Spokane Colleges Foundation – 2025 Grant Recipient

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 $134,500 to organizations devoted to making an impact.

Spokane Colleges 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. Spokane Colleges Foundation focuses efforts on scholarships and emergency aid to its 20,000 students and program support to its 120+ programs.

About Spokane Colleges Foundation:

The most impactful contributions to the students come in the form of direct financial support. The Foundation provides the funding for their tuition, books, fees, equipment, childcare, utility, bills, rent, and more. Last year, over $461,000 was provided in this area of support. The program also provides education and training support. By having the latest equipment and technology to train with, students have a more competitive advantage entering their career fields after graduation.

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

Grant Funds:

The grant funds will be going towards the Tools for Tradespeople pilot program for the second year in a row. 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 the last few students joining the program, especially since more tools and spots are being added.

Achievements:

Year 2 rocked in persistence and achieved a 100% graduation rate of the students who returned from Year 1 (the average on-time graduation rate for a community college student is typically 45%). Read the speech a thankful graduate gave: https://shorturl.at/xasKv.

The program chair, Sam Tevis, reports that this year’s CNC Machining cohort is completely full for the first time in 7 years! The Technical Education Dean has been doing amazing work leading her team through new recruitment events and programs, but Sam credits the Tools for Tradespeople as a key reason why the machining program in particular is full. Spokane Colleges also announced the launch of two new manufacturing certificates, including a CNC Machining Operators Certificate. You can read more about that here: https://shorturl.at/1qmwt.

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Spokane Colleges Foundation:
https://ccsfoundation.org/
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Giving Back

​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.

“Small things done with great love will change the world.”

— Mother Teresa —