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Grays Harbor Community Foundation

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Grays Harbor Community Foundation

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The Grays Harbor Community Foundation aims to improve the quality of life in communities throughout G

10/02/2026

Grays Harbor Community Foundation awards $24,800 in grants

The Grays Harbor Community Foundation is pleased to invest $24,800 into our community through our 2026 3rd Quarter Impact Grants program. Six organizations were awarded with projects ranging from supporting youth sports as well helping those during times of crisis.

The organizations that were funded through our 2026 3rd Quarter Impact Grants program include:

McCleary School District- Ramp Replacements
Cty of Hoquiam- Olympic Stadium Safety Upgrades
McCleary Civic Renewal Council- Holiday Display at Beerbower Park
Childcare Action Council- Free Playgroups in Grays Harbor County
South Beach Christian Outreach- Food Pantry
Bluebridge Alliance- Hoquiam Police Department

Grays Harbor Community Foundation Senior Program Officer, Jessica Hoover, commented: "We are so fortunate to be a small part in the great work our schools and nonprofits are doing to better serve our kids and residents. Through our Impact Grants cycles, we are able to provide support for both necessary, and also fun projects that generate community pride throughout Grays Harbor County."

You may find out more about our grants program by checking the Foundation website at www.gh-cf.org or contacting our office at 360-532-1600 or by contacting Senior Program Officer, Jessica Hoover at [email protected]. Our next quarterly Impact Grants cycle deadline is December 1st at 5PM.

09/28/2026

Bobcat Booster Club Receives Grant for Aberdeen High School Sports Medicine Trailer from Grays Harbor Community Foundation

Recently, the Aberdeen High School Football was in need of a cargo trailer to transport medical and other equipment to games. They had been using the back of a borrowed maintenance van since 2001 and needed something more accessible and updated to better serve their athletes.

Trinity Parris, Sports Medicine Provider for AHS, commented: “It has been so much easier to load and unload our equipment from the trailer safely. Also, the athletes on the team really think that it looks cool and think that it’s awesome that the community has made the effort to support AHS Athletics and foster school spirit. As they put it, it looks sick. Thank you again to the Grays Harbor Community Foundation."

Supporting our local student athletes is something we enjoy doing through our granting programs at the Foundation and are happy to hear the trailer is a source of helping spread school spirit!

Our next Impact Grants deadline is December 1st at 5PM. Visit our website to learn more or contact Jessica Hoover at [email protected].

09/14/2026

IMPORTANT! If you plan on applying for a Community Building Grant for the October 1st deadline, you must get your Letter of Intent submitted by this Friday to be considered!

Contact Jessica at [email protected] with questions or visit our website at www.gh-cf.org.

09/10/2026

Grays Harbor Community Foundation Helps Restore Elma Softball Field

Late last year, Elma High School received a grant for some much-needed repairs to their softball infield. Through this grant, they were able to complete the infield resurfacing and regrading, resulting in a significantly safer and more consistent playing surface for Elma student-athletes.

Stefanie Vaughn commented: "One of the clearest examples of impact was seen immediately after the first rainfall following completion of the project. Where the infield previously held standing water and created unsafe, uneven conditions, it now drains properly and provides a consistent playing surface without interruption. More importantly, the players immediately recognized and appreciated the improvement. They take pride in their field, and this project reinforced that their community is invested in them and their success."

Our next grants deadline for our Community Building Grants is October 1st at 5PM. A Letter of Intent is due by September 18th if you plan on submitting an application. For more information contact Senior Program Officer, Jessica Hoover at [email protected] or visit our website at www.gh-cf.org.

09/09/2026

In the spirit of sharing our stories of our legacy board members, we thought it would be fun to look at how far we have come in 32 years thanks to the people that had the vision to bring a Community Foundation to Grays Harbor.

We are fortunate to have wonderful donors who make a big impact and great people and organizations that have helped us become one of the leading Community Foundations in Washington State and make such a big impact in Grays Harbor!

08/26/2026

Looking back on 32 years serving Grays Harbor and the people that got us to where we are today- Jimmy Stewart

James (Jimmy to many) Stewart was born and raised in Aberdeen. His grandparents were among Aberdeen's first settlers. After graduating from Aberdeen High School, Class of 1933, Jim worked in mills, plants and the woods to put himself through Grays Harbor College, the University of Washington followed by the University of Washington School of Law.

He was a decorated U.S. Navy officer and ship captain in both World War II and the Korean War. Jim eventually made his way back home to start his law practice and a family. He served as Montesano School Board Chairman, a St. Joseph's Hospital board member, Grays Harbor Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, and Troop 16 Boy Scout leader. Jim practiced law in Montesano from 1945 into the next century and had interests in the Cedar shake and shingle business and Posey Manufacturing Co. Jim grew and harvested timber and Christmas trees on the family tree farm.

Jim was one of the original Foundation Board members that helped grow and nurture our success. We are lucky enough now to have his son, Bill continue in the family legacy of giving back to Grays Harbor. Bill said his dad would often say that he wanted to give back to the Community from which any success in his life grew.

He added: "In its thirty-two years of overwhelmingly successful philanthropy, his words and hope for the Grays Harbor Community Foundation have proven true."

Long lasting success starts from having the right people In place in the beginning to bring a vision to life. We are grateful to both Jimmy and Bill for helping make Grays Harbor Community Foundation one of the top community foundations in the region.

For more information about the Foundation, visit www.gh-cf.org or contact Executive Director, Eric Potts, at [email protected].

08/24/2026

We are a little over halfway through the year with three more granting cycles to go! Here are some examples of projects that have been funded through our grant programs in 2026. We anticipate awarding another $500,000 plus to deserving Grays Harbor nonprofits and schools before the end of the year!

Apply at www.gh-cf.org and contact Jessica Hoover with questions at www.gh-cf.org.

08/20/2026

Looking back on 32 years serving Grays Harbor and the people that got us to where we are today- Frank Larner

In the spirit of sharing the history of how the Grays Harbor Community Foundation came to be one of the top community foundations in Washington State, we wanted to go all the way back to beginning, to the man with a plan, Frank Larner.

We have spent weeks digging through old boxes of paperwork to come across notes, letters and a beginning vision of what our Foundation could potentially mean to Grays Harbor, and they all have one thing in common- Frank Larner's signature at the bottom.

Frank led as the Chair of the Foundation in an all-volunteer capacity for seven years before we finally hired a paid Executive Director. In those seven years, Frank led the Foundation to $1 Million in assets and the creation of ten funds. His goal was to attract donors to the benefit a community foundation can bring to the table- services to support specific charitable goals and address needs of the community at large.

Frank brought a team together of well-respected leaders in Grays Harbor with a vision that we believe they would all be proud of today, to be the leading source directing charitable support to meet our current and future community needs.

Today, the Grays Harbor Community Foundation holds over 200 funds and over $130 Million in assets. We provide support to our local schools, nonprofits and students with an anticipated giving of over $4 Million this year alone.

Frank Larner spent over 50 years serving Grays Harbor between his roles at the Foundation and other local nonprofits. He was also a partner at Preszler, Larner, Mertz and Co., LLC.

When you go back to the beginning and see how powerful it is when people come together with an idea that actually came to fruition, that is what good leadership is all about. Thirty-two years later, that idea turned out to be a pretty great one. Grays Harbor is better for Frank and his team of people he brought together back in 1994.

When we talk about leaving a lasting legacy, Frank Larner is top of mind. His legacy will continue to serve generations of Harbor residents for many years to come, just as he has hoped it would from the old post it note we uncovered in his handwriting, "Grays Harbor Community Foundation- For Good, For Ever."

For more information about setting up a fund with the Foundation, visit our website at www.gh-cf.org or contact Executive Director, Eric Potts at [email protected]

08/13/2026

Looking back on 32 years serving Grays Harbor and the people that got us to where we are today: Isabelle Lamb

Long before the early 90's when a group of influential Harborites came together with an idea to create a Community Foundation, Isabelle Lamb had already spent decades in Grays Harbor dedicated to education, opportunities for youth and the vitality of business in Grays Harbor.

For many years, her and her husband George led Enterprises International, Inc. and its subsidiaries; traveling the world together doing business. She dedicated her life to her community through philanthropy and public service. She was elected as a Grays Harbor County’s first woman Port Commissioner in 1994, serving until 2004. Often, she was the first or only woman in her endeavors and was a role model and mentor to many, including being the first women to serve on the board for the Grays Harbor Community Foundation.

With Isabelle's leadership, alongside several other influential Grays Harbor individuals, such as Frank Larner. Jim Stewart, Tom Brennan and Ron Caufman, in 1994 the Grays Harbor Community Foundation was formed. By the end of that year, the Foundation had grown to a little over $6,000 in the assets. Fast forward 32 years later, the Foundation has grown to over $130 Million in assets today, because people like Isabelle believed in the power of people coming together to serve your community well.

Isabelle also believed it was important to lead by example and during her lifetime created a Donor Advised Fund that supported many worthy projects over the years, mostly for youth and education. She also created the Lamb Family Scholarship that supports a Hoquiam High School graduate that shows outstanding character as well as academic achievement.

We believe it is important to honor the people that helped get us to where we are today, including board members and donors who led with the belief that Grays Harbor is special, and our residents deserve a thriving community. We will continue to spotlight our community pillars in the coming months as we celebrate our continued growth and success in Grays Harbor.

For more information about setting up a fund with the Foundation, visit our website at www.gh-cf.org or contact Executive Director, Eric Potts at [email protected].

08/03/2026

Are you a Grays Harbor nonprofit or school district with a need of $5,000 or less? Our next quarterly impact grant cycle deadline is approaching, so make sure to get your applications in now!

All Grays Harbor nonprofits and school districts are eligible to apply for one Impact Grant AND one Community Building Grant annually. Visit our website at www.gh-cg.org to apply and contact Jessica Hoover with questions at [email protected].

Address

707 J Street
Hoquiam, WA
98550

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13605321600

Website

http://www.gh-cf.org/

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