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Community Foundation for Southwest Washington
Mary Granger founded the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington in 1984 to connect local philanthropy with the region's most persistent challenges.
Community Foundation for Southwest Washington
Mary Granger founded the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington in 1984 to connect local philanthropy with the region's most persistent challenges. Based in Vancouver, Washington, the foundation pools charitable assets from individuals, families, and businesses—including major donors Ed and Dollie Lynch and former Board Chair David Nierenberg—into a single investment vehicle designed for perpetual grantmaking. Its re-granting structure and community-rooted donor base distinguish it from private foundations tied to a single fortune. The foundation's investment strategy spans buyout, distressed debt, early-stage venture, secondaries, natural resources, and timber. It operates as a fund-of-funds in private markets while maintaining direct exposure to regional real assets. The Southwest Washington Impact Investment Fund for Transformation (SWIIFT), launched in partnership with Housing Initiative LLC, represents its most aggressive local deployment tool. SWIIFT targets affordable housing development across the region, owning and operating properties such as The Pacific Apartments. The foundation also holds direct residential assets in Vancouver, including properties on NE 61st Street and NW 1st Avenue. President Matt Morton took the helm in April 2022 with John Deeder, retired Superintendent of Evergreen Public Schools, serving as Board Chair and Andy Silver, CEO of the Vancouver Housing Authority, as Vice Chair. While total team size is not publicly disclosed, the foundation maintains professional affiliations with the Council on Foundations and Philanthropy Northwest, and CFO Rachon Hanson steers the investment program alongside the board. The foundation also participates in the Estate Planning Council of Southwest Washington and Partners in Diversity, signaling a broad operational network beyond pure asset management. The foundation's architecture as a community-rooted aggregator allows it to blend traditional grantmaking with impact-first real estate investing under the same fiduciary roof. Its SWIIFT vehicle and direct property holdings—alongside a diversified institutional portfolio—make it a rare structure in the philanthropic landscape: a regional community foundation that behaves like a small institutional allocator with a dedicated impact sleeve.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1984
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Vancouver
Corporate office
610 Esther Street, Suite 201, Vancouver, WA 98660, United States
Principals
Matt Morton
President
John Deeder
Board Chair
Andy Silver
Vice Chair
Rachon Hanson
Chief Financial Officer
Mary Granger
Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington?
Investment governance sits with President Matt Morton and CFO Rachon Hanson under the oversight of the Board of Directors, chaired by John Deeder. The foundation operates with a mix of outsourced fund commitments and direct oversight of its local real estate impact vehicles. Day-to-day portfolio management and philanthropic deployment are run out of the main office in Vancouver, Washington.
How is the foundation structured compared to a private family foundation?
Unlike a single-family foundation tied to a specific fortune, the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington aggregates charitable assets from multiple donor-advised funds, bequests, and nonprofit endowments. It provides fiscal sponsorship and grantmaking infrastructure for hundreds of local stakeholders, blending a public-charity governance model with an institutional investment program. This gives it a more diversified and community-accountable posture than a private foundation.
What is the SWIIFT initiative and how does it operate?
The Southwest Washington Impact Investment Fund for Transformation (SWIIFT) is a direct impact investment vehicle structured to channel philanthropic capital into affordable housing and community real estate. Launched in partnership with Housing Initiative LLC, SWIIFT owns and operates properties like The Pacific Apartments in Vancouver. It represents a deliberate shift for the foundation beyond grantmaking into place-based, return-seeking impact assets.
Does the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The foundation uses a hybrid model. It allocates across buyout, venture, secondaries, distressed debt, and natural resources strategies primarily as a fund-of-funds investor in private markets. Simultaneously, it holds direct real estate assets and operates the SWIIFT impact fund, making it both a limited partner in third-party funds and a direct owner of local properties.
What is the foundation's known approach to socially responsible or impact investing?
Impact investing is structurally embedded through SWIIFT and the Social Justice & Resiliency Fund, which was established to support marginalized communities. The foundation also maintains a NAACP Vancouver Branch ACT-SO Scholarship Fund. Its direct real estate strategy in Southwest Washington targets public-benefit outcomes—affordable housing and neighborhood stabilization—alongside financial returns.
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