Community Foundation grants address disparities in Clark County communities hit worst by war on drugs

State Commerce grants address social, racial and economic disparities within communities of color

The Community Foundation for Southwest Washington has awarded more than $450,000 to 11 organizations across Clark County that are working to address social, racial and economic disparities within communities of color.

Since August, the nonprofit has distributed $477,273 to organizations that specialize in social and racial equity work through a combination of funds from its Social Justice and Resiliency Fund and $1.9 million from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

The funding from the state is part of the agency’s Community Reinvestment Plan, a two-year initiative launched in October 2023, which aims to address disparities caused by the war on drugs and similar national policies.

The Community Foundation has used its Social Justice and Resiliency Fund as a bridge to redistribute the money to local nonprofits.

“This funding will allow grassroots organizations to grow and thrive in ways that expand vital resources to people who feel the reality of divestment and discrimination every day,” Community Foundation President Matt Morton said in a statement.

The Foundation

The Foundation, which supports people exiting the prison system, received $100,000 from the Social Justice and Resiliency fund in August.

Lester Griffin created The Foundation last year after experiencing his own challenges and lack of support while reintegrating into the community after incarceration.

The Foundation helps people released from prison find housing, employment and health care.

“It’s important for individuals coming home from incarceration to have somewhere to lay their head while they transition into taking those steps to a new path,” Griffin said. “It’s about having that support — having someone to say, ‘We see you, we know that you exist.’ I’m big on accountability. We can do 30 percent, but you have to get the other 70.”

The Foundation also hosts weekly support groups and counseling for families affected by incarceration, recognizing that it can have ripple effects across an entire family.

The Foundation will use a portion of the grant to bring on new staff. Griffin has already hired an employee to support youth in the court system by working with probation officers and attorneys.

The money will also go toward operation costs and maintaining the Teen Center, a space for youth to attend community classes, play games, receive continuous support and learn more about their culture.

Griffin said The Foundation has just signed the lease for a new transitional housing project for recently incarcerated people. The nonprofit partnered with the Vancouver Housing Authority to create the Restored Transitional Complex.

The building, in the Fourth Plain Village neighborhood, will be remodeled before opening hopefully by the end of November, Griffin said.

Griffin said support from the Community Foundation and other local organizations has been invaluable. Going forward, he wants to continue to be a resource for those who don’t have many places to turn after prison.

“They see our vision, they see our mission,” Griffin said. “My eyes have been opened to the extra time they put in walking me through this process. It’s huge. We can expect some big things.”

The Community Reinvestment Plan is working to make change on a statewide level.

The state’s plan allocates $138 million to economic development grants, $30 million to community-based violence services, $12 million to reentry services, $8 million for civil and criminal legal assistance, and the remaining $12 million to support local advisory teams.

According to the Department of Commerce, the plan recognizes the government created punishments for drug offenses that unjustly targeted communities of color.

In Washington, the largest impact was on Black, Latino and Indigenous neighborhoods and people. The project will begin to redress some of those inequities, Commerce said.

For more information about the Community Foundation’s Social Justice and Resiliency Fund, click here.