If you are planning on making an in-person end-of-year gift to GTCF, be sure to visit the office by Friday, December 28. GTCF offices are closed on Monday, December 31. However, a mailed contribution postmarked by December 31 will still count as a 2018 gift.



PHOTO: Spark Grant recipient Sandra Smith
Sandra Smith, a real estate agent from Buckley, says the Spark Grant she received earlier this year to launch Merry on Main served as a catalyst for involvement from numerous individuals and organizations.  "Once they saw this was something that was really going to make an impact to the community, everybody brought their talent and time and made contributions."

See which grassroots leaders were selected as GTCF's Winter 2018 Spark Grant recipients

PHOTO: Students participating in Expanded Learning programming at Reed Elementary School
Several Tacoma organizations have taken a leadership role in providing Expanded Learning Opportunities to students at 12 Tacoma Elementary Schools as part of the Whole Child Partnership.

The Whole Child Partnership is a community-wide effort to ensure every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Tacoma Public Schools, and numerous community partners are working together to expand this partnership by providing aligned, equitable, high-quality social, emotional, and academic development opportunities to students in and out of school.

For these organizations, providing Expanded Learning Opportunities for youth helps them fulfill their mission to the community.

 

PHOTO: 2018-19 Youth Philanthropy Board
The 15 new members of this year's Youth Philanthropy Board  are a diverse group of emergent leaders from schools and service learning programs across Pierce County.  Ranging in age from 15-24, they bring unique skills and experiences, along with a shared dedication to giving back to the community that gave them opportunities to succeed. 
Over the course of the next nine months, these YPB members will have the opportunity to participate in workshops focused on professional development to promote and elevate youth voice in Pierce County.  In addition, they will help make recommendations on resources to local youth-serving organizations. 
 

PHOTO:  From left to right Donna Ponepinto, Timmie Foster, Fahren Johnson,  Kathi Littmann,  Holly Bamford-Hunt
United Way of Pierce County, in partnership with Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, held its second annual From Poverty to Possibilities poverty summit, which has become a keystone for community activism, considering one in three Pierce County residents struggle to make ends meet.

"We are pleased to join forces to shine a light on poverty and lend our influence and leverage the power of the community to solve problems. Our community will not be stronger until every member of our community can experience economic equity-and that includes women and families, who are especially impacted by poverty". - Kathi Littmann, President & CEO, GTCF


PHOTO: Nist Family at Seattle-Tacoma Box Company headquarters.  
At Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, we've seen how much more we can accomplish when we work together.  Since 1981, community members have shared their commitment to a thriving Pierce County by partnering with GTCF to bring their vision to life and build a legacy for future generations.  In our 2018 yearbook, Pierce County Partners, a few of our partners shared their lessons and insights from working to strengthen Pierce County.

"We have done baseball tournaments, we have done golf tournaments - but I think we saw as a family it is time to grow that into something larger that will go on for many generations and help support different causes and needs..." - Mike Nist
Find out how the Nist family partnered with GTCF to meet their philanthropic goals

Upcoming Fundraisers

Every month GTCF shares information about upcoming fundraisers and community events in Pierce County on our Community Calendar. You can post your organization's events on our Community Calendar to have them featured in our newsletter and social media accounts.
 

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