The Bamford Foundation has continued making grants aligned with our four priority giving areas, primarily within greater Tacoma and Pierce County, in the spirit of our founders' mission to improve the quality of life of individuals and families and to strengthen their communities. 

The foundation supports 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, which include operational funds, capacity-building funds, program funds, partnerships, and capital projects that are evidence-based; innovative; that promote equity, diversity, access, and inclusion; and that invite individuals and families to use their voices and resources to strengthen their communities. We support efforts that represent collaboration with partners in the greater community for the most impact.

The foundation's giving priorities reflect the board's value of the transformative role of lifelong education for individuals, families, and communities:

• Basic Needs (access to food, physical and mental/behavioral health care, housing and shelter, clothing, and other basic needs, financial stability): we support organizations that promote self-sufficiency by enabling individuals to meet their basic needs.

• Early Learning and Parent support: we promote the healthy development and learning of young children through our support of organizations, programs, and initiatives/partnerships which improve access to and quality of early learning experiences including child care, support parents and primary caregivers as their children's first teachers, and enhance professional development and support of those who work with and care for young children.

• Expanded Learning Opportunities: we support access to expanded learning opportunities for all of our community members, but in particular for children and youth preschool- grade 12, which includes participation in education-related programs in arts, cultural understanding and civic engagement; in the areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math); social-emotional learning; environmental education; and learning support programs (supporting different pathways to learning).

• Access to Postsecondary Education and Job Training Opportunities: We support programs, initiatives, and organizations that improve access to opportunities in postsecondary education, job training, apprenticeships, and career pathways. This includes programs that help students complete their degrees and identify and reach their educational, career, and life goals.

The Bamford Foundation meets quarterly for grantmaking board meetings: February, May, August, and October/November. LOI and application cycles will be open on the grants portal to align with this schedule.