Submitted by Community Foundation of South Puget Sound
Community Foundation of South Puget Sound has two upcoming opportunities for community members to engage with: the opening of applications for the Foundation’s Scholarship Program and the return of its third annual Community Conversation event this spring.
Scholarship Program Announcement
Applications for Community Foundation Scholarships will open on Monday, February 9. Through the generosity of local donors, the program helps make more possible for students pursuing higher education across a wide range of fields, removing financial barriers and expanding access to opportunity for learners throughout Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties.
In 2025, the Scholarship Program awarded $240,250 in scholarships to 68 students across the region. For full eligibility details and application information, visit: www.thecommunityfoundation.com/scholarships.
Application Period: February 9 – March 27, 2026
Scholarship Size: Awards range between $500 and $12,500
Community Conversation with Doug Griffiths
The Community Foundation will also host its third annual Community Conversation on March 25, 2026, featuring Doug Griffiths, best-selling author of 13 Ways to Kill Your Community and Chief Community Builder of 13 Ways Inc. The event will take place from 6:00 pm to 8:45 pm at Saint Martin’s Norman Worthington Center in Lacey and will include small bites, opportunities for connection, and a featured talk.
Building on past Community Conversations with Mónica Guzmán and Eric Liu, this year’s event invites participants to look inward—and forward. Doug Griffiths challenges communities to examine the assumptions, habits, and narratives that can quietly stall growth and opportunity. Rather than focusing on government or funding as quick fixes, his work centers on how local attitudes, leadership, and shared responsibility shape a community’s future.
“Our attitudes ultimately drive the way we see the world, the way we respond to it, and the choices we make. It is our attitudes that ultimately lead to our success or our failure as communities, organizations, businesses, and beyond.” – Doug Griffiths
Drawing from his experience working with hundreds of communities across North America, Griffiths offers practical insights into confronting resistance to change, strengthening local leadership, and creating durable prosperity rooted in community ownership. This conversation is open to a wide range of community members, including students, businesses, organizations, and other changemakers and leaders who are interested in charting a path forward for all South Sound residents.
Tickets are priced for accessibility and cover only a portion of event costs, with additional support provided by Friends Of the Foundation. Ticket information and full event details are available here.
