The Community Foundation of NCW (CFNCW) awarded $318,000 to local nonprofits through the Wenatchee Valley Legacy Fund Grant Program in 2025, continuing a community-led approach to local giving.

Launched in 2024, the Wenatchee Valley Legacy Fund has distributed $634,000 in grants in just two years, supporting nonprofits serving communities along the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers, including Monitor, Wenatchee, Orondo, East Wenatchee, and Malaga.

At the heart of the Legacy Fund model is a simple belief: the people who live in a community are best positioned to guide how charitable dollars are invested. That belief is carried out through Local Advisory Boards (LABs)—groups of community members who work alongside CFNCW board representatives to review grant applications, attend site visits, and determine funding priorities for their region.

Now in its second year, the program is growing stronger as communities refine their approach to doing even more good together.

For Wenatchee Valley Local Advisory Board member, Jenny Walker, the experience has reinforced the importance of community participation.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to participate and volunteer with the Wenatchee Valley Local Advisory Board,” Walker said. “It’s been a meaningful experience, from working closely with the Community Foundation to collaborating with board members [to] meeting so many nonprofits doing important work across our valley. The time spent listening, learning, and simply being present with our community has been incredibly valuable.”

In her second year on the board, Walker said the grant review process also brought greater awareness of the challenges local nonprofits are facing.

“I began to see more clearly the growing challenges many nonprofits are facing, particularly with the loss of federal funding and the increasing needs within our community,” Walker said. “Organizations are being asked to do more while supporting families and individuals experiencing food insecurity, housing instability, and the need for immigration advocacy and support. It’s not always easy to sit with these realities, but it’s made it clearer how interconnected these needs are across our region.”

Walker added that the Legacy Fund model creates space for both honesty and collaboration.

“The Legacy Funds have shown me that impact goes beyond funding alone. They create space to share the amazing work happening here, while also being honest about the challenges and gaps that still exist. By keeping these conversations visible and grounded in real experiences, the Legacy Funds help our community respond with care, collaboration, and a shared sense of responsibility.”

Another Wenatchee LAB member, Carmela Solorio Preciado, echoed the value of the Legacy Fund model and its role in strengthening the broader community.

“Serving as a Local Advisory Board, I was able to get to know nonprofit organizations that serve my community in depth,” Solario Preciado said. “[The Wenatchee] Legacy Fund is for members of this community who want to give back. By donating, you are not just donating to one organization but trusting that your donation will stay local and deliver to the whole community who is serving the local needs.”

The fund was launched with support from CFNCW’s Founders Circle, a group made up of community members who invested $5,000 or more to establish the fund. Ongoing support is welcome at any level through the fund’s grantable or endowed options.

To celebrate this year’s grant recipients, CFNCW and the Wenatchee Valley LAB hosted a grantee celebration on December 3^rd at the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center, bringing together nonprofit partners, LAB members, and Community Foundation representatives to recognize the collective impact of community-led philanthropy.

CFNCW thanks the community members, donors, and Local Advisory Board members whose support makes this work possible, and congratulates the nonprofit organizations awarded grants in 2025 for their vital service to the Wenatchee Valley.

Walker continued, “We live here. We’re building our lives here. And this experience has reinforced that being part of a community isn’t enough on its own. We have to participate, look around, listen to one another, and show up where we can.”