Sherwood Trust: Core Grants

Sherwood Trust offers Core Grants to enhance community well-being in the Walla Walla Valley. The Trust prioritizes funding for initiatives that strengthen organizations and support collaboration. Eligible applicants include tax-exempt organizations focused on local needs. With a commitment to equity and sustainability, Sherwood Trust seeks to empower communities through impactful investments, ensuring that all individuals feel a sense of belonging and can contribute to the region's vibrancy.

NOTE: We strongly encourage organizations to contact Sherwood Trust to discuss their proposal in advance.
Sherwood Trust’s Vision
Everyone in the Walla Walla Valley has a sense of belonging and contributes to a thriving region. Sherwood Trust serves as a catalyst for building capacity, creating a cohesive, vibrant community.
Sherwood Trust’s Core Values
Collaboration. Empathy. Equity. Excellence. Integrity. Sustainability.
Sherwood Trust Giving Principles
Private philanthropy is a strategic activity, not a charity. It demands the seriousness of a long-term investment and requires stringent underwriting to ensure grants support achievable, measurable results.An organization’s operational model and its execution is critical to achieving its mission. Sherwood Trust grants favor effective organizations that demonstrate strong leadership, competent management, strategic innovation and a record of achieving tangible results.Sherwood Trust grant programs are for organizations whose work directly supports our vision that everyone here has a sense of belonging and can contribute to our thriving region.We seek transformative investments that support local people working together toward stronger, more equitable communities.Sherwood Trust favors applicants with evidence of multiple donor commitments so Sherwood Trust is not funding the majority of the request. Sherwood Trust prefers to fund final grant dollars.
Core Values
Collaboration – support for collaboration between organizations on a common project that address a community need Empathy – support for initiatives that promote mutual understanding, learning and respectful community engagementEquity – support for initiatives that promote and strengthen inclusive, representative engagement in our region, particularly those that address inequities for underserved populationsExcellence – support for nonprofits with a track record of sound operational management and development of internal capacities that enhance an organization’s resiliencyIntegrity – support for operations that demonstrate transparency and unity in the fulfillment of their missionSustainability – support for strong, resilient organizations with a track record of good governance and accomplishment
Sherwood Trust seeks to invest initiatives that support our mission and values and are an organization’s most important priority. These generally fall within three major categories:
Capacity grants for nonprofit organizations can include expanding service or operations, or funding for specific innovations or projects that support resiliency and strengthen an organization’s ability to fulfill its ongoing missionCommunity grants for qualifying neighborhood and community-based projects that generally include a public agencyCapital grants for improvements to facilities or physical property

Eligibility

To be eligible, all grant requests must: Benefit registered tax-exempt organizations or initiatives fiscally sponsored by tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or a public agency.Be submitted by or with an organization serving Walla Walla and Columbia counties in Washington and Milton-Freewater, Oregon.Charitable activities should be consistent with Sherwood Trust’s vision and valuesOrganizations or collaborative projects by more than one organization that receive grant funding should allow two intervening years from receipt of funds before applying for another Core Grant. If an organization or collaborative project received funding in 2024, for example, that organization or collaborative project would again be eligible to apply in 2027.

Ineligibility

Competitive grant proposals seeking funds for scholarships, door prizes, raffles or to benefit an individual will not be accepted.