Submitted by Puget Sound Energy
The Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Foundation has announced the recipients of a $600,000 competitive grant program which will support 115 nonprofit organizations across the 10 counties PSE serves. The 2023 grant awards empower resiliency within the areas of food security, shelter, literacy, and nonprofit staff development and training.
The foundation’s goal is to increase community resiliency by helping community based organizations build capacity within their programs, expertise or operations. The successful proposals each detailed plans and tactics on how organizations would develop or strengthen competencies, strategies, systems or structures to help improve effectiveness within the funding areas identified above.
A wide variety of nonprofit sectors benefit from the flexibility and low-barrier model the PSE Foundation integrates into their competitive grant process. Organizations such as Whitewater Aquatics Management, who provides water related education, training, and competition in a healthy and safe environment, regardless of age, ability, or financial status to the residents of White Center, Burien, and West Seattle.
“With water surrounding the Puget Sound region, lifeguards serve as our water sentries,” shares Bryan Hastings, President of Whitewater Aquatics Management; “as a community pool, we take seriously the civic responsibility of preparing our community with lifelong water survival skills as well as training a team of lifeguards to be job-ready – we couldn’t do this critical work without the support of our community and partners like the PSE Foundation.”
More than 360 proposals were received and reviewed by a team of PSE’s local employee volunteers who are professionally trained to review community grant proposals. Grants will be received across Whatcom, Island, Skagit, Snohomish, Kitsap, Kittitas, King, Pierce, Thurston and Lewis counties.
“We’re encouraged by the tremendous engagement in our program and are inspired by the candid stories and solutions presented for issues facing our communities. We continue to listen, learn and grow from each submittal funded or not, striving to reduce burdens and barriers organizations may be facing where we can,” shares Rachel Benner, Executive Director of PSE Foundation, “we’re proud to invest in our partners so they can continue to empower resiliency for all.”
A full list of grant recipients can be viewed here.
