2024 Grant Recipients

As a non-profit organization, NWBDA is able to provide grants on an annual basis to other organizations or programs providing economic or community development in the areas that NWBDA serves. This year, NWBDA was able to give away a grand total of $149,000 to organizations devoted to making an impact.

The Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC) is thrilled to receive a grant from the NWBDA, bolstering EDASC’s commitment to fostering economic growth and job creation in Skagit County, with a special focus on underserved communities.

The NWBDA grant supports EDASC’s programs aimed at empowering veterans, women, minorities, youth, individuals with disabilities, and those in underserved areas. These initiatives include
entrepreneurial training and workforce development, all through the lens of equity, inclusion, and sustainability.

EDASC’s programming includes workforce development events with special outreach to Latinos, veterans and people with disabilities; leadership development through Leadership Skagit; and various workshops and conferences for all stages of business.

The NWBDA’s investment in EDASC’s vision underscores the shared mission of both organizations to drive economic development that is inclusive and equitable. This grant will enable EDASC to continue innovating and responding to the evolving needs of Skagit County’s economy, supporting entrepreneurs, and meeting workforce demands.

John Sternlicht, CEO of EDASC, expressed gratitude for the grant, stating, “We are delighted and proud to again receive this grant from the NWBDA. Our mutual mission of creating new generational wealth in our community drives our programming, and we are grateful for their continued support.”

Donate or Learn More EDASC:
https://www.skagit.org
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Seattle Good Business Network’s Mission: To connect and inspire people to buy, produce, and invest locally so that everyone has a meaningful stake in the local economy.

About Seattle Good Business Network: Seattle Good Business Network is a coalition of residents, local businesses, non-profits, and municipal organizations that unites businesses and community partners around shared social and environmental values by connecting them to opportunities, resources, and each other. Its community economic development programming includes support for urban manufacturers and producers, local food systems, circular and sustainable business models, youth workforce development, and other initiatives designed to build a vibrant, equitable, and resilient local economy.

Grant Funds: Funds from NWBDA will be used to support the Seattle Made program, a collaboration of nearly seven hundred urban manufacturers and producers—makers of everything from chocolate to kimchi, bicycles to bandanas, and jewelry to jam—who come together to ‘make it’ in Seattle.

The mission of Seattle Made is to grow and support a diverse ecosystem of urban manufacturers and producers that expand opportunities for local ownership and meaningful employment, build our region’s long-term resiliency, and celebrate Seattle’s unique cultural identity. Membership offers new market opportunities, a unifying brand and collective voice, collaboration, access to resources, and more. Membership is free with a one-time application fee.

Grant funds will be used to support this community of businesses by connecting them to each other and to the resources, market opportunities, and technical assistance they need to thrive in Seattle.

Donate or Volunteer at Seattle Good Business Network:
https://seattlegood.org/
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About HopeWorks: Founded in 2011, HopeWorks is a non-profit workforce development organization that operates four social enterprise businesses. These businesses offer services and goods for sale while providing hands-on job training for in-demand industries to youth and adults seeking a career pathway out of poverty, and include: Ground Works Landscaping, Renew Home and Décor, Kindred Kitchen, Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center

HopeWorks’ Mission: HopeWorks operates Social Enterprises that are mission-driven, revenue-generating businesses that provide on-the-job training and support to people with diverse skills who are striving to
overcome experiences and institutional failures that have left them out of the workforce. Since HopeWorks was founded, we have served over 200 graduates with life skills and experience in living-wage jobs for a brighter future.

Grant Funds: Funds from NWBDA will help to support salary and benefits for the Job Training Supervisor position. The Job Training Supervisor is the operational lead for growing the Job Training program as additional training pathways and new social enterprises are explored. This role develops and implements training curriculum, trains new Job Trainers, and collaborates with agency Directors, Managers, and Interdepartmental Teams to build outcomes and support for new career training pathways.

“The Job Training program offers people opportunities to advance their careers and increase their earning potential with hands-on job training in technical and 21st-century skills that are easily transferable to other careers. We are grateful for NW Business Development Association’s partnership; support like theirs enables us to continue serving our community through this innovative workforce development model. Curious about what is currently happening with HopeWorks? Follow our social enterprises’ pages to stay up to date with all things HopeWorks and keep an eye out for our upcoming holiday promotions! (@renewhomedecor @kindredkitchen.snoco @groundwrks @hopeworksjobtraining)” – Lauren Pease, Sr. Grants Manager

Donate, Volunteer, or Follow HopeWorks:
https://hopewrks.org/
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MESO was founded in 2005 to provide technical assistance to Black-owned small businesses in danger of being displaced from North/Northeast Portland, Oregon, due to neighborhood gentrification. They have since grown to add business education and access to capital to the services offered and now serve more than 500 entrepreneurs and small businesses in Oregon and Southwest Washington each year. More than 85% of those  served are People of Color, 73% are women, 20% speak primary language other than English in their homes, and 85% are low-to-moderate income (earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income). In 2025, MESO will celebrate 20 years of serving entrepreneurs in Southwest Washington and Oregon.

MESO provides adult entrepreneurs with culturally specific, one-to-one customized small business advising, technical assistance and access to small business lending. Because entrepreneurs come at difference places in their small business journeys, the services and support they receive is customized to what they need, drawing from a full range of programs and services. MESO is also helping prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs through the youth entrepreneurship programs.

While that support has allowed MESO to serve a greater number of entrepreneurs and their small businesses in Clark County, and is still receiving more requests from BIPOC and women entrepreneurs than MESO can serve with current funding. The recent grant award received from Northwest Business Development Association is invaluable in meeting that need and is empowering entrepreneurs to follow their small business dreams through opening crepes shops.

“We value our partnership with Northwest Business Development Association and appreciate the organization’s belief in, and support of, our entrepreneurs. We’re already putting the money to work helping them realize their dreams of small business ownership and are excited to share stories of their success as we move through the grant award period.” – Cobi Lewis, MESO Executive Director and CEO

Follow MESO:
https://www.mesopdx.org/
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CCS Foundation’s Mission: All students deserve access to a quality, affordable education, which in turn opens the path to sustainable economic opportunities for students and creates a pipeline of talented individuals to meet the region’s workforce needs. The mission is to provide students with resources so that they can reach their potential. CSS focuses efforts on scholarships and emergency aid to CCS’s 20,000 students and program support to CCS’s 120+ programs.

About CCS Foundation: The most impactful contributions to the students come in the form of direct financial support. CSS provides the funding for their tuition, books, fees, equipment, childcare, utility, bills, rent, and more. Last year, over $461,000 was provided in this kind of support. Also provided is support for their education and training through program support each year. By having the latest equipment and technology to train on, the students have a more competitive chance at entering their career fields after graduation.

More than anything else, though, these students are the future of Spokane’s workforce. Spokane County is the largest labor market in eastern Washington and northern Idaho. CCS is not only our region’s only community college system, our students live, study, and ultimately work here. They are the nurses, automotive maintenance technicians, chefs, small business owners, and teachers that you interact with every day.

Grant Funds: Last year, a two-year pilot program called Tools for Tradespeople was started. The Tools for Tradespeople program is working specifically with machining technology students, providing the tools that they otherwise would have to purchase themselves. The program gained so much interest with potential students, that Machining has added an entire second cohort of students! However, because the original goal was to support one cohort through the two-year program, there is a gap in funding to cover these extra students. The grant funds will go towards funding this second cohort of students.

“We have already seen success towards our first program goal of increasing enrollment in the CNC Machining program since the launch of Tools for Tradespeople’s pilot. In one year, the pilot program has been so successful that an entire second cohort of students are joining the Machining program at SCC this January. This is a shining example of the immediate impact the pilot program is having. Thanks to Northwest Business Development Association, we will be able to start funding year three of this pilot!” – Heather Beebe-Stevens, CFRE  Executive Director

Donate or Follow Community Colleges of Spokane:
https://ccs.spokane.edu/
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SCORE’s mission is to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. They provide free resources to business owners such as mentoring, business training, and business classes/online webinars.

SCORE operates in every state and strives to help entrepreneurs start and manage successful small businesses. SCORE recognizes different needs due to industry and/or diversity, and provides personalized support for small business owners.

Donate, Volunteer, or Follow Your Local SCORE:
https://www.score.org/
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NWBDA is grateful for the opportunity to give back to our community and make a positive impact on the world around us. We are incredibly thankful to our lenders and borrowers; their continued support enables us to help others.

NWBDA is honored to support these exceptional organizations working to transform their communities and create a better world for all. We encourage everyone to visit these inspiring places and make a positive impact of your own.