Wildhorse Foundation

10/05/2026

WWFD's new UTV has officially been added to our fleet. This is REMS 1 (Rapid Extrication Module Support), which will be utilized by our Technical Response Team and Wildland Division, allowing our group to better serve Walla Walla Valley residents and, on a broader spectrum, the Washington State Wildfire Mobilization response plan.

This UTV was purchased utilizing grant funding received from the Wildhorse Foundation. We are extremely grateful for the Wildhorse Foundation and their recognition of the important work we do and how this will make us more versatile. We still have some further work to do on the UTV, but we will be ready to serve very soon!

09/17/2026

Wildhorse Foundation recently awarded $25,692 to Umatilla-Morrow Head Start, Inc. for facility improvements at its Hermiston WIC clinic and Umatilla Head Start center, including new laptops, a heat pump, flooring, and seating.

These improvements will support staff and families at these facilities for years to come. The WIC clinic serves over 3,000 pregnant and postpartum mothers and children annually, and the Head Start center provides early childhood education to low-income families.

Thank you, UMHS, for providing these services to families in Eastern Oregon!

09/01/2026

We were pleased to support these Playworks trainings through InterMountain Education Service District, providing the tools to encourage healthy socialization for young children (an increasingly important area of focus, post-pandemic and in our digital age). Wonderful to see educators from so many school districts in our area participate in this opportunity!

08/25/2026

Wildhorse Foundation is pleased to announce our Q2 2026 grant awards! 👏

This quarter, $447,230 was awarded to 29 organizations for projects serving communities in the homeland area of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla people. We're grateful for the opportunity to support these nonprofit and government entities — from youth education, to new community spaces, to basic medical needs.

08/24/2026

We're grateful for Tri-State Steelheaders's Salmon in School program, a unique STEM education program that maintains 28 salmon aquarium sites in schools around Walla Walla and surrounding areas. Proud to continue supporting their work for the 2026-2027 school year with grant funding for items like water quality test kits, filters, pumps, art supplies and more!

Thank you to the Wildhorse Foundation for their generous $8,100 grant in support of our salmon education program! These funds will go toward our Salmon in School program as well as our new summer Kids' Salmon Camp, giving more kids in southeastern Washington the opportunity to learn about and experience their local ecosystem.

08/20/2026

Thank you to the Wildhorse Foundation for investing grant support in the Northwest Native Chamber and our Technical Assistance Program!

With this support, we provided 240 hours of one-on-one business advising to 9 Native entrepreneurs across the Foundation’s service region, including the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and surrounding communities. Participants also gained access to specialized professional services in legal, financial, and HR support. Through all of this support, participants strengthened core business practices and built the tools and confidence needed for long-term success.

We are grateful for the partnership and the role Wildhorse Foundation continues to play in expanding opportunity across our region!

08/07/2026

Wildhorse Foundation was honored to recently support the REV Center's Cottonwood Canyon Summer Institute with a grant of $9,000. This program offers rural high school students hands-on outdoor learning in the summertime, earning college credits through Eastern Oregon University, with course options like Neuroscience, Geology, and Fisheries/Riparian Habitat. 🔬🌍

Courses are led by EOU faculty and student mentors, expanding STEAM access for youth and building college readiness. We're so proud to support this wonderful resource for high school students in our region!

08/03/2026

07/17/2026

We are so grateful to all the neighboring agencies who responded to the Lower Dry Creek Fire, which started between Milton-Freewater and Weston and has grown to 6,753 acres. At a time like this, we're proud to have provided grant support to many of these fire districts and departments in recent years, and even prouder to see that support show up for neighbors when it matters most.

The response to this emergency has been a testament to the power of neighbors helping neighbors. Much gratitude to the many responding agencies across our region, and to the local firefighters in Umatilla County, for their tireless work. THANK YOU!

06/16/2026

Wildhorse Foundation's recent awards included a $28,000 grant to Island City Elementary's PTO for their Pathway Project. This will support their initiative to construct a quarter-mile, eight-foot-wide concrete pathway, replacing the current uneven gravel and grass path.

We are pleased to be contributing towards this effort, which will improve safe physical exercise opportunities for the school's students and the community members of Island City! 🏃‍♂️