The Community Foundation of NCW has awarded $50,000 to Friends of the Pool and $50,000 to the Public School Funding Alliance through the Methow Valley Fund Game Changer Grant. This grant provides a significant funding opportunity to empower a nonprofit organization or collaboration to take their work to the next level and benefit the Methow Valley community in an impactful and permanent “game changing” way.

For the past 15 years, Friends of the Pool has been raising funds to keep the pool functioning through needed repairs and replacements. This year, Friends of the Pool will be assuming management of the Wagner Pool in Twisp. The MVF Game Changer Grant will allow them to begin the infrastructure needed for this new management and creating stability, including an Aquatics Director to be a leader in programming and planning. “A public pool is a place where people of all ages in the community can gather, learn, play and be active in a safe, supervised, comfortable environment” wrote Blue Bradley, grant applicant. “It’s an essential asset to the Methow Valley. This grant is integral in helping us undertake the next phase to keep the Methow Swimming.”

A recent threat of violence at Liberty Bell Jr High School rattled the community. In response, Public School Funding Alliance (PSFA) is implementing an initiative, Restorative Practices, as a tool to help build a culture of respect, accountability, and engagement in schools. The Independent Learning Center piloted this program with success, and with the Game Changer grant, PSFA is able to secure a Campus Culture Coordinator and training that will help build programs like suicide prevention, lunch buddies, professional development for staff, and resources for parents and the community. “This is a moment of opportunity to really respond to the voices in our community asking for more guidance and wraparound support” said Liberty Bell Principal Elyse Darwood. They plan to implement the program for the 2025/2026 academic year.

“Both organizations have done a substantial amount of research for their proposed programs, both addressing vital community needs” said Jennifer Short, the foundation’s director of community grants. “We evaluate the game changer proposals on how they will impact the community if we funded it – and also if we didn’t. These projects are crucial to the safety of the community, and the Methow Valley Fund and its advisors saw the importance of that. We are grateful for the donors that make funding these programs possible.”

The MVF Game Changer funding is made possible by bequests from local residents who wanted to leave a legacy in the Methow Valley. An advisory committee comprised of local volunteers review, evaluate, and make the grant recommendation. The grant is community-centered: funded by and awarded by its residents with oversight by the Community Foundation.

For more information on the Methow Valley Fund, visit www.cfncw.org/methowvalleyfund.

Friends of the Pool

Public School Funding Alliance