Wednesday, June 26, 2024

To Help Fund Roads, Washington Eyes Fee

on Delivery of Online Purchases

Published in the Washington State Standard, June 19, 2024

Photo credit: Mustafa Hussain/Getty Images)

A fee tacked onto the delivery of many retail and online purchases could generate millions of dollars a year for maintaining city and county roads in Washington.

State lawmakers now must decide if it’s an option worth pursuing as they, and local government leaders, wrestle with increasing costs of transportation upkeep and decreasing collections from the gas tax — the primary source of money for road work.

“Clearly our cities, our counties and our state have transportation challenges with too many potholes and too much traffic,” said Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, following Tuesday’s meeting of the Joint Transportation Committee, a bipartisan and bicameral panel that he chairs.

Read the full story here

GKC Annual Meeting & Membership Luncheon

Today, June 26, 2024, 11:00 am

Bremerton GreenDrinks @ Kitsap Credit Union

Thursday, July 11, 2024, 5:00 pm

July 24th is Education Carnival

Reserve your carnival booth today

Contact Tiffany at the Chamber to learn more and to reserve your

booth today or use the forms below to sign up now!

Kitsap Transit Opens New Transit Center

Silverdale location touts direct access to communities across Kitsap

[ABOVE] Kitsap Transit Executive Director, John Clauson, in front of the newly-opened Silverdale Transit Center. Photo Credit: Ed Stern.

[BELOW] An aerial view of the new Silverdale Transit Center, located off Ridgetop and Waaga Way. Photo credit: Kitsap Transit.

Read more in the Kitsap Sun here

Enjoy the Best Seats in Kitsap:

VIP Tickets for Bridge Blast Now Available

SCORE: Mastering Your Daily Routine

for Entrepreneurial Success

Thursday, June 27, 2024, 4:00 pm

Structuring your day for optimal success doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Learn how to create a personalized morning, day, and evening routine that aligns with your unique needs and goals. 

In this session, you'll:

• Earn a clear understanding of the areas you need to focus on to develop a daily routine that aligns with your personal and professional goals
• Understand the five core human components and the mind-body connection that drive our ability to lead ourselves with intention and purpose
• Learn strategies for overcoming resistance and building consistency

Workshop Fee: FREE

Principles of Lean Manufacturing

Thursday, June 27, 2024, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Servsafe Manager Training Class

Monday, July 8, 2024, 8:30 am @ The Point Casino

A Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) must be certified through an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited program. ServSafe Manager is an ANSI-certified program with a proctored exam. It is listed by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) for accredited Certified Food Protection Manager programs (ID 0655).

ServSafe Manager is an advanced food safety certification developed by the National Restaurant Association for foodservice and hospitality personnel. The ServSafe brand offers the highest standard of training to your staff and was named one of America’s Top Online Learning Providers of 2024. It also keeps customers safe with advanced food safety knowledge and complies with the Demonstration of Knowledge (DOK), Person In Charge (PIC) and Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) requirements within the Washington State Food Code.

Why an in-person class?

Participating in the material review increases student pass rates and provides an opportunity for questions.

Trainers are industry veterans and help students bridge the connection between knowledge and application.

Students come away with the skills to implement active managerial controls into their workplace.

GSBA Presents: Inclusion 101

Tuesday, July 16, 2024, 3:00 pm

For the first time, GSBA is giving members a peek into our inclusion training series with an in-person workshop led by River Teslar, hosted at the GSBA Offices.

But it’s just business. Why does inclusion matter?

It’s simple. Businesses that overlook the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion risk more than just falling behind competitors. They risk alienating their most valuable assets: their people. When your employees feel understood and seen for who they are, they’re more engaged, productive, and committed to your organization’s success.

What to expect?

Learn the ABCs of gender, sexuality, and pronouns! We’ll discuss the importance of navigating the world empathetically and learn how understanding these diverse identities creates safer and more welcoming work environments. Then, you can take these skills with you and utilize them better to support your friends, family, and community!

Cost is $15 for GSBA members and $25 for non-members. 

Courtesy of the Puget Sound Business Journal

Progressive’s $1 million Driving Small Business Forward grant program

Insurance giant Progressive is awarding 20 small businesses with $50,000 grants to buy a new vehicle and an invitation to a 12-week virtual Boost Camp business-coaching program as part of its new grant program.

To be eligible, businesses must have 10 or fewer employees and less than $5 million in annual gross revenue and have a demonstrated need for a qualifying commercial vehicle. That purpose, however, cannot be for a ride-share business as a driver, or for a third-party delivery service. Progressive is working with fintech Hello Alice to administer the grant program.

Applications close June 14 at 6 p.m. ET.

QuickBooks offering $10,000 grants

Small-business owners in the United States can apply for one of 20, $10,000 grants being awarded by QuickBooks and parent company Intuit. Winners also get access to three months of mentorship resources, including a series of webinars.

Businesses will be asked to submit a brief essay describing how the grant will help them overcome business challenges or achieve a business dream. 

Applications will be accepted until June 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Creative Business Boost Initiative offers $5,000 grants

The Creative Business Boost Initiative, presented by Hello Alice and the Global Entrepreneurship Network, with support from Etsy’s Uplift Fund!, will pick 100 creative entrepreneurs to get $5,000 grants and access to a coaching program. 

The program is open to “creative entrepreneurs,” but that does not mean owners have to be Etsy sellers or on the platform at all. They must, however, have a business in operation for at least a year and have an existing product or service on the market.

Applications close June 21 at 6 p.m. ET. 

Grubhub and National LGBT Chamber of Commerce team up

The Grubhub Community Fund and the NGLCC Community Impact Grant Program are providing grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to LGBT-owned bars, restaurants and other food-related small businesses across the country.

The program debuted earlier this year, with applications opening up by region. East Coast applications have already closed, as of May 21. Central Region applications close June 4, and West Region applications close June 25.

eBay launches fifth-annual Up & Running Grants program

E-commerce giant eBay will be awarding 50 sellers on its platform $10,000 each as part of a bid to fuel the growth of their respective businesses. The money can go toward physical and digital store improvements, equipment, inventory, hiring, training, marketing and other expenses. The company also is offering recipients a stipend worth $500 each that sellers can use for office technology from the eBay Refurbished online store.

The application window closes June 7.

LegalZoom offers $3 million small-business grant program with NBA, WNBA

LegalZoom’s Fast Break for Small Business grant program, in partnership with the NBA and WNBA, will be awarding $1.5 million in grants to 150 small-business owners and $1.5 million in products and services to 3,000 entrepreneurs looking to start their own business.

Small businesses that have been in operation for at least three months are eligible to apply for the individual $10,000 grants or up to $500 in LegalZoom products and services. Winners will be announced on social media. Action Opportunity Fund will administer the small-business grant awards.

The window to apply closes September 13.

Jobber offers grants for home-services businesses

Jobber, which provides operations-management software for home-services businesses, has launched a grant program in which 15 businesses could get $10,000 each. Business owners can apply for and use the grant however they want, whether it's purchasing new equipment, marketing or training their team.

Applications are being accepted until June 12.

Verizon Wireless Small Business Grants

Verizon Wireless has partnered with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to provide $10,000 small business grants. Verizon has launched a new round of grant funding for small businesses that can be accessed by completing two grant-eligible courses and applying before June 28th.

Courses are completely free, involve minimal time investment, and provide helpful business information on a variety of topics.

Learn more, take courses, and apply now!

Additional opportunities for small businesses

Entrepreneurs and business owners looking for assistance have other resources available to them as well. We've compiled a rundown of some of the other grant opportunities and types of training and technical assistance available to companies throughout 2024.

Courtesy of FastCompany.com

• The 3 key money moves to make during your peak earning years
• Leaders and business owners, these 3 workplace assumptions are undermining your success
• 10 time management apps that CEOs swear by

Courtesy of entrepreneur.com

• 3 smart ways entrepreneurs can make tax-efficient investment decisions
• Inflation's next victim is your freedom - here's why

You're Invited: Business Essentials w/L&I

Thursday, June 27, 2024. 12:30 pm

Have questions for L&I? Want to learn more? Join us for our Business Essentials webinar on Thursday, June 27th at 12:30 pm. Presented by experts from the Small Business office of the Department of Labor and Industries, you'll have the opportunity to have your most pressing questions answered. We'll see you there!

Donor Acquisition Tops List of

Challenges for Nonprofit Leaders

Published on NonprofitPro.com, June 24, 2024

Photo: Nonprofit Leadership Impact Study by NonProfit PRO

Aside from an increase in October 2023, the number of donors contributing to nonprofits has markedly decreased each year from the previous year since the peak in 2020. Because donor retention is directly tied to the number of donors an organization has — and because a strong donor base is critical to fulfilling any nonprofit’s mission — this decline has sparked concern within the nonprofit sector.

As then might be expected, donor acquisition is the top challenge nonprofit leaders are facing this year, jumping up from the second greatest concern last year, according to the latest research from NonProfit PRO.

Notably, donor acquisition surpassed lack of resources, which placed No. 2 on nonprofit professionals’ list of challenges this year. Last year, nonprofit professionals reported lack of resources as the No. 1 challenge they faced.

In order to help nonprofits stay in touch with what's going on in the industry and stay ahead of the curve, NonProfit PRO, powered by NAPCO Research, has released the sixth iteration of the “Nonprofit Leadership Impact Study,” focusing on insights and trends for 2024.

Read on to learn more

Kitsap County Public Works

Announces Reorganization

Kitsap County is pleased to announce a strategic reorganization within the Public Works department, aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and management effectiveness. This reorganization, approved by the Board of Commissioners, introduces a new Public Works Capital Facilities Division and integrates the Facilities Maintenance team into Public Works.

The reorganization seeks to better align the management structure with the Facilities Maintenance mission. Previously managed by the County Administrator's office, the Facilities Maintenance team will now benefit from Public Works’ extensive experience in operating and maintaining a diverse set of facilities and infrastructure. With an established history of high standards and delivering quality services, Public Works is well-positioned to support the Facilities Maintenance team.

In addition to realigning Facilities Maintenance, Public Works has been tasked with managing the design and construction of the County Courthouse upgrades. This multi-phased project, which has been in the planning stage for many years, will now move to design and construction under the leadership of the new Public Works Capital Facilities Division. This division will also oversee future capital projects for Parks, Utilities, Facilities, and other county administrative requirements.

To assist with this transition, the County is hiring a new Public Works Assistant Director for Capital Facilities and additional Project Management positions to support the new Courthouse and Parks capital programs.

This reorganization opens new opportunities for professional and technical staff growth within Public Works, providing additional pathways for professional development and advancement.



“We are excited about the merger of our Facilities Maintenance and custodial staff into the Public Works team,” said Katie Walters, chair of the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners. “This integration will enhance our ability to deliver high-quality services and support the growth and development of our professional staff.”

North Kitsap Schools Eyeing

Possible November Capital Levy

Published in the Kitsap Sun, June 20, 2024

It's been more than four months since North Kitsap School District experienced failure of its $242 million, 20-year-old bond. February's rejection came in lopsided fashion, as only 36.4% of the 16,586 votes cast supported the measure.

Without bond funding, the district is seeking to bridge the gap with a capital levy measure that would both target the most pressing needs at its facilities, as well as act as a gauge for voter confidence. Capital levies requires a simple majority (50% plus one) for passage, lower than the 60% needed to approve a bond.

"That will buy us time to come up with that more comprehensive plan," North Kitsap School District facility advisory committee (FAC) member Eric Quitslund said during a community meeting at North Kitsap High School on Monday. "In the meantime, we can't keep kicking the can down the road."

Read more here

Pride at the Roller Derby

Saturday, June 29, 2024, 3:30 pm

Bremerton Night Market

Friday, July 5, 2024, 5:00 - 9:00 pm

Silverdale GreenDrinks @ The Point

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Masks Still Available

Free at the Greater Kitsap Chamber & Visitor Center

The Greater Kitsap Chamber still has some supplies available if your local business is in need of KN95 masks. Pick up your supply at both GKC locations today. Available while supplies last.

BCT Presents: Arsenic and Old Lace

Don't Miss the Final Weekend!

Clearwater Casino Resort:

Petty Thief - Tom Petty Tribute

Friday, June 28, 2024, 8:30 pm

Invincible - Pat Benetar Tribute

Saturday, June 29, 2024, 8:30 pm

Two Days of Bridge Blast!

June 29 & 30, 2024

Coming Soon: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

July 19 - August 4, 2024

An absent-minded professor, unsuccessful with several of his inventions, finally has success, when he fixes up an old racing car. Take flight with us on this magical adventure.

Show Dates: 

July 19 to August 4, 2024 

Fridays at 7 p.m.

Saturdays & Sundays at 2 p.m.

Special Saturday Evening Show July 27 at 7 p.m. 

50th Annual Whaling Days Festival

July 26-28, 2024

Silverdale @ Sunset Concert Series

Wednesdays beginning July 31st, 6:30 pm

Bremerton Airshow

August 17 & 18, 2024