Community Foundation of NCW Awards $514,200 Through Legacy Fund Grants in 2025
The Community Foundation of North Central Washington (CFNCW) awarded $514,200 in Legacy Fund Grants in 2025, supporting nonprofit organizations across Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties through a community-led approach to local giving.
The Legacy Fund Grant Program was launched in 2024 to give communities a stronger voice in how charitable dollars are locally invested. Through this model, grantmaking decisions are guided by Local Advisory Boards (LABs)—groups of community members who live and work in the regions they serve and bring firsthand knowledge of local needs to the grant review process.
In 2025, grant funding was distributed through Legacy Funds serving the Wenatchee Valley, the Chelan Valley, , and Cashmere, with each community guiding its own grantmaking priorities. Throughout these regions, Legacy Funds have supported nonprofits working in areas such as food security, housing, health and wellness, arts and culture, environmental stewardship, education, community connection, and more.
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 resources can make the greatest impact. LAB members work alongside CFNCW board representatives and staff to review grant applications, discuss community priorities, and make funding recommendations grounded in local insight.
The Legacy Fund Grant Program is led by Jennifer Short, CFNCW’s Director of Community Grants, who supports nonprofits and Local Advisory Boards across North Central Washington. In 2025 alone, Short completed 97 site visits, spending 22 full days and more than 3,000 miles on the road meeting directly with nonprofit leaders and gaining firsthand insight into community needs.
In addition to local grantmaking, CFNCW also uses a Regional Pool to support nonprofit organizations whose services extend beyond a single Legacy Fund boundary. This approach helps ensure organizations with broader regional reach receive funding that reflects the scope of their impact, while remaining rooted in community-informed decision-making.
Local involvement continues to play a key role in the growth of the Legacy Fund program. Across North Central Washington, residents, businesses, and donors actively contribute to strengthening local funding pools—through direct giving, Founders Circle investments, and community-led efforts—helping expand grantmaking capacity and supporting future grant cycles.
CFNCW congratulates the nonprofit organizations awarded Legacy Fund Grants in 2025 and thanks the community members, donors, and Local Advisory Board members whose shared commitment makes community-guided philanthropy possible throughout North Central Washington.
| 2025 Grantees | Grant Awarded | Regional Pool Award |
| 9/11 Spirit of America Memorial | $2,000 | |
| Alatheia Riding Center | $10,000 | |
| Beauty of Bronze | $5,000 | |
| Cascade Community Markets (for Leavenworth & Cashmere Markets) | $3,200 | $2,000 |
| Cascade Fisheries | $5,000 | |
| Cascade Medical Foundation | $5,000 | . |
| Cascadia Conservation District | $10,000 | |
| Cashmere Community Church (for Essential Items Pantry) | $3,000 | |
| Cashmere Museum & Pioneer Village | $10,000 | |
| Chelan County Mountain Rescue Association | $2,000 | |
| Chelan County Volunteer Search & Rescue | $9,000 | |
| Chelan Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Services | $15,000 | |
| Chelan Valley Community Nurse | $8,000 | |
| Chelan Valley Feral Cat Project | $5,000 | |
| Chelan Valley Hope (includes $1500 for Manger Mall) | $9,000 | |
| Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council | $30,000 | |
| Chelan-Douglas Land Trust | $13,000 | |
| Christ Center (for Soccer Fields & Community Garden Maint) | $5,000 | |
| Community Clay Works | $2,000 | |
| Entiat Valley Community Services Food Bank | $7,000 | |
| Friends of the Wenatchee Public Library | $5,000 | |
| Greater Leavenworth Museum | $2,000 | |
| Grunewald Guild | $5,000 | |
| Habitat For Humanity of the Greater Wenatchee Area | $5,000 | |
| Happy Letters Association | $3,000 | |
| Heritage Heights at Lake Chelan | $7,500 | |
| Icicle Creek Center for the Arts | $5,000 | |
| Indigenous Roots and Reparation Foundation | $15,000 | |
| KC Help | $5,000 | |
| Lake Chelan Recreation Development Foundation | $5,000 | |
| Lake Chelan Rotary – for Book Buddies Program | $2,000 | |
| Lake Chelan Valley Habitat for Humanity | $10,000 | |
| Leavenworth Community United Methodist Church (for Backpack Food Program) | $4,000 | |
| Leavenworth Winter Sports Club | $6,000 | |
| Lilies of the Valley | $4,000 | |
| Manson Grange #796 | $5,000 | |
| Manson Library Board of Directors | $2,500 | |
| Mission Creek Community Club | $6,000 | |
| Mountain Sprouts Children’s Community | $5,000 | |
| NAMI North Central Washington | $4,000 | |
| Northwest Immigrant Rights Project | $20,000 | |
| Numerica Performing Arts Center | 10000 | |
| Ohme Gardens Friends Society | $2,000 | |
| Our Valley Our Future | $15,000 | |
| PFLAG Wenatchee | $2,500 | |
| Plain Valley Ski Trails | $6,000 | |
| Precious Little Theater | $5,000 | |
| Purpose Boxing Club | $2,500 | |
| Ridge 2 River Animal Haven | $3,000 | |
| Safe Families for Children | $5,000 | |
| St. Vincent de Paul Society | $15,000 | |
| Sunshine Bowling League | $3,000 | |
| Sustainable NCW | $15,000 | |
| Thrive Chelan Valley | $8,000 | |
| Tierra Learning Center | $4,000 | $3,000 |
| TREAD | $15,000 | |
| Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board | $15,000 | |
| Upper Valley Connection | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Upper Valley MEND | $9,000 | $4,000 |
| Velocity Swimming | $5,000 | |
| Waste Loop (for Waste Loop & Cashmere Reuse & Rebuild) | $6,000 | |
| Wellness Place | $10,000 | |
| Wenatchee Downtown Association | $10,000 | |
| Wenatchee River Institute | $6,000 | $4,000 |
| Wenatchee Valley Devo Mountain Bike Team | $2,000 | |
| Wenatchee Valley Humane Society | $5,000 | |
| Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center | $15,000 | |
| Wenatchee Valley YMCA | $15,000 | |
| Wenatchee Veterans Hall | $2,000 |
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