The gorgeous photo above shows dancers working together to create the illusion of a whale in the water. In the same way, when community members work together for a larger goal, we can achieve much greater things than we ever could alone. 

Last month, Tacoma Public Schools students attended orientation for the new  Health and Medicine Academy. F or more than two years, GTCF participated in the work of creating a path for Tacoma students to fill the ocean of jobs in the growing healthcare industry. Joining with Tacoma Public Schools, MultiCare Health System, CHI Franciscan, University of Washington Tacoma, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma Community College, Bates Technical College, and Goodwill Industries, we are thrilled to support a rising wave of success for both students and the greater community. 

All around Tacoma and Pierce County, organizations and individuals find strength by connecting around an inspiring vision. Working together with other organizations, GTCF finds ways to leverage our resources for the greatest positive impact. In this newsletter, we offer insights and lessons from our own partnerships as well as collaborations of other great local organizations. We hope this inspires you to dive into partnerships for a greater Pierce County.


President/CEO, GTCF


GTCF joins community leaders, nonprofits, partners, advocates, and immigrant communities in calling for humane immigration policy that treats individuals and families with dignity and compassion and ensures due process for immigration and deportation proceedings.  While the national spotlight is on separations occurring at the border, the impact is also felt locally by immigrants from many countries. N eighbors and families that live, work, and attend schools in Pierce County are suffering .   

GTCF will be making three responsive grants to provide immediate resources for legal services and ongoing individual supports for those affected. 

 
PHOTO: Chelsea McElroy - Vision of Eastside Step Team 

Chelsea McElroy's vision of helping Eastside girls build friendships and leadership skills through step is a prime example of the type of grassroots change GTCF supports with Spark Grants.  Just like Chelsea, our most recent group of Spark Grant recipients are developing creative solutions to needs they see in their neighborhoods and communities across Pierce County.


PHOTO: via Tacoma Art Museum

Tacoma Art Museum recently announced that admission for youth 18 and under will be free every Saturday. In addition, the museum is hosting several Neighborhood Nights and other FREE FUN events for all ages throughout the summer. TAM is committed to its mission to connect people through art, and is working to increase access for the community to experience and create original art.  
 
 

As part of our ongoing efforts to provide resources to nonprofit organizations in Pierce County, GTCF hosts a monthly webinar series on Planned Giving. The webinars are presented live, in our office, through PG Calc, a leading provider of Planned Giving software and consulting services.  
 
PHOTO: Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center West African Ballet performs at Tacoma OceanFest (by Xingtong Lin)


Great things happen when community gathers together. Every month, we talk with organizers of events who posted on our Community Calendar to find out what happened and what they learned.
In this edition, Rosemary Ponnekanti from Tacoma OceanFest and Chris Staudinger from Puyallup Meeker Days share the value of relying on community partnerships when putting on large-scale community festivals. 
Upcoming Fundraisers

July 21, Big Hat Brunch on Broadway - Oasis Youth Center

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