Bamford Foundation Grants

The Bamford Foundation, established in 1990, aims to enhance the quality of life for individuals and strengthen communities in Tacoma and the South Puget Sound region. With a focus on operational and program-related grants, the foundation prioritizes collaborations that foster equity, diversity, and access. In 2026, it will concentrate on smaller grants to maximize impact, particularly in basic needs, early learning, expanded opportunities, and access to higher education and job training.

NOTE:
Two part process: LOI and Application. The letter of inquiry (LOI) is a brief summary of the organization and the request for funding. If the LOI is approved, the applicant will be asked to share additional information in the form of an application. If both the LOI and application are submitted before the grant cycle deadline, they will be reviewed at the Bamford Foundation board meeting at the end of the grant cycle. If not, the applicant can request to move the application phase to the next quarterly grant cycle. In 2026, the foundation is working with a more limited budget due to the increased number and amounts of grants over the past 6 years; as a result, the strategy will focus on leveraging the impact of small (range of 1000 - 15,000) size grants with both new and existing grant partners. The majority of grants are general operational or program-related rather than capital requests. The board has had to make more partial grants than in years past, but welcomes the opportunity to learn of the impact of your organization and how you partner with other Pierce County organizations and systems.
The purpose of the Bamford Foundation is to improve the quality of life of individuals and to strengthen their communities, primarily in Tacoma, Washington and the South Puget Sound area of the Pacific Northwest.
What We Support
Over the past 12 years, the Bamford Foundation has continued to make grants aligned with our four priority giving areas, primarily within greater Tacoma and Pierce County, in the spirit of our founders' mission to improve the quality of life of individuals and families and to strengthen their communities. The foundation supports 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, which include operational funds, capacity building funds, program funds, partnerships, and capital projects that are evidence-based; innovative; that promote equity, diversity, access and inclusion; and that invite individuals and families to use their voices and resources to strengthen their communities. The foundation's giving priorities reflect the board's value of the transformative role of lifelong education for individuals, families and communities:

• Basic Needs (access to food, physical and mental/behavioral health care, housing and shelter, clothing and other basic needs, financial stability)
• We support organizations that promote self-sufficiency through enabling individuals to meet their basic needs.
• Early Learning and Parent support

We promote the healthy development and learning of young children 0-8 though our support of organizations, programs and initiatives/partnerships which improve access to and quality of early learning experiences including child care, support parents and primary caregivers as their children's first teachers, and enhance professional development and support of those who work with and care for young children.
Expanded Learning Opportunities
We support access to expanded learning opportunities for all of our community members, but in particular for children and youth preschool- grade 12, which includes participation in education-related programs in arts, cultural understanding and civic engagement; in the areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math); social-emotional learning; environmental education; and learning support programs (supporting different pathways to learning).
Access to Postsecondary Education and Job training opportunities
We support programs, initiatives, and organizations that improve access for people to opportunities in postsecondary education, job training, apprenticeships and career pathways, including programs that support students to complete their degrees, and to identify and reach their educational, career and life goals.

Ineligibility

Areas that the Foundation will not support:Organizations that discriminate on the basis of ethnic origin, gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation.Individuals (e.g. direct grants or scholarships for individuals)Religious or sectarian organizations whose principle activity is for the benefit of their own membersBasic ResearchSponsorshipConferencesOrganizations that support violence