Rick Steves’ Europe Fund – Capacity Grants
At Rick Steves’ Europe, we view travel as a potentially life-changing experience. Teaching good and thoughtful travel is our number one priority. As travel teachers, we inspire people to acquire the skills necessary to make their trip an enjoyable, economical, smooth, and rewarding experience. We strive to be “teachers first,” and encourage travelers, as well as our employees, to be thoughtful, cooperative, and respectful, be open to change and considerate of new ideas, and have a willingness to learn new skills.
Our capacity grant program is intended to enable Snohomish County nonprofits to invest in infrastructure to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their fundraising, finances, leadership, and sustainability. Basically, we want to help you work better.
We understand that many nonprofits focus their resources on supporting their direct service programs, but we believe that with strong and well-supported back offices, nonprofits can increase their capacity to serve the community.
The committee is interested in funding small grass roots organizations who have traditionally been overlooked by grant opportunities in the past. Organizations with budgets of less than $1,000,000 will be prioritized. Capital expenditures will be considered. BIPOC, refugee, immigrant, migrant and nonprofit leaders with lived experience are encouraged to apply! A maximum grant of $5000 may be awarded.
Preview grant questions here – 2024 Rick Steves’ Europe Fund – Capacity Building Grant
Grant Criteria
One-time capacity building expenditure (or, if ongoing expense, strong statement of how it will be funded in the future)
For example grants could support the following:
- Technology, Marketing or Business infrastructure
- Volunteer management
- Fundraising software or planning
- Data evaluation and collection
- Websites, computer networks or database development
- Internal systems: accounting and human resources
- Training for new systems (i.e. IT, database)
For questions regarding grants or the online grant process, contact Musu@cf-sc.org
Past awarded grants
Rick Steves Capacity Grants – Awarded – 2024
| Organization Name | Amount Awarded | Grant will pay for |
| Asian Service Center | $3,000 | A One (1) Dell Laptop, one (1) Canon PIXMA Printer, one (1) Canon PIXMA Portable Wireless printer, Microsoft 365 Business Premium for two users. |
| Darrington Food Bank Foundation | $2,000 | An Ipad for enrolling participants, tracking volunteer hours and logging donations. We also seek to enhance our security by purchasing additional security cameras. |
| Events that Benefit | $3,000 | Marketing Materials and HD Camara. |
| Homes of Hope Community Land Trust | $3,600 | New PC and monitor, new website focusing on Community Investment Trust launch, additional accounting expenses to set up CIT integration, and GrantWatch fundraising subscription. |
| Hooves and Heroes | $2,000 | Computer PC/monitor, annual web hosting and domain costs, Camera to create video content, Digital frame to display video content at resource fairs, projector for presentations. |
| Life House Ministries | $5,000 | Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software, Online Scheduling Software, & AI Fundraising Tool. |
| Lift Every Voice Legacy | $3,450 | Vimeo website Platform 3-yr subst = $810 •Mailchimp Platform 3-yr subst =$780 •Microsoft 365 Basic 3-yr subst =$432 •HP Color LaserJet Printer -$529 •Nikon DSLR 4K Video Camera $899.99. |
| SAVED | $3,000 | Purchasing the software/program to build a new website as well as a designer to build a website for SAVED. |
| Support 7 | $4,000 | Website improvements to add grief and trauma resources. |
Rick Steves Capacity Grants – Awarded – 2022
| Organization Name | Amount Awarded | Grant will pay for |
| Black Healing Fund | $3,500 | Computers, accounting support, and an HD camera |
| Community Health Worker Coalition for Migrant Workers and Refugees | $2,000 | Donor Perfect fundraising software |
| Everett Public Schools Foundation | $2,000 | Documentary film highlighting students that will be used as a fundraising and outreach tool |
| Leadership Launch | $5,000 | Fundraising software for 2 years, laptops for staff, and a projector |
| Lift Every Voice Legacy (LEVL) | $5,000 | Office equipment that will improve efficiency and increase capacity |
| Madres de Casino Road | $2,000 | Website improvement and video that will help them inform and raise awareness |
| Modest Family Solutions | $5,000 | Purchase fundraising and distribution inventory software |
| Outdoor Youth Connections | $3,000 | Website improvement |
| Project Girl Mentoring Program | $2,500 | Grammarly and Wix subscriptions and Air Pads for staff |
| S.A.F.E. | $2,000 | Zoom, Website Hosting and Domain Name, Website Builder, Non-Profit Accounting Software and Laptop & Microsoft Office Software |
| Take the Next Step | $2,500 | Software and a database to improve volunteer management |
| Tulalip Foundation | $1,750 | IPad Pro and two monitors |
Rick Steves Capacity Grants – Awarded – 2021
| Organization Name | Amount Awarded | Grant will pay for |
| Arlington Kids’ Kloset | $1,800 | This grant will be used to purchase a yearly membership to an online scheduling software for client appointments. |
| Millennia Ministries | $2,300 | 4x Apple M1 chip Mac Minicomputers, keyboards, mice. Microsoft Office 360 & Adobe Creative cloud software. |
| GAMBIAN TALENTS PROMOTION | $2,300 | Buy computers for our work station |
| Faith Lutheran Church Food Bank and Community Meal | $2,300 | Computer, accounting software, marketing software, data evaluation and collection |
| Monroe Gospel Women’s Mission | $1,500 | A new main office computer that is user friendly, capable of running contemporary software, and can accommodate video conferencing. |
| Clothes For Kids | $2,300 | Upgrade to our computer network including hardwiring internet to the workstations and purchasing at least one new computer. |
| Foundation for Sustainable Community | $2,300 | Laptops and tablets |
| All Aboard of America 1 | $2,200 | Funds to pay for updating our interior safety surveillance system. |
| Miracles and Memories Academy | $2,300 | Software that will help us manage donations, fundraise and manage volunteers. Staff pay to learn how to use software. |
| VISION CHURCH | $2,300 | IT infrastructure upgrade |
| Mountlake Terrace Community Senior Center | $2,300 | POS and cash drawer. Quickbooks online to facilitate real-time account reporting. SchedulesPlus Center Management Software and training to improve tracking and communications. Touchscreen reception computer. |
| Camp Read-a-Rama | $2,300 | We will hire a web developer to redesign our website. |
| What Happened on First Street | $3,000 | Website construction/subscription for resources and public access to the documentary; professional audio engineering to enhance the documentary sound; closed captioning to enhance accessibility. |
| Immigrant Guide | $2,300 | The completion of a comprehensive Immigrant Resource Guide platform/website Immigrant Guide is developing. The same grant will pay for the hosting of the website for at least three years. |
Rick Steves Capacity Grants-2020
$10,000 to Schack Arts Center for a new server needed to provide Zoom art classes for children and teens
Capacity Grants – Awarded – 2019
| Organization Name | Project Name |
Amount Awarded |
| Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County | Great Futures Training Initiative | $2,400 |
| Cascadia Art Museum | Building Capacity through Fundraising Softward | $2,500 |
| Everett Museum of History | Organizational Assessment & Strategic Planning | $2,400 |
| Foundation for Sustainable Community | Planning Capital Campaign for Paradise Farm | $2,500 |
| Habitat for Humanity Snohomish County | IT Infrastructure Upgrade | $2,500 |
| Monroe Community Senior Center | Software for Data Collection and Fundraising | $2,000 |
| Snohomish Senior Center | Strategic Planning | $2,000 |
| Warm Beach Senior Community | Volunteer and Computer Lab Expansion | $2,500 |
| Work Opportunities | Strategic Planning | $850 |
| YWCA Stanwood | Stanwood Camano Youth Project Website | $2,500 |
Capacity Grants – Awarded – 2018
| Organization Name | Project Name | Amount awarded |
| Arlington Kids’ Kloset | Organization Productivity Software | $500 |
| Girls on the Run of Snohomish County | Girls on the Run National Summit | $2,500 |
| Mari’s Place | Automating Registration and Records at Mari’s Place for the Arts | $2,500 |
| Northshore Youth & Family Services | NYFS Electronic Health Records | $2,500 |
| Snohomish County Legal Services | SCLS Board of Directors Assessment, Development, and Training | $2,600 |