First Fed Foundation Grants – March 2027

$5,000–$50,000 Grants Supporting Housing, Economic Opportunity, Basic Needs, and Community Development in Washington

First Fed Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations, government entities, school districts, and tribes working to improve quality of life in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom counties in Washington. Funding ranges from $5,000 to $50,000 across four priority areas: Community Support, Housing & Homelessness, Economic Development, and Community Development.

Organization: First Fed Foundation
Support Type: Charitable grants
Geographic Focus: Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom counties, Washington
Deadline: March 1, 2027 at 11:59 PM
Funding Amount: $5,000–$50,000

About the Funder

First Fed Foundation is a private charitable foundation created in 2015 with an initial gift valued at $12 million from the parent company of First Fed.

The Foundation continues First Fed’s long tradition of community investment by supporting organizations that improve quality of life in the Washington communities where the bank maintains full-service branches.

The Foundation places particular emphasis on projects benefiting low-to-moderate income, disadvantaged, and marginalized individuals and families.

What This Program Supports

First Fed Foundation organizes its grantmaking around four funding priorities.

Community Support

Grant Amount: $5,000–$25,000

Community Support grants fund projects that address basic needs or otherwise improve quality of life.

Priority is given to efforts that:

• Build nonprofit capacity
• Strengthen community services
• Address significant local needs
• Benefit low-to-moderate income residents
• Serve disadvantaged or marginalized individuals and families

Projects funded through Community Support grants must generally be completed within 12 months of the grant award.

Housing & Homelessness

Grant Amount: $25,000–$50,000

Funding may support initiatives that:

• Build workforce housing
• Develop permanently affordable housing
• Increase homeownership opportunities for low-to-moderate income first-time homebuyers
• Prevent homelessness
• Provide shelter for people experiencing homelessness
• Support individuals experiencing chronic homelessness

Organizations should clearly demonstrate how the proposed project expands housing stability or access within an eligible county.

Economic Development

Grant Amount: $25,000–$50,000

Economic Development grants support initiatives that help individuals build skills and access family-sustaining careers.

Relevant programs may include:

• Mentorship
• Apprenticeships
• Life-skills training
• Job-skills programs
• Postsecondary education
• Technical education
• Vocational programs
• Workforce preparation
• Programs expanding economic opportunity

Particular attention is given to programs serving low-to-moderate income, disadvantaged, or marginalized populations.

Community Development

Grant Amount: $25,000–$50,000

Community Development grants support capital projects and programs that provide significant, long-term benefits to broad segments of the communities First Fed serves.

Potential projects may include:

• Community facilities
• Capital improvements
• Equipment
• Community-serving infrastructure
• Projects that expand access to essential services
• Other substantial quality-of-life improvements

Eligible Organizations

Eligible applicants include:

• 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
• Eligible public charities
• Government units
• School districts
• Tribal organizations

Organizations that are not independently eligible may apply through an eligible fiscal sponsor.

The fiscal sponsor must meet the Foundation’s eligibility requirements and submit the application on behalf of the sponsored organization.

Geographic Eligibility

Funded projects must benefit residents in one or more of the following Washington counties:

• Clallam County
• Jefferson County
• Kitsap County
• Whatcom County

Organizations do not necessarily need to serve all four counties.

Applicants should clearly identify the eligible county or counties benefiting from the proposed program or project.

Funding Amounts

Award ranges depend on the funding priority:

Community Support: $5,000–$25,000

Housing & Homelessness: $25,000–$50,000

Economic Development: $25,000–$50,000

Community Development: $25,000–$50,000

Applicants should select the funding category that best matches their proposed work and request an amount consistent with the Foundation’s published ranges.

Funding Preferences

The Foundation considers factors including:

• Alignment with funding priorities
• Community need
• Number and breadth of people benefiting
• Expected outcomes
• Strength and stability of the applicant organization
• Likelihood of project success
• Financial commitments from other sources
• Applicant organizational reserves
• Impact on low-to-moderate income populations
• Benefits for disadvantaged or marginalized individuals and families
• Overall contribution to quality of life

The Foundation also seeks to balance its grantmaking across geographic regions and funding priorities.

Application Timeline

📅 Spring 2027 Application Opens: January 1, 2027
📅 Application Deadline: March 1, 2027 at 11:59 PM
📅 Funding Decisions: By the end of May 2027

First Fed Foundation reviews applications twice annually.

Spring Cycle

• January 1 – March 1: Applications accepted
• By the end of May: Applicants notified

Fall Cycle

• July 1 – September 1: Applications accepted
• By the end of November: Applicants notified

Approved grants are typically funded in full within 60 days of award notification once all grant conditions have been satisfied.

Application / Request Process

Applicants should carefully review the Foundation’s Grant Guidelines and FAQs before beginning the application.

First Fed also provides a sample grant application and pro forma budget template to help organizations prepare.

Applicants should be prepared to explain:

• Organizational mission
• Community and population served
• Proposed project or program
• Funding priority addressed
• Amount requested
• Project budget
• Other committed or anticipated funding
• Expected outcomes
• Benefits to low-to-moderate income or underserved residents
• Organizational capacity to successfully complete the project

Organizations should select the grant category that most closely reflects the proposed project and make sure the requested amount falls within the applicable funding range.

Apply / Learn More:
➡️ https://firstfedcf.org/grants/

Why This Opportunity Is a Good Fit

This opportunity may be particularly relevant for organizations that:

• Serve Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, or Whatcom counties
• Address homelessness or affordable housing
• Help residents access family-sustaining careers
• Provide workforce training or apprenticeships
• Meet basic community needs
• Serve low-to-moderate income populations
• Undertake substantial community capital projects
• Need between $5,000 and $50,000
• Can demonstrate measurable and broad community impact

The availability of separate funding tracks makes First Fed Foundation especially useful for both smaller human-service programs and larger housing, workforce, or community-development projects.

Corporate Grants Guide Notes

Deadline: March 1, 2027 at 11:59 PM
Application Opens: January 1, 2027
Decision Notification: By the end of May 2027
Funding Amount: $5,000–$50,000
Geographic Focus: Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom counties, Washington
Eligible Applicants: 501(c)(3)s, government entities, school districts, tribes, and eligible fiscally sponsored organizations
Review Type: Semiannual
Best Suited For: Housing, homelessness prevention, workforce development, basic needs, and substantial community-development projects