WALLA WALLA–A $3,000 grant has been awarded to the Blue Mountain Artisan Guild to help with the cost of upgrading its building's access for people with disabilities, the Blue Mountain Community Foundation announced this week.

The grant was among $189,050 in discretionary grants awarded in the four-county region of Garfield, Umatilla, Walla Walla and Columbia counties.

The Blue Mountain Community Foundation (BMCF), under the leadership of its Board of Trustees, Grant Committee Chair, Barbara Roloff and BMCF Grants Manager, Megan Patnode, awarded $189,050 in grants in December 2023 to local nonprofits based in those counties. These grants are part of the organization's annual competitive grant application available to eligible organizations throughout the four-county region. This round of grantmaking focused on providing general operating support to nonprofits rather than programmatic support.

This focus is one way that the board and staff of BMCF are embracing Trust-Based Philanthropy – a grantmaking philosophy that puts the emphasis of grant funding on supporting the mission of the successful applicants rather than a transactional award based on administering a program.

Ultimately, 107 eligible applications requesting over $1.7 million in grants were received by the October 1, 2023, deadline and, of those, 41 proposals were awarded funding, including:

Big Recyclers - $1,000 for facilitating glass recycling in Walla Walla County

Blue Mountain Artisan Guild - $3,000 for upgrading handicap access to their building

Blue Mountain Health Cooperative - $3,500 for support in their Caring Communities project

Blue Mountain Heart to Heart - $3,000 for support of their Rural Mobile Clinic

Blue Mountain Humane Society - $10,000 for general operating

Blue Mountain Action Council - $7,500 for general operating

Camp Fire Walla Walla - $3,000 for general operating

Carnegie Picture Lab - $2,100 for art education programs for Walla Walla Valley youth

Children's Home Society of Walla Walla - $5,000 for general operating support of their Triple Point Program

Common Roots Housing Trust - $3,500 for general operating

Community Council - $3,000 for general operating

Dayton Youth Basketball - $1,000 for general operating in Walla Walla

Domestic Violence Services, Inc - $3,000 for general operating

First Congregational Church of Walla Walla - $3,000 for providing free lunches to the community

Fort Walla Walla Museum - $2,500 for their Free School Tour Program

Friends of Children of Walla Walla - $2,100 for general operating support of their ABC Mentoring Program

Hope Street - $2,875 for Recovery Residence general operating

Lillie Rice Center - $6,250 for general operating

Little Theatre of Walla Walla - $8,500 for general operating

Pendleton's Children Center - $9,375 for general operating

Pioneer Humane Society (PAWS) - $7,000 for maintenance to their shelter

Pioneer Relief Nursery - $4,000 for general operating support of their Therapeutic Early Childhood Program

Project Timothy Christian Aid Center - $5,000 for general operating

SonBridge Center for Better Living - $8,000 for general operating of Helpline Assistance Services

The Cardinal's Nest - $3,000 to support youth enrichment programs and employment for teens

The Club - $6,500 for general operating

The Health Center - $7,125 for providing increased access to behavioral health services and primary medical care to students within the WWPS

The STAR Project - $8,750 for general operating

Tri-County Partners Habitat for Humanity - $4,100 for Peyton Lane Affordable Homes

Trilogy Recovery Community - $8,125 for general operating

Vital Wines - $2,000 to support expansion of their Promotora de Salud Program

Walla Walla Alliance for the Homeless - $3,500 for general support of their Sleep Center

Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council - $1,500 for general operating

Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival - $6,250 to support their 2023/2024 season

Walla Walla Choral Society - $1,500 for general operating

Walla Walla Piano Group - $1,000 to underwrite the cost of moving their Steinway Piano

Walla Walla Senior Center - $8,000 to provide support of their Nutrition Program

Walla Walla YMCA - $7,000 to provide support to their Latino Women Health Initiative

Walla Walla YWCA - $10,000 to provide support to their Living in New Circumstances Program