Hazel Miller Foundation awards $200K in first-round 2023 grants to 13 organizations

In its first grant cycle of 2023, the Hazel Miller Foundation Board awarded nearly $200,000 to a diverse range of organizations in South Snohomish County, including the Foundation for Edmonds School District, Girls on the Run, Leadership Launch, Lynnwood Food Bank, and Project Girls Mentoring. The board said it took great care to distribute funds across its core focus areas: education and youth, poverty alleviation and hunger, civil and community services, the environment, culture and the arts, and diversity.

“While it is certainly an honor to be able to support these wonderful organizations, the individuals who run the programs are the true heroes,” said Vice Board Chair Shannon Burley, who chaired the grant meeting.

“It is a blessing to be able to participate in a community that cares so deeply and is committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to thrive,” she added. “On behalf of the Hazel Miller Foundation, thank you to the incredible organizations doing the work.”

The following organizations received grant awards:

Foundation for Edmonds School District. The foundation, which develops funding and programs for children and families in the Edmonds School District to achieve educational excellence, received a $12,500 grant to host their Student Leadership Conference.

Girls on the Run. Built to inspire girls and gender-expansive youth to be healthy, joyful and confident using a fun curriculum that includes running, the organization received a $17,500 grant to cover the cost of scholarships.

Edmonds College Foundation, which has a primary focus is to ensure students have access to the support they need to succeed. The Hazel Miller Foundation renewed its annual grant of $25,000 to cover educational activities like tuition and fees, the cost of books, student success programs, and other related costs of school attendance.

EWHS Music Boosters Club was granted $7,500 to support the EWHS Jazz Colony, a summer camp experience for students passionate about growing their talents as jazz musicians. Funds will be used to hire professional and student jazz clinicians, and purchase music books, t-shirts, ensemble equipment, and other materials related to the teaching and playing of jazz.

Leadership Launch, which has a mission is to empower, equip and engage student leadership from a place of equity. The Hazel Miller Foundation granted the organization $5,250 to support its 2023 Launch Project, a 30-week curriculum that puts young leaders at the helm of project execution, coordinating speakers they’ve met through networking, fundraising, creating agendas, managing volunteers, scouting locations and more.

Concern for Neighbors Food Bank has been collecting and distributing food to low-income families in South Snohomish County since 1971. The Hazel Miller Foundation’s $15,000 grant supports South Snohomish County’s drastic rise in need for food donations.

Edmonds Food Bank was granted $17,500 to support the expected increase in food bank guests for the coming year. Previous grants from The Hazel Miller Foundation have gone toward requests to serve fresh dairy, non-dairy equivalents, eggs and proteins to the Edmonds community.

Homage Senior Services promotes independence, preserves dignity and enhances the lives of older adults. The $5,000 grant from The Hazel Miller Foundation will go toward its Homage Senior Meals program.

Lynnwood Food Bank was granted $17,500 to purchase food for residents of Lynnwood and South Snohomish County. The organization’s Focus on Nutrition program has provided increased healthy foods, cultural foods, cultural programs, and educational programs to the community.

The Jean Kim Foundation provides educational opportunities, basic needs, shelter and social service programs for those who are experiencing houselessness. The $25,000 grant from The Hazel Miller Foundation supports the Lynnwood Hygiene Center, where people experiencing houselessness are provided a space to shower safely and privately, and are given access to laundry services, food, clothing, medical care, and other community support services.

Skyhawks Rise, the nonprofit arm of the Skyhawk Sports Academy, is ommitted to ensuring all children have equitable access to sports opportunities. It was granted $6,075 to buoy the organization’s Summer Multi-Sport Camp in South Snohomish County, which operates from June-August 2023.

Leadership Snohomish County offers leadership training courses, at a low cost, to help those in the Snohomish County community. The $10,000 granted by The Hazel Miller Foundation will bolster the organization’s Leadership for Racial Equity program and its seventh annual Step Up Conference.

Project Girls Mentoring was granted $15,000 grant to support the organization’s 28-week program, The Immersion Academy, which introduces up to 150 girls of color in the Edmonds and Lynnwood areas to holistic health and wellness, building emotional resilience in mind, body, and spirit.

The Hazel Miller Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the citizens of Edmonds and South Snohomish County. Its mission is to support programs and projects that serve the public’s benefit,  especially in the areas of education and youth, poverty alleviation and hunger, civil and community services, the environment, culture and the arts, and diversity in our communities. For more information, go to  www.hazelmillerfoundation.org.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Real first and last names — as well as city of residence — are required for all commenters.
This is so we can verify your identity before approving your comment.

By commenting here you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct. Please read our code at the bottom of this page before commenting.