OVERVIEW: The Ben B. Cheney Foundation supports human services, education, arts and culture, and health. Giving emphasizes Washington, but Oregon and Northern California are also areas of interest.
IP TAKE: The Ben B. Cheney Foundation is an accessible source of funding for organizations of any size working in its specific geographic areas of focus in the Northwest. Small organizations working in human services or the arts stand a good chance here. Submit a letter of inquiry at any time for consideration. Full proposals are accepted by invitation only.
PROFILE: Established in 1975, the Ben B. Cheney Foundation is a private foundation based in Tacoma, Washington. Cheney started the Cheney Lumber Company in 1936 and worked in the lumber industry until his death in 1971. During his lifetime, Cheney was passionate about athletics, especially basketball. He was a great supporter of youth programs and human services for underprivileged people. The foundation’s broad mission is to support “organizations helping to improve the quality of life” in “communities where the Cheney Lumber Company operated.”
This foundation names charity,civic, culture, education, elderly, health, social services and youth as areas of interest. It prefers to make capital and project-based grants. Geographic areas of focus include:
- Pierce County, the Olympic Peninsula and the southwestern region of Washington;
- Oregon’s Jackson and Josephine Counties; and
- Northern California.
Grants for Housing, Homelessness, Mental Health
Cheney’s human services giving prioritizes programs and initiatives for vulnerable youth, the elderly and the disabled, as well as “[p]rograms that provide for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing.”
Grantees include the United Way of Pierce County, the Orting Senior Center, the United Way of Jackson County, Oregon and the Emergency Food Network of Lakewood, Washington.
Grants for Education
Giving for K-12 and higher education has been robust in recent years.
- K-12 giving appears to prioritize out-of-school learning and career education opportunities. Large sums have gone to Tacoma’s Youth Marine Foundation, which runs programs that “prepare young people for careers in the maritime industry.” Other grants have supported the Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound, the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, the Aberdeen School District and Greenstrike, which “advocates for and models equitable access to playful experiences for children, youth, and families.”
- Higher education funding has supported St. Martin’s University, the Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psycology, the R. Merle Palmer Minority Scholarship Foundation, the University of Puget Sound and the University of Portland.
Grants for Arts and Culture
Cheney’s arts giving tends to support smaller, local arts organizations. Grantees include the Lemay-Americas Carm Museum, the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, the Fire Mountain Arts Council and the Seventh Street Theatre in Hoquiam, Washington.
Grants for Public Health
In recent years, Cheney’s health giving mainly supported Multicare Health Foundation in Tacoma.
Important Grant Details:
Cheney’s grants range from $100 to $500,000.
- More than half of all giving stays in the state of Washington, where Tacoma and Pierce County are areas of primary focus.
- This funder supports organizations of all sizes, and small organizations are well represented among its grantees.
- The foundation accepts letters of inquiry from eligible organizations by mail at any time throughout the year. Full proposals are accepted by invitation only.
- Find information about the foundation’s grantmaking history here.
Submit questions to the Cheney Foundation via email at info@benbcheneyfoundation.org or by telephone at (253) 572-2442.
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