Grant applications must be received or postmarked no later than Dec. 15
CAMAS-WASHOUGAL — Continuing its 73 years of support to the community, the Camas-Washougal Community Chest (CWCC) is soliciting 2020 grant applications from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving Camas and Washougal. Grant applications must be received or postmarked no later than Dec. 15, 2019.
On Oct. 1, the CWCC launched its 2020 fundraising campaign and hopes to raise at least $100,000 to fund grants during 2020. Grant awards will be announced in March 2020. Initial payments will be made at the time of the award and final payments will be made in November 2020.
In addition to being a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, grant applicants must demonstrate that their project or program benefits residents of Camas and Washougal and meets one or more of the following needs:
• Education
• Youth activities
• Aid to people with special needs
• Natural resource conservation
• Health and welfare programs
• Crisis and emergency services
• Other similar charitable or civic objectives
Grant applications and detailed instructions for applying are available on-line at http://www.CamasWashougalCommunityChest.org.
For further information, call Camas-Washougal Community Chest Board Co–President-Elect Pete Capell at (360) 834-6864 or Bolt Minister Co–President-Elect at (360) 907-7062 or send an email request to info@CamasWashougalCommunityChest.org.
During 2019, CWCC awarded 29 grants totaling $108,500 and delivering an estimated 18,000 services to local people. The CWCC received $133,430 in grant requests but was unable to fund $24,730 of those requests for lack of financial resources. The CWCC anticipates local needs, and hence grants requests, will remain high in 2020.
The 2019 grantees included such diverse nonprofit organizations as the Inter-Faith Treasure House, East County Family Resource Center, Meals on Wheels People, Partners with Camas Parks and Recreation, Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, and Janus Youth Programs. Projects and programs included such diverse activities as emergency rent and utility assistance, purchase of food and service supplies for local emergency food programs, help to support at risk 9 to 17 year old runaway children and an outdoor applied learning program for children.
The Camas-Washougal Community Chest has supported local nonprofit organizations since 1946. The Community Chest relies on contributions from individuals and businesses and makes productive use of those funds by being a 100 percent volunteer organization. This means that more than 97 percent of the donated funds go directly back to the community. CWCC urges Camas and Washougal residents and businesses to make a donation now to help fund 2020 grants. Donation information is available on the Website listed above.
Background Information: 2019 Grant Program Summary
Inter-Faith Treasure House (two grants): One grant helps fund emergency and daily food needs, school backpack food program, emergency utility assistance and person-in-crisis outreach activities. Second grant helped purchase an additional van to reliably deliver weekend food backpacks to school children in need.
Children’s Home Society – East County Family Resource Center: Helps fund family educator/case manager position. Helps fund parent education groups, youth support groups, emergency basic assistance, behavioral health services and health care services.
Partners with Camas Parks and Recreation: Helps buy Camtown Youth Festival’s arts and crafts supplies.
Camas School District – Principal’s Checkbook: Helps Camas school principals provide for basic student needs to give these students equal opportunities at school.
Washougal School District – Principal’s Checkbook: Helps Washougal school principals provide for basic student needs to give these students equal opportunities at school.
Janus Youth Programs: Provides funding for overnight facility stays for Camas and Washougal runaway youth at risk for abuse and neglect. Re-introduces kids to safe housing.
Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership: Provides classroom lessons and outdoor applied learning programs for youth, including habitat enhancement projects adjacent to Gibbons Creek in the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
Meals on Wheels: Purchases food and food service supplies for Camas and Washougal Meals on Wheels program.
Friends and Foundation of the Camas Library: Supports the Camas Library’s summer reading program for kids and teens.
Fort Vancouver Regional Library – Washougal Branch: Supports the Washougal Library’s summer reading program for kids and teens.
Lifeline Connections: Purchases art therapy materials used in treating people with mental health and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Friends of the Columbia Gorge: Helps fund the Explore the Gorge classroom lessons and outdoor environmental education program for sixth graders in Jemtegaard and Canyon Creek Middle schools in Washougal School District.
REACH Community Development: Funds supplies and materials for Kids Club programs and community building events at REACH’s Gateway Gardens and Town Square Apartment neighborhoods in Washougal. Also funds school supply and gift giveaways programs.
Camas Farmers Market: Helps implement “Produce Pals,” a weekly activities program to educate children about where and how food is produced. Kids completing weekly program receive a $2 token to spend at Camas Farmers Market – grant will buy tokens.
Opera Quest Northwest: Helps to educate, enrich and instill a love of music in children by introducing them to opera through a lively production that blends classic opera excerpts with a humorous, interactive script.
Pathways Pregnancy Clinic: Purchases ultrasound supplies, pregnancy test kits and pregnancy test controls. Also purchases TB screening supplies for testing volunteers and staff.
Camas-Washougal Historical Society: Helps build The Gathering Place at Washuxwal, an open air pavilion next to the Two Rivers Heritage Museum. Specifically the cultural and arts exhibits in the pavilion will educate visitors about native heritage in the Camas and Washougal area.
Evergreen Habitat for Humanity: Helps buy materials for A Brush with Kindness residential fix-up projects in the Camas and Washougal area.
General Federation of Women’s Clubs: Helps buy age appropriate books, backpacks and other learning tools for a Reach for the Stars with Books program at Hathaway Elementary School. Program aimed at youth from birth through age 5 to grow their school readiness skills and strengthen their social interaction skills.
Journey Theater Arts Group: Helps cover a portion of the rental fee to put on a production of Godspell at the Washburn Performing Arts Center in Washougal May 17 – 26, 2019.
TreeSong Nature Awareness and Retreat Center: Helps cover event costs and buys supplies for Run Wild! Nature Adventures Family Fun Day at Fallen Leaf Lake Park in Camas. Run Wild! is a participatory event that immerses attendees in the beauty of nature through nature education, physical activity, storytelling, art, music, and theater.
Teen Reach Adventure Camp (T.R.A.C.): Purchases camper supplies including archery equipment, T-shirt for campers and staff, headlamps for caving and camper craft supplies. T.R.A.C. is designed specifically to meet the needs of teens in foster care between ages of 12 and 15.
Camas Sister City Organization: Helps cover transportation fees, event admission fees and hosting school and civic receptions associated with four student exchange trips – two exchanges associated with Japanese students and two exchanges associated with Polish students.
Family Promise of Clark County: Helps cover half the cost for a part-time case manager’s position to be located at a Day Center hosted by St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Camas. Case manager helps homeless families find permanent, affordable housing.
Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group: Purchases plants, potting soil and tools to replant riparian zone along Little Washougal River.
Police Activities League of Vancouver: Buys books and pays for police staff time to present five literacy events for 2nd and 3rd graders in the Camas and Washougal School Districts.
ReFuel Washougal: Buys 20 sleeping cots, food, personal hygiene products and cleaning supplies to support a severe weather shelter (30 degrees or colder) at the Washougal Senior Center.
Boy Scouts of America – Camas/Washougal Troops: Helps fund Campership Awards so that families in need can send their scouts to summer camp.
