Greater Gig Harbor Foundation

THE GREATER GIG HARBOR FOUNDATION WORKS TO HELP STRENGTHEN WASHINGTON STATE'S SOUTH PUGET SOUND COMMUNITIES OF THE GREATER GIG HARBOR AND KEY PENINSULAS THROUGH PROGRAMS, PROJECTS AND SERVICES, ENCOURAGING AND SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE CHARITABLE GIVING, AND BY PROVIDING LEADERSHIP ON CRITICAL ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THE GREATER GIG HARBOR FOUNDATION SERVES A COMMUNITY OF 70,000+. IN 2022, ACROSS GGHF PROGRAMS MORE THAN 33,685 PROGRAM HOURS WERE LOGGED, AND 36,989 VOLUNTEER HOURS COMMITTED BY MORE THAN 650 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS. WE RAISED MORE THAN $200,000 IN DIVERSE FUNDS TO SUPPORT LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS, AND TO PROVIDE GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, ASSISTANCE, AND SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY AS WE MOVED INTO "RECOVERY" FOLLOWING 18 MONTHS OF ALTERED OPERATIONS DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. PROGRAMS AS OUR CURIOUS BY NATURE EARLY LEARNING CENTER, GIG HARBOR SENIOR CENTER, AND GGHF ENVIROCORPS RETURNED TO IN-PERSON OPERATIONS IN 2022. SIMILARLY, EVENTS THAT PROVIDE CRITICAL FUNDS ACROSS FIVE CORE AREAS, SUCH AS CIDER SWIG, SHAMROCK'N THE HARBOR, INDULGE, STUDENTS OF DISTINCTION, GIG HARBOR BASKET BRIGADE, THE COMMUNITY TABLE AND #COMMUNITY HARVEST, AND THE GREEN GIG, ALL RETURNED. SUPPORTING SERVICES WERE ALSO PROVIDED TO PIERCE COUNTY AND LOCAL PARK DISTRICTS THROUGH THE GGHF ENVIROCORPS PROGRAM (NOW IN ITS 18TH YEAR), WHICH IS DEDICATED TO DEVELOPING AND FULFILLING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO ENGAGE IN EFFORTS TO HELP MAINTAIN PARKS, TRAILS, ROADS, AND OTHER PUBLIC LANDS - KEEPING THEM SAFE, CLEAN AND LITTER FREE. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WAS PROVIDED TO PIERCE COUNTY AND THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE REMOVAL OF SEVERAL TONS OF WASTE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND SITE RESTORATION OF A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT. AS A COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, GGHF PARTNERS TO PROVIDE SERVICES, A SAFE PLACE FOR KEEPING FUNDS IN PERPETUITY TO MEET DIVERSE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND ACTS AS FISCAL SPONSOR TO A NUMBER OF AREA GROUPS, PROJECTS, AND PROGRAMS, WHICH ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES CONSISTENT WITH THE FOUNDATION'S MISSION. IN 2022, WE GAVE OVER 14,300 VOLUNTEER HOURS, COLLECTED MORE THAN 190 BAGS OF LITTER, 90 BAGS OF RECYCLABLES, PROVIDED 120 HOURS OF LITTER PATROL, AND 130 HOURS OF DIRECT SERVICE TO COMMUNITY AGENCIES. THIS WORK HELPED MAINTAIN 22 ROAD SECTIONS WITHIN GIG HARBOR'S CITY LIMITS AND UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF OUR GIG HARBOR AND KEY PENINSULAS. ADDITIONALLY, ENVIROCORPS ASSISTED IN A MAJOR CLEAN UP OF A REMOTE AREA OF THE KEY PENINSULA WHERE EVERYTHING FROM WASHING MACHINES TO TIRES HAD BEEN TOSSED INTO A DEEP RAVINE FOR DECADES. THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED ITS WORK TO MEET COUNTY REQUIREMENTS ESSENTIAL TO TRANSFORMING TWO OLDER HOMES AND OUTBUILDINGS IN THE ARTONDALE INTO A FUNCTIONING COMMUNITY CAMPUS THAT WOULD PROVIDE A PERMANENT HOME FOR OUR COMMUNITY'S FOUNDATION AND ITS DIVERSE PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS SPACE ESSENTIAL TO THE NATURE-BASED EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS OF CURIOUS BY NATURE SCHOOL (CLASSROOMS, LEARNING LABS AND GARDENS, ETC.). SIGNIFICANTLY, IN LATE 2022 GGHF WAS PROVIDED A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE A PURPOSE DESIGNED FORMER MONTESSORI SCHOOL BUILDING TO SUPPORT THE BURGEONING DEMAND FOR THE SCHOOL'S UNIQUE NATURE-BASED EARLY LEARNING REGGIO PROGRAM. THIS WAS A MAJOR MILESTONE THAT HAS ALLOWED FOR EXPANSION OF THE SCHOOL'S PROGRAM AND THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN WE ARE ABLE TO SERVE ANNUALLY.

THE GREATER GIG HARBOR FOUNDATION'S LARGEST PROGRAM IS GGHF CURIOUS BY NATURE SCHOOL (CBNS), OUR COMMUNITY'S ONLY NATURE-BASED EARLY LEARNING CENTER. OUR UNIQUE PROGRAM, BASED ON THE REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH AND GROUNDED IN NATURE-BASED LEARNING PRINCIPLES AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS TO SUPPORT A LIFETIME OF SUCCESS IN MATH, SCIENCE, LANGUAGE, AND THE ARTS. SINCE 2012, GGHF HAS SUPPORTED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR MORE THAN 3,500 CHILDREN AGES 2 TO 6 AND HAS PROVIDED MORE THAN $50,000 IN TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS TO AREA FAMILIES IN NEED TO HELP CLOSE THE ACCESS GAP TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. IN 2022, WE SERVED OVER 400 CHILDREN AGES 2 TO 10 THROUGH ENVIRONMENT FOCUSED CAMPS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS; AWARDED $5,00 IN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS TO FAMILIES THROUGH THE STEWARD SCHOLARSHIP FUND, EXPANDED TO A 100% OUTDOOR IMMERSION PROGRAM TO MEET GROWTH AND DEMAND, SUPPORTED VARIOUS COMMUNITY EVENTS WITH FREE HANDS ON EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES, AND GRANTED OVER $5,000 IN SUPPORT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS EARLY LEARNING PRIORITIES IN MATH, LITERACY, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. CBNS WAS ONE OF ONLY TWO EARLY LEARNING CENTERS / PRESCHOOLS IN OUR AREA THAT REMAINED OPEN THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC BY PIVOTING PROGRAMS TO VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS AND DEVELOPING ACTIVE LEARNING KITS TO ENSURE THERE WAS AS LITTLE DISRUPTION AS POSSIBLE TO OUR STUDENT'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS. CBNS ALSO CONNECTED 300+ CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO COMMUNITY, NATURE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP IN 2022 THROUGH ITS JR. EXPLORERS PROGRAM. EXTERNAL SUPPORT FOR CBNS IN 2022 WAS RECEIVED THROUGH SEVERAL GRANTS. THE SCHOOL WAS ADDITIONALLY SUPPORTED BY MORE THAN 2,200 VOLUNTEER HOURS FROM PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, INTERNS, SCIENTISTS, TEACHERS, AND OTHERS. CBNS 2022 SUMMER SCHOOL/CAMP PROGRAM SUPPORTED APPROXIMATELY 200 CHILDREN AGES 3 TO 10.

GGHF'S SECOND LARGEST PROGRAM IS THE GIG HARBOR SENIOR CENTER (GHSC) THE ONLY COMMUNITY-BASED, SELF-FUNDED CENTER FOR ACTIVE SENIORS IN THE GREATER GIG HARBOR AREA. ORGANIZED IN MAY 2019, THE GHSC WAS FORCED TO CLOSE ITS PHYSICAL DOORS ON MARCH 13, 2020, DUE TO THE COVID-19 SHELTER IN PLACE MANDATE. TO ASSURE CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY'S SENIORS, WE REIMAGINED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. OUR DYNAMIC TEAM ACCOMPLISHED THIS IN A VARIETY OF WAYS INCLUDING WEBSITE ENHANCEMENTS TO INCLUDE COVID-19 PROGRAMS & RESOURCES, AND TECHNOLOGY TUTORIALS; THE DELIVERY OF NEARLY 10,000 SIP'M (SHELTER IN PLACE MEALS); DELIVERY OF 3,300 BAGS OF FRESH LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE AND 250 BAGS OF DRY GOODS GROCERIES AND ESSENTIALS; FACILITATING NEARLY 300 AREA SENIORS ACCESS TO COVID-19 VACCINATION APPOINTMENTS; CONDUCTING WEEKLY CHECK-IN/HOSPITALITY CALLS TO ENSURE THE WELL-BEING OF MORE THAN 150 AREA SENIORS, AND MORE. THESE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES WERE SUPPORTED IN PART THROUGH MEMBERSHIP AND PROGRAM FEES, PRIVATE GRANTS, SPONSORSHIPS FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES, PRIVATE DONATIONS, PIERCE COUNTY, AND CARES ACT FUNDING, AND SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL AND STAFF SUPPORT PROVIDED BY GGHF. THE CENTER REOPENED FOR REGULAR PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, MEALS AND MORE IN LATE JUNE 2021. FOR 2022, ABOUT 69% OF THE GHSC'S ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET OF APPROXIMATELY $110,000 WAS SUPPORTED BY PRIVATE DONATIONS, TWO MAJOR FUNDRAISING EVENTS (INDULGE... A SIP & SAVOR EXPERIENCE AND SHAMROCK'N THE HARBOR 5K/12K WALK/RUN) AND RELATED SPONSORSHIPS, WITH MEMBERSHIP FEES ($50 ANNUALLY PP) COVERING 8% OF THE BUDGET AND 13% SUPPORTED THROUGH PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF GIG HARBOR, WITH THE REMAINING 17% SUPPORTED BY GGHF'S GENERAL FUND AND IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS OF TIME, SERVICES AND GOODS.