Community Foundation of South Puget Sound

Join the Community Foundation's work of growing a lasting culture of generosity and well-being in the South Puget Sound through connection, leadership, and investment. 

Philanthropy has always been about the love of people. We all start as the next generation that those who came before cared about. Now, we are the generation that, in turn, cares for the next. Philanthropy is all about us and what we do for generations to come. And in the case of the Community Foundation, that means caring for our local people and communities across Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties. 

💜When you give to the Community Foundation, you join a network of local people committed to funding vital work to ensure a vibrant, healthy future for all across our South Puget Sound communities.💜

A gift to the Community Foundation makes Give Local possible year after year. To date, our communities have raised more than $3.9 million in support of local nonprofits through Give Local—that's incredible! This year is our 8th annual Give Local, and a record-breaking 142 nonprofits are participating in this community-wide celebration of generosity.  

Give Local is just part of the Community Foundation’s efforts to partner with others who love our South Puget Sound communities and invest in our bright future. Every year, we mobilize community resources to sustain and support the local communities we love through our funds, scholarships, and grantmaking. We also know that spending time with our community in conversation and convening is essential to our mission. This is why this past year we...

• Hosted our inaugural Community Conversation event featuring author and journalist Mónica Guzmán to help address growing concerns from local people about increasing polarization. We were pleased to spend an evening with over 300 community members engaged in curious and thoughtful conversation. Thank you to all who joined us!
• Held our first-ever Photo Contest during the summer months, inviting local photographers of all ages and skill levels to share what community means to them through their lens. We received 71 submissions across four contest categories: Youth, Community Celebrations & People, Nonprofit Missions in Action, and Landscapes & Wildlife. 
• Celebrated our 35th anniversary with Community Celebrations in Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties, attended by 234 community members across our region! 
• Announced the launch of our Youth Mental Health Grants and Learning Cohort, responding to concerning mental health trends among young people. We look forward to sharing updates about this new and exciting program with our community soon! 

Since our founding in 1989, the Community Foundation has awarded over $25 million (and counting) in grants and scholarships to support communities throughout Lewis, Mason, and Thurston County. These funds have funded college degrees, meals, winter clothes, children’s books, medicine, therapy, shelter, solar panels, forests, farmland, healthy rivers, music, art, and so much more.  

Will you help us sustain this important work? Together, we can continue creating a more generous and abundant place where everyone can thrive—now and for years to come. ✨