Cowlitz Tribal Foundation Celebrates 2023 Grant Recipients at 3rd Annual Event

The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation’s philanthropic efforts topped $6 million in 2023, with grants distributed to 132 nonprofits in Clark County and throughout Washington

/EIN News/ -- Ridgefield, WA, April 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Sunday, April 28th, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe welcomed 2023 grant recipients from across the state to ilani Casino Resort to celebrate their partnership and reflect on a year of amazing accomplishments. 

The brunch, hosted by the Cowlitz Tribal Foundation, marks the third annual celebration of the tribe’s philanthropic partners. 

The tribe’s grantees are located throughout Clark County, WA and the state of Washington, and spanning focus areas from food access, to education, housing, natural resources, and more. 

“We are honored to celebrate the incredible work of the Cowlitz Tribal Foundation grantees, who are advancing solutions to the biggest challenges faced by our communities in and throughout Washington state. The people of the Cowlitz Tribe have cared for this land and our neighbors since time immemorial, and we are grateful to continue that legacy through the work of our foundation.  We’ve seen the impact of this work grow along with the Tribe over the last several years, demonstrating clearly that when Cowlitz succeeds, we all succeed,” said Patty Kinswa-Gaiser, General Council Chairwoman of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. 

In 2023,132 grants were awarded between the Clark County Fund and the Statewide Fund. These grants spanned nine focus areas (arts, culture & humanities, civil rights & advocacy, economic, education, environment, food & nutrition, health, law & safety, and social services), for the purpose of capacity building, capital construction, operational support, and program development. 

You can learn more about individual grant recipients and the impact of their work in an overview video here.

The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation is also committed to removing as many barriers as possible when it comes to funding awards, further enabling direct impact. “It is not uncommon for funding to come with certain restrictions for its use in organizations,” said Cowlitz Tribal Foundation Manager Timi Marie Russin. “Our foundation prioritizes proactive grantmaking to organizations, to help remove barriers and build long term partnerships.”

While Sunday’s event highlighted the 2023 efforts of this philanthropic work, the Cowlitz Tribal Foundation has awarded $28 million in funding to date since 2018.

Learn more about the work of the Cowlitz Tribal Foundation, the application process, and its sustaining impact on the region, here.

About the Cowlitz Indian Tribe

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe is a growing force in community building in the Pacific Northwest. The Cowlitz Reservation neighbors Ridgefield, Washington, and is home to ilani, the Pacific Northwest's premier gaming, dining, meeting, and entertainment destination. The mission of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe is to preserve and honor the legacy of its elders and ancestors by empowering a tribal community that promotes social justice and economic well-being, secures aboriginal lands, respects culture and sovereignty, and fosters justice, freedom, and mutual welfare. More information can be found at cowlitz.org.

Madison Hitchcock
                    Cowlitz Indian Tribe
                    mhitchcock@cowlitz.org