Bamford Foundation Grants

Bamford Foundation Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Bamford Foundation
Amount: Up to US $15,000
Last Updated: March 10, 2026

Summary

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.

Overview

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. History The Bamford Foundation was established in 1990 by Calvin D. Bamford, Jr. and Joanne Bamford with the intent of supporting their home community of Tacoma, Washington. As long-time President of Globe Machine Manufacturing Company, founded in 1917 and located on Tacoma’s tide-flats, Calvin has demonstrated his commitment to give back to the Tacoma community through this foundation and through his membership on boards and in a variety of community organizations. Likewise, Joanne, having moved to the area in 1967 when she married Cal, has led a number of boards and has worked with many charitable organizations in the areas of education, human services and the arts, in order to improve the quality of life of families in Tacoma. The Bamford Foundation embodies the values that Joanne and Calvin instilled in their children and hope to instill in future generations. These values include the importance of family, life-long education, involvement in one's community, and generosity. 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. We support efforts that represent collaboration with partners in the greater community for the most impact. 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.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.

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