Grays Harbor Community Foundation

What Grays Harbor Community Foundation does

Grays Harbor Community Foundation (GHCF) is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity and the sole community foundation serving Grays Harbor County, Washington, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Hoquiam. The foundation operates three integrated lines of activity: (1) community grantmaking across multiple programs (Community Building Grants of $5,000-$30,000, Quarterly Impact Grants up to $5,000, Early Learning Grants, After School Grants, and a Nonprofit Volunteer Fund); (2) a scholarship and education loan portfolio covering undergraduate scholarships, vocational/trades scholarships (avg. $2,500), and low-interest graduate/professional school loans; and (3) charitable fund management services for individual donors, families, and nonprofit organizations, including donor-advised, designated, agency, scholarship, field-of-interest, and unrestricted funds, plus planned giving and estate planning support. As of late 2025, GHCF manages approximately $118M in assets across nearly 200 funds and invested $3.8M into the Grays Harbor community in grants and scholarships that year.

GHCF's economic model is structured around a 1% annual administrative fee applied to all funds under management, which covers investment management, gift processing, record-keeping, and operational costs; scholarship and grant applicants are not charged fees. The foundation supplements this fee revenue with incoming charitable gifts (including a $15M gift from Ted and Liz Bruener in 2025, the largest in the foundation's history) and operates an agency endowment matching program that contributes 20% (up to $10,000 per calendar year) toward new endowment gifts from local 501(c)(3) organizations. Investment management is conducted through two external advisors under a conservative policy that prioritizes predictable income for grantmaking and asset preservation. Distribution is entirely direct: grants paid to nonprofits, scholarships disbursed to educational institutions on behalf of recipients, with applications processed through the Akoya GoApply online portal.

The foundation serves three primary stakeholder groups within Grays Harbor County: high school and post-secondary students pursuing undergraduate, vocational, or graduate education (436 scholarship recipients in 2026); local nonprofit organizations addressing community needs across arts, education, healthcare, environment, and youth services; and individual donors, families, and professional advisors seeking to establish lasting charitable legacies. GHCF is governed by a Board of Directors and operated by a small professional staff of 1-10 employees led by Executive Director Eric Potts, with offices at 705 J Street in Hoquiam. Marketing and outreach rely on direct relationships, school district partnerships, social media, local earned media (The Daily World), and a professional advisor referral network, with no product technology stack beyond the standard website and online application portal.

Name

Grays Harbor Community Foundation

Legal name

Grays Harbor Community Foundation

Website

https://gh-cf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grays Harbor Community Foundation is the sole community foundation serving Grays Harbor County, Washington, managing nearly $118M across ~200 donor funds, awarding $3.8M annually in grants and scholarships to local nonprofits and 436 students, and administering charitable endowments, planned giving, and education loan programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Charitable fund management
• Endowment administration
• Grant programs
• Scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Hoquiam

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Gifts: Receives donations from individuals, families, and organizations to establish or contribute to charitable funds. Donors can make one-time or recurring gifts, estate gifts, or planned giving arrangements.
2. Administrative Fee: 1% annual fee charged to all funds for administrative expenses, investment management, gift processing, and record-keeping. This covers operational costs while maintaining fund management.
3. Agency Endowment Services: Provides endowment management services to nonprofit organizations with a 1% annual administrative fee. Offers matching contributions of 20% for new agency endowments up to $10,000 per calendar year.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Grays Harbor Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that manages permanent charitable endowments on behalf of donors and administers the resulting grants and scholarships for Grays Harbor County, Washington. It sells fund management services (donor-advised, designated, agency, field-of-interest, scholarship, and unrestricted funds), nonprofit grant programs, student scholarships and loans, and planned giving services. The Foundation charges a 1% annual administrative fee on managed funds and reinvests proceeds into community grants, scholarships, and endowment growth.

Product overview

Grays Harbor Community Foundation operates as a nonprofit community foundation offering a portfolio of grant programs and scholarship/loan services. The organization administers Community Building Grants ($5,000-$30,000) and Quarterly Impact Grants ($5,000 and below) for nonprofits, alongside Early Learning and After School Grants for youth development. Its scholarship offerings include undergraduate scholarships (over $1M awarded to 436 students in 2026), Vocational Scholarships for trades training ($2,500 average), and Graduate/Professional School Loans. The foundation also provides fund management services including Agency Endowment Matching (20% match), investment management, and planned giving options. The organization connects donors with community needs through six fund types (Unrestricted, Donor Advised, Designated, Agency, Field of Interest, and Scholarship).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Building Grants Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1M awarded to 436 students in 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• US Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership to implement the annual Shorebird Education Program serving local students. USFWS initially provided funding and program implementation support before federal budget cuts affected the program. GHCF stepped in to bridge funding gaps.
• The Daily WorldminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Local newspaper partnership for scholarship recipient recognition. The Daily World publishes scholarship announcements in print, helping GHCF celebrate award recipients and build community awareness.
• Grays Harbor CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Educational partnership providing access to college courses and credentials. Medical Assistant program is a collaboration offering high school students access to family wage jobs in the medical field. Twin Harbors Skill Center works with GHC to provide career and technical education.
• Coastal Interpretive CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Nonprofit partner providing environmental education programs. GHCF provided $23,000 grant to fund Shorebird Education Program after federal funding cuts affected the program serving 836 students.
• Elma High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh school partnership for scholarship programs including Haerlen Family Elma Education Loan Program specifically for graduates entering graduate/professional school.
• Local School DistrictscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnerships with Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Montesano, Elma, Ocosta, North River, Wishkah, and Lake Quinault school districts for scholarship distribution and student outreach.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust: Pacific Northwest private foundation providing grants across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. While structurally different (private foundation vs. community foundation), it operates in the same regional philanthropic ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Foundation Source: Provider of fund management, investment, and administrative services for private foundations. While not a community foundation, it competes indirectly for donors choosing between establishing a private foundation versus donating to a community foundation.
• Scholarship America: National nonprofit scholarship management organization administering scholarship programs for corporations, foundations, and individuals. Directly comparable in scholarship administration services but at much larger national scale.

Direct peers

• Thurston Community Foundation: Washington state community foundation serving Thurston County with similar grantmaking, scholarship, and endowment services. Closely comparable in scope, governance model, and rural/small-metro service area to GHCF.
• Whatcom Community Foundation: Washington state community foundation serving Whatcom County with grant programs, scholarships, and donor-advised funds. Comparable Pacific Northwest single-county community foundation model.
• Inland Empire Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, California. Comparable model with scholarship programs, agency endowments, and donor-advised fund services at similar AUM scale.
• Community Foundation of the North Olympic Peninsula: Washington state community foundation serving Clallam and Jefferson Counties. Operates the same rural community foundation model with grant cycles, scholarships, and permanent endowments.

Others

• Council on Foundations: National membership association for community foundations and philanthropy. Not a direct competitor but provides infrastructure, peer benchmarking, and best-practice frameworks used by GHCF and similar community foundations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GraysHarborCommunityFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/graysharborcommunityfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/georginas-restaurant

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grays Harbor Community Foundation