Fourth Plain for All Community Grant Program
Fourth Plain for All (FPFA) is a long-term investment strategy focused on uplifting the Fourth Plain Community through leadership, equity, and creative action. The FPFA grant program has the following main goals:
- Support youth and families.
- Encourage cultural events and community connections.
- Empower residents to take meaningful action in their community.
There will be two rounds of funding for the FPFA Community Grant Program.
- Round 1: Grants up to $5,000 were awarded in August.
- Round 2: The second round of funding will open in early 2026 and will be awarded for larger grants up to $50,000.
The City cannot award grant funds to events or programs that have already happened. Please review the eligibility criteria and information below before applying.
Grant recipients
Round 1: Awarded Aug. 2025
360Grindz
The Fourth Plain Festival Day is set for June 27, 2026, this is a community-centered event from Evergreen to Vancouver Central Park, aiming to unite local organizations and foster engagement. The festival will feature an agency-to-agency scavenger hunt with a skateboard prize that grants free entry to the 360Grindz Skate Jam, alongside family-friendly activities like a craft station and community games.
Council for the Homeless
Funding to support three pop-up events in September, October and February along the Fourth Plain Corridor to offer services, resources, and community connection for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. These events will provide food, hygiene kits, and referrals, with specific offerings like free haircuts at the September event and cold-weather gear at the February event. Chuukese translation provided.
Fort Vancouver High School
A three-part grant supporting the Association Student Body (ASB), Black Student Union (BSU) and the senior Class.
- ASB will use funds to create events and initiatives that uplift the Fort community and make it a positive place to be for all students and their families.
- BSU will use funds to help uplift and support the black students at Fort. Through the different activities, events and celebrations to expand the club’s membership.
- Senior class will host a monthly, themed senior event to bring the senior class members together and celebrate all the great things they’ve accomplished before graduation.
The Fourth Plain Commons
The Young Makers Market celebrated youth creativity and entrepreneurship, providing a platform for kids and teens to gain real-world business experience and showcase their handmade products and talents. Now in its second year, the event empowers participants with skills in planning, marketing, and customer service, while fostering community connection and serving as a launchpad for further learning.
Live Love Outreach
Hosting a Back-to-School Sunday Celebration with expanded offerings, including free backpacks with school supplies and haircuts for children, alongside snow cones and activities for youth. To intentionally support BIPOC youth and families, Live Love Outreach is partnering with equity-focused organizations and distributing translated materials, aiming to offer dignity, encouragement, and connection to approximately 250 families preparing for the school year.
Rooted in Light
Will host a free, 6-week outdoor healing and empowerment circle for teen parents in Vancouver’s Fourth Plain area, blending nature, cultural healing practices and parenting education to nurture young families. Participants will engage in weekly wellness rituals like herbal steams and baby massage, learn self-sufficiency skills, and receive free herbal kits, baby bundles, and food – all guided by a trauma-informed doula and herbalist.
The Plaza
Hosting a two-hour evening initiative held on Mondays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m., focusing on academic enrichment and community-building for both children and parents. It offers a range of valuable programs, including English language classes, school system orientation, academic support, mentorship, GED and computer classes in Spanish and English, and early learning for infants and toddlers, alongside guest speakers, cultural dinners, and food pantries.
The NAACP Vancouver Branch
Will hold its annual Back to School Youth Event, a community celebration providing free school supplies, backpacks and access to local services to empower students, especially from underserved and BIPOC communities, for the academic year. This event fosters educational equity through interactive games, live music, food, health stations, and opportunities to connect with mentors and community resources, creating a supportive environment for young people to thrive.
The PAL literacy program
Will foster positive connections between police officers and young students by hosting four, hour-long literacy events at elementary schools in the Fourth Plain area, serving approximately 60-90 second-grade students per event. Each event includes an age-appropriate safety presentation, exploration of police vehicles, officers reading aloud, and a Q&A session, with every student receiving a brand-new book signed by officers to take home.
Shifted Theory
Will lead youth mentoring sessions at Fort Vancouver High School, supporting approximately 10 students per cohort in developing behavior management skills and exploring future career aspirations. The interactive, student-centered sessions aim to create a consistent, supportive space for growth, helping participants reflect on challenges, learn self-regulation and decision-making strategies, and connect with resources and role models for career planning and goal setting.
Socialytes NW LLC
Hosting Girls with Curls, an annual community empowerment event designed to support Black and BIPOC girls aged 8-18 through culturally specific hygiene and haircare education, addressing the unique needs of textured hair and its cultural importance. This event provides a safe space for hands-on braiding techniques, free high-quality products, and a youth-led hair show, aiming to serve 75 youth and strengthen their wellness, confidence, and identity within the Fourth Plain community.
Stay Warm Vancouver
Stephanie VanVolkinburg will provide street outreach during cold months to offer emergency cold-weather supplies, like blankets and sleeping bags, hot coffee/cocoa and snacks, to those living unsheltered. This initiative also aims to build connections between houseless community members and the Fourth Plain Corridor by mobilizing community volunteers for regular and “on-call” outreach efforts.
Su Casa Marquez
A grassroots event that provided more than 800 free, nourishing, freshly-prepared meals from their restaurant to individuals and families in the Fourth Plain corridor. The event, held Nov. 1, aimed to combat rising food insecurity and foster a sense of belonging. Funding covered the cost for the ingredients, containers, and staffing to establish a sustainable, recurring program that reduces barriers and brings the community together through food.
The Foundation
This grant will help them launch a community-centered barbershop that functions as both a professional grooming space and a youth workforce development site. Funding will secure necessary licensing, permitting, and equipment for operation while offering youth apprenticeships under licensed barbers, enabling local youth to gain industry experience, complete licensure hours, and develop professional skills in a supportive, culturally responsive environment.
Vancouver Elite Outreach
Hosted a Mentorship & Leadership Sports Program through a youth-led Costume Ball on Oct. 30 at Fort Vancouver High School. The event served as a free community gathering focused on teamwork, mental health, and cultural pride – ensuring equitable access by offering a meal for all participants. The event was equipped with bouncy houses, cotton candy, ice cream, a DJ, raffle items, merchandise giveaways, videography, uniforms, new shoes and so much more. Their project strengthened partnerships among the community, helping expand outreach and mentorship opportunities for youth across the Fourth Plain Corridor.
Vancouver Metro LULAC Council
The Mercado is a collaborative project by Vancouver Metro LULAC Council, Pasitos Gigantes, and East West Food Rescue – working together to address food insecurity since 2021. This group provides nutritious produce and staples to up to 800 struggling, diverse families every two weeks. Operating a fresh Mercado in the summer for walk-up distribution and food box distribution in the winter, the initiative aims to reduce barriers by not requiring IDs or zip codes, ensuring continuous support for the community.
Vietnamese Community of Clark County
The Vietnamese Moon Festival is a vibrant cultural celebration hosted by the Vietnamese Community of Clark County on Sept. 27 at Gaiser Hall, Clark College. The event featured lion dances, folk music, a lantern parade, traditional treats and family activities. For more than a decade, this event has brought families together, providing cultural connection for Vietnamese American youth, fostering family bonding, promoting inclusivity, and sparking creativity and joy for all, while preserving Vietnamese heritage and creating lasting memories.
The Fourth Five
Hosting a fair that will include local performers, artists and cultural presenters – offering stipends and honorariums to make sure their time and talents are truly valued. The project includes multilingual outreach, interpretation services and plenty of activities for kids so families can enjoy the event together. Overall, this support helps create an accessible, fun, and safe cultural space where neighbors can connect, share traditions and celebrate the diversity that defines the Fourth Plain community.
Application
Applications for Round 1 of the 2025 FPFA Community Grant Program are now open.
For questions or help filling out an application, please contact the FPFA Grant project team at EqDev@cityofvancouver.us. Interpretation and translation services will be provided for both the application and review process if needed.
Eligibility
Groups working to support community-building within the FPFA project area (see map below) are eligible to apply. Eligible organizations include:
- Nonprofits
- Community-based organizations
- Neighborhood associations
- Clubs
- Parent-teacher groups such as PTA, PTO and PTSA Groups
- School affinity groups connected to VPS located within the project area
- Informal groups, partnerships or collaboratives
The following organizations are not eligible to apply:
- Government agencies (including county agencies or special districts)
- For-profit businesses (unless the event is free and open to the public; no profits can be made from grant funding, unless all profits are donated to a student group connected to VPS in the project area)
- Political organizations
How can funds be used?
Grant funds can be used to pay for:
- Materials, supplies or equipment used for an event, project or program
- Event rental fees
- Insurance policies
- Food or nonalcoholic beverages
- Professional services, such as translation, interpretation, facilitation, design, art, printing, advertising, etc.
- Fundraising events for school affinity groups connected to VPS located within the project area
- Athletic events
Grant funds cannot be used to pay for:
- Purchase of real property or capital improvements
- Park amenities, such as benches, picnic tables or playground equipment
- Starting a new community garden in a City park or on City property
- Plantings in City parks
- Utility bills
- Salaries for staff
- Alcohol, marijuana or any illegal substances
- Political activities
- Fundraising events (unless for school affinity groups connected with VPS located within the project area)
- Events that cost money to attend
Application Process
There will be two rounds of funding for the FPFA Community Grant Program.
- Round 1: Grants up to $5000 will be awarded in August 2025. The deadline to apply is August 1, 2025.
- Round 2: The second round of funding will open in early 2026 and will be awarded for larger grants up to $50,000.
The City cannot award grant funds to events or programs that have already happened.
Applications can be submitted by filling out a simple form at the link above. If your project is selected for further review, you will be asked to meet with a student grant review panel, so they have an opportunity to ask more detailed questions about your proposal. Interviews are expected to take place within two weeks of each funding round application deadline.
If you would like help filling out an application, please contact the FPFA Grant project team at EqDev@cityofvancouver.us. Interpretation and translation services will be provided for both the application and review process if needed.
Funding Amounts
The City will provide up to $250,000 in 2025 to support community projects, programs and events within the FPFA project area. Grant funding will be distributed in two rounds:
Round 1 Funding Opportunity: A total of up to $100,000 will be released during Round 1. A maximum of $5,000 will be awarded for each grant.
Round 2 Funding Opportunity: A total of up to $150,000 will be released during Round 2. In the second round, there will be two levels of funding:
- Level 1: $100,000 will be distributed in awards up to $50,000 to support larger scale projects and programs.
- Level 2: $50,000 will be distributed in awards up to $5000.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Project Design Highly scored applications will have a strong, innovative and feasible project design that is well articulated, fully explained and linked to project goals or impact.
Project Goals Highly scored applications will include project goals that are clearly and thoroughly described and documented. The project should also support one or more of the main goals of the grant program, including supporting youth and families, encouraging cultural events and community connections, and empowering residents to make meaningful action in their communities.
Connection to the Fourth Plain Community Projects that are led by Fourth Plain residents and directly benefit Fourth Plain neighborhoods will be highly scored.
Project Impact A highly scored application will indicate a strong positive impact on the Fourth Plain community and residents. This score will be considered as a tiebreaker with those projects with the most impact being more heavily weighted.
Project Budget The budget should be complete and exhibit a cost-effective use of funds. A more detailed budget will be required for grants seeking larger grant funds over $5000.
Reporting and Accountability
Grant recipients must complete an impact and outcome report within 60 days of their project’s conclusion. The report will need to include an evaluation of outcomes, the number of people engaged, and describe how the money was spent. Recipients who fail to submit an impact and outcome report may be ineligible to apply for future grants through the City of Vancouver and potentially be asked to return funds.
Your report should include:
- A short written summary (1–2 paragraphs):
What was your project? What happened? Who did it reach or impact? - Photos, videos, or media (optional but encouraged):
Help us share your story with the community! - What worked well and what could improve:
We believe in growth. Let us know what you learned. - How the funds were spent:
Please include a simple breakdown (no receipts needed, just a summary). - Any next steps or plans for sustainability (if applicable):
Will your project continue? Do you have future goals?
If you need help learning how to complete the report, we’ve got you.
Technical assistance will be available throughout the process, from writing summaries to tracking spending. This requirement is not meant to deter you from applying. We want to support your success every step of the way.