member Tono Sablan on our website!
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