Watersmeet Foundation leaders described a multi-year philanthropy effort aimed at strengthening grassroots organizations in Spokane and across Eastern Washington during an Equity Spotlight segment produced by the Spokane City Council.

Lucretia Hill, community engagement strategy director for Watersmeet Foundation, said the foundation used a recent leadership transition to develop an "equity healing framework" and then design a funding initiative that now centers Black, Indigenous and people-of-color-led organizations. "We really looked at those who are directly impacted have the solutions for their communities," Hill said.

Jeri Rathbun, program director at Watersmeet Foundation, said the Building Connections initiative is a cohort model that has committed to 20 organizations and is structured as a five-year effort. "The equity healing framework was really at a time where we had gone through a leadership transition...what resulted was the...equity healing framework is an accumulation of our aspirations for community," Rathbun said.

The foundation emphasized relationship-based philanthropy rather than outcome-driven reporting imposed by funders. Hill said staff worked with a local advisory team during a Commerce-funded community reinvestment planning process and increased compensation after advisory members told the foundation the original rate "wasn't enough." Hill said some recipients used the higher compensation for personal needs, including a down payment on a house.

Watersmeet leaders described program services that include supporting community-based care coordination, creating time and space for peer learning and healing for leaders, and convening locally rooted groups to co-create systems-change strategies. Rathbun said community-based care coordination is common among cohort partners and noted the work is "really hard work" that can cause burnout.

Speakers described ongoing constraints from external funders and rules attached to some grant dollars. Hill said the foundation sometimes had to be creative to work within Commerce's restrictions on funding and would consider using its own funds to cover unmet needs if state requirements prevented more flexible use.

Both Hill and Rathbun said the foundation is also beginning to pursue impact investing, reallocating a portion of its endowment to generate returns while pursuing broader community goals. They described the foundation as endowed, meaning it does not rely on ongoing fundraising to steward assets and can make multi-year commitments.

On next steps, Watersmeet said it plans to support cohort members' healing and rest, work on long-term partnerships beyond the five-year horizon, and deepen relationships among local organizations to improve coordination and conflict resilience.

The Equity Spotlight host identified the segment as part of the City of Spokane's public communications; listeners were directed to my.spokanecity.org for additional information.