Now, as ever, we will stand together in seeking justice for all neighbors.
Empire Health Foundation is dedicated to building a vibrant, multicultural democracy where every community member can enjoy health and self-determination. While this vision of progress towards shared ideals has always been a threat to some, it is further under attack from the highest levels of the federal government. As identified in our 10-year strategic direction, we are dedicating our organizational resources to building community power and realizing shared visions for a more equitable future.
We recognize this means we will need to be more responsive to emergent community needs and supporting community protections. And, this response follows a path we’ve already been walking. It’s a path of community empowerment and self-determination. It is a path of listening to and supporting the community leaders around us who are actively engaged in protecting their neighbors. A path where we don’t seek to lead, but rather to walk alongside partners as we move forward towards justice and equity.
These organizational commitments are informed by and responsive to community. As we’ve spent time deeply listening to community voices, we’ve shifted how we show up as a partner. We’re no longer looking to lead our partners through staff and third-party funder designed solutions — in industry terms “strategic philanthropy.” Instead, we’re investing our funding, trust, time, and effort with partners who hold the knowledge and fortitude to uplift their communities. We believe this relational, deep commitment to community partnerships is vital in building the coalitions necessary to stand together and build power.
In 2024, we entered the final stage of this organizational shift to community power building in Black, Indigenous, People of Color, 2SLGBTQIA+, disability, rural, and low-income communities. This change, which was informed by our Equity Healing Framework and laid out in our 10-Year Strategic Direction, represents not a departure from our past but a more intentional leaning into working alongside communities most persistently impacted by health inequities.
The first step in this journey is launching this spring with the Building Connections Initiative, a cohort of 20 grassroots, by-and-for nonprofits from across our seven county, three Tribal nation service area. These organizations will receive general operating support and play a pivotal role in shaping additional funding priorities and programs. Through convening these powerful community organizations, we hope to create space for our organization to learn and grow, and to leverage our resources to create a more robust and resilient nonprofit sector in eastern Washington.
While we are intentionally focused on how we can walk alongside our partners in the future, we also want to acknowledge the work we have been supporting up to this point. As we’ve shifted our focus more towards power building, we’ve worked to transition our past programs onto sustainable paths and preserve the important work that’s been done by community partners and staff. To that end we’ve developed partnerships to evaluate the cost benefits and long term sustainability of the medication management program in rural Northeastern Washington. We’ve also worked with our partners to develop contracted service models that allow them to continue their health coaching services.
In 2024, we worked with the Tribal Leadership Alliance and Indigenous consultants to develop and implement the Integrated Cultural Healing Model. This model is currently being utilized by local Tribal health agencies and Urban Native American nonprofit organizations to provide a mental health curriculum that honors traditional knowledge and culture. Moving forward, we continue to work with our partners to ensure the sustainability of this vital resource for our Indigenous and Tribal communities.
As we’ve transitioned away from our past programmatic focus, EHF has also sought opportunities to bring resources to our community partners. In the fall of 2024, EHF entered into contract with the Commerce Department to convene community leaders and disburse $1.9 million in state funding to communities and organizations who have been disproportionately impacted by the racist policies of the “war on drugs,” specifically Black, Latine, and Indigenous led organizations. Implementation of this Community Reinvestment Project funding has been bolstered by our existing relationships with diverse community leaders who are guiding the process of investing this funding into impacted communities. We believe this kind of work, with its explicit focus on addressing persistent institutional racism, is more critical than ever as the federal government looks to undo decades of progress towards racial equity.
The fall of 2024 also brought a new phase in our work serving the unhoused community through partnerships with local nonprofits and faith communities. We are currently facilitating the creation of a scattered site emergency shelter response system under contract with the city of Spokane. In our role, we are supporting the convening of service providers to share information and build connections and relationships, as well as connecting service providers with local faith communities willing to open their space to unhoused neighbors seeking shelter and a path to housing and stability. We are proud to support this effort and our frontline partners doing tireless work on behalf of this community.
We have also invested significant energy into strengthening and aligning the work of our complementary advocacy organization, Empire Health Community Advocacy Fund. We believe EHCAF will play a vital role in supporting our power building initiatives, and the policy and advocacy visions of our partners.
In November of 2023, 63% of Spokane County residents voted no on Spokane County Measure 1, which would have increased local sales and use taxes in support of building a new County Jail with little details on actual spending. Empire Health Community Advocacy Fund was a supporter of the community-led effort, Justice Not Jails, that led the opposition. Since then, we have partnered with local business associations to bring together a diverse set of stakeholders representing advocates, business leaders, government staff, and elected officials to explore how other communities have addressed public safety and public health issues. Additionally, we have been able to explore facts and information about the state of public health and safety in Spokane County. This set of discussions has opened up a more formal opportunity for diverse community engagement and collaborative jurisdictional approaches to building and supporting a collective vision of a healthier and safer Spokane County.
As we’ve sought opportunities to bring resources to our partners and invest in our community, we’re also building our organizational capacity. In 2024, we adopted an Impact Investing Policy that will guide us in shifting our investments from traditional markets and to our local community partners. Traditionally, we have only activated 5%-8% of our resources directly towards our mission each year, and this new investment strategy will allow for more of our resources to have direct impact. We’re excited about the potential to bring these additional resources into community and grow the collective wealth of communities that have been persistently excluded from access to capital and investment.
Across this broad range of activity, runs of throughline of working alongside partners connected to the needs of communities. We are excited to share more with you about what this direction means for EHF as we continue to listen to our partners, pivot when asked, and lean into leveraging our resources, position, and privilege to build a healthier, more vibrant Inland Northwest.
To our community partners, we want to say this. We see you. We’re with you. We honor your sacrifices. We will fight for your joy. And, together, we will build a more connected, just, and beautiful future.