The Community Foundation of NCW awards grants to nonprofits across Okanogan County to address community needs.
“We were so thrilled to have so many organizations apply and meet them and hear about all of the wonderful things that are happening throughout Okanogan County,” said Beth Stipe, executive director of the organization.
Through its Legacy Fund Grant program, the Community Foundation of NCW has awarded $144,000 to 37 nonprofits in Okanogan County out of the 51 that applied. Stipe said their goal is to address food security, housing, education and more.
“All of these things are important to the health and well-being of our communities,” Stipe said.
She said that the decisions were made by local volunteers who live in Omak, Tonasket and Okanogan. When the volunteers reviewed the applications, they also went and visited every organization, Stipe added.
“The majority of the funding, or the highest amounts of awards, were given to organizations who are feeding humans and animals,” she said.
Some of those organizations include Brewster Food Pantry, which received $7,000, and Tonasket Food Bank, also receiving $7,000.
Stipe said she hopes this will provide relief to organizations concerned over potential federal funding cuts.
“We certainly hope that these charitable dollars will enable many of the organizations, who are reliant on some federal funds, to be able to have a little bit of breathing room in the case of their cuts actually coming to fruition,” Stipe said.
For a full list of the grants awarded, go to cfncw.org/2025/05/14/community-foundation-of-ncw-awards-144000-in-grants-to-okanogan-county-nonprofits/.
Monica Carrillo-Casas is a Murrow News fellow for Spokane Public Radio and The Spokesman-Review. All stories produced by Murrow Local News fellows can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. Image rights may vary.