The Ben B. Cheney Foundation makes grants in the communities where Mr. Cheney’s lumber company operated. Within those communities, the Foundation will respond to a wide variety of requests. The Foundation’s main goal is to support efforts that help to improve the quality of life in those communities.

Program areas:

• Charity – Programs providing for basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing.

• Civic – Programs improving the quality of life in a community, such as museums and recreation facilities.

• Culture – Programs encompassing the arts.

• Education – Programs supporting capital projects and scholarships, primarily for six pre-selected colleges and universities with a record of service to Pierce County.

• Elderly – Programs serving the social, health, recreational, and other needs of older people.

• Health – Programs related to providing health care.

• Social Services – Programs serving people with disabilities or other special needs.

• Youth – Programs helping young people to gain the skills needed to become responsible and productive adults.

We prefer to fund projects that:

• Invest in equipment or facilities that will have a long-lasting impact on community needs.

• Demonstrate local community support with a base of local community funding.

• Develop new and innovative approaches to community problems.

• Expand existing programs to serve more people and/or areas.

Locations:

Washington: Pierce County is the Foundation’s primary giving location. We also consider grant requests from communities in southwest Washington, the Olympic Peninsula (Thurston, Mason, Jefferson, and Clallam counties), and Kitsap County.

Oregon: The Foundation’s primary giving location is Medford/Jackson County, with a few grants in Grants Pass/Josephine County.

California: The Foundation’s giving in Northern California includes the following counties; Del Norte, Siskiyou, Humbolt, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, and Plumas.

There are no deadlines. The Foundation accepts letters of inquiry throughout the year.

Grants over $15,000 must go to a full board meeting. It often takes six to nine months from the time a letter of inquiry arrives to when a formal application can be reviewed by the Foundation’s board of directors. While the Foundation seeks to be timely, it also balances the volume of requests with the timing of projects. Generally, the Foundation wants to see a significant amount of a project cost raised before proceeding with a formal application.