Photo description: Rasmuson Foundation board members and leadership met with the Catholic Social Services FIG team during the June board meeting.

At the Foundation, strategy means more than planning. Alongside communications, events, and partners, it includes developing our strategic grantmaking, an area I am fortunate to help lead.

Strategic grantmaking isn’t just about funding projects or even transforming systems; it’s ultimately about people. While it often starts with systems, real and lasting change only happens when communities and those closest to the challenges are the ones driving the solutions.

It takes a wide-angle view. It’s about spotting patterns across regions and sectors, understanding the root causes of persistent challenges, and working toward long-term change. It’s the kind of work that doesn’t always have a tidy outcome next quarter, but it’s where transformation begins.

With new board-approved efforts underway this summer, we’re leaning even more into this approach, connecting people, ideas, and resources in service of Alaska’s future.

At our June board meeting, we approved a few new investments I am happy to share with you all.

  • Catholic Social Services – A $100,000 grant to a multi-partner pilot to expand legal services for documented immigrants and refugees across Alaska. The project will help staff earn accreditation to handle simple immigration cases. This is a meaningful step toward meeting a long-standing need.
  • Tending the Future Initiative – A $2 million, two-year fund to help local leaders restart afterschool programs, support summer camps, and develop community-led solutions to funding child care.

These join our ongoing strategic efforts, like addressing homelessness, expanding the Alaska Long Trail, and supporting the Arctic Leadership Initiative at the University of Alaska.

Issues like child care and immigration services aren’t new. They’re complex and require sustained attention. One grant won’t solve them. But when partners align around a shared goal, coordinated investments can build real momentum.

Strategic grantmaking complements our core funding by offering a different kind of responsiveness. It is rooted in long-term thinking, shared priorities, and a belief that systems can change when people work together.

As we reflect on Rasmuson Foundation’s 70 years of grantmaking, I’m proud of the balance we strike. We remain responsive to what Alaskans need today, while staying focused on what will matter most tomorrow.