Please click here or on Applications above. Deadline: September 22, 2023

The Lakewood Community Foundation Fund (LCFF) recently announced grants for 2023 in the amount of $37,600. And yet….donations were only a little over $15,000 this past year. That, Lakewood, is the beauty of endowed funds. Thanks to 30 years of donations, the endowed fund is over $1.2 Million. This year and every year, money goes back to Lakewood regardless of current income. Your generosity over the years will keep on giving in perpetuity. As in, forever.

This year’s grants:

Caring for Kids                                    $5,000

Clover Park Rotary (Park project)       $1,000

Communities in Schools                     $5,000

Emergency Food Network                  $5,000

Greater Lakes Mental Health             $5,000

Lakewold Gardens                              $6,600

Lakewood Baseball Club                    $3,000

Lakewood Lions (Springbrook)           $2,000

Nourish of Pierce County                   $5,000

Pierce County is a place of abundance. According to the 2020 Pierce County Transfer of Wealth Study*, our current household net worth is $269 billion. This is the total value of assets in our community –homes, businesses, investments. Over the next 10 years, $48.6 billion of those assets will be transferring from estates to the next generation. $482 billion is expected to transfer over the next 50 years. If concerned, caring community members like you designated 10% of your estate to charitable organizations and causes you cared about, we could transform our region for future generations.

Here is the study at this link. Lakewood's reported household net worth is $19 Billion. In the next 10 years, $3.1 Billion of that will change hands with estate reconciliation. If charitable organizations could only receive 10% of that wealth.....

2021-GTCF-Transfer-of-Wealth-Report.pdf

Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” So many in Lakewood are making a life by giving. Thanks to their generosity over the years, the Lakewood Community Foundation Fund was able to make grants of $39,200 this year. Gifts received over the last 12 months totaled approximately $27,000….and yet we were able to give far more than that. This is the major advantage of an endowed fund, which is now over $1 Million! We could list the year’s grant recipients, but better yet, let some of the recipients tell their story:

Nourish:

“Your support ($5,000) means that 7.9 million pounds of food will get to 79,000 Pierce County residents.”

Lakewold Gardens:

“Thank you for the grant of $3,500 toward the creation of a professional business plan for our shop. We look forward to sharing our accomplishments.”

Caring for Kids:

“Thank you so much for your generous donation of $7,000. In the last week, we have packed 405 backpacks with summer supplies for Early Learning kids. We are preparing to again start up our Growing Up is Fun bags. We are getting another pallet of Disney books valued at $10,135 for $350.”

Raising Girls:

“Thank you for your generous donation of $1,000. This will help us to provide care tags with personal hygiene products to girls and boys in our community.”

Centerforce:

“Thank you for your generous grant of $3,000. Your support of our services for those with disabilities is very much appreciated.”

Lakewood Playhouse:

“Thank you for your generous contribution of a $5000 grant to the Lakewood Playhouse! Grants are the ONLY way we survived the COVID shutdown!”

Other grants: Greater Lakes Mental Health, Communities in Schools, Network Tacoma, Emergency Food Network and Operation Homefront.

If an endowed fun that benefits Lakewood exclusively is something you have an interest in supporting please contact us at gnsrediske@msn.com or go to the website at www.lakewoodcommunityfoundation.org to make your donation. It really is the gift that keeps on giving!