Rizad Foundation

## Mission & Funding Philosophy

The Rizad Foundation is a small, tightly focused private foundation headquartered in Kelso, Washington, the county seat of Cowlitz County. Its mission is singular: to sustain and strengthen the volunteer emergency services ecosystem of Cowlitz County. The foundation funds search and rescue operations, auxiliary emergency communications, firefighting capacity, and law enforcement reserves — all on a strictly local, county-wide basis.

The foundation operates without paid staff, relying entirely on an eight-member volunteer board composed of community members who likely have direct ties to local emergency service organizations. This governance structure reflects its philosophy: a community-built institution funding community-operated emergency services. The foundation has operated since 1988, making it one of the more enduring private foundations in Cowlitz County.

Its giving philosophy is characterized by deep, repeat relationships with a small set of grantees rather than open competitive grantmaking. The same organizations — the Cowlitz County Search & Rescue Council, the Auxiliary Communications Service, fire districts, and the Sheriff's Reserves — appear in the grant records year after year. This is a relationship-based funder, not a program officer-driven institution.

The Rizad Foundation appears to receive modest outside support itself — the Whyte Charitable Trust made an unrestricted gift of $5,463 in the 2024 tax year — suggesting it participates in a broader local philanthropic network even as its own giving stays tightly scoped.

## Grant Programs & Funding Priorities

The foundation makes approximately 5–8 grants per year, with total annual distributions ranging from $75,000 to $175,000 depending on asset performance and minimum distribution requirements. All grants support Cowlitz County emergency services organizations.

Core Program Areas:

• Search & Rescue Operations: The Cowlitz County Search & Rescue Council is the foundation's primary grantee, receiving grants for training, vehicles, supplies, and protective gear. Individual grants have ranged from $17,683 to $40,000 per year.

• Auxiliary Communications: The Cowlitz County Auxiliary Communications Service (a volunteer ham radio and emergency communications network) receives recurring support for communication equipment, typically $25,000–$30,000 per grant.

• Fire & Rescue Capacity: Cowlitz County fire districts receive grants for training, equipment, and emergency response vehicle outfitting, typically $10,000–$30,000 per award.

• Sheriff's Reserve Support: The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Reserves receive periodic grants for training and equipment, typically around $12,000.

• Building Fund: Past grants include contributions to a SAR Council building fund, indicating capital project support is within scope.

Grant Size Range: $10,000–$40,000 per grant, with a median around $20,000. The foundation's 2024 Form 990-PF shows $103,000 in qualifying distributions across 6 grants.

## Peer Comparison

The Rizad Foundation occupies a specific niche: a single-county emergency services funder in a mid-size rural Washington county.

The Rizad Foundation is uniquely narrow — it is one of very few private foundations in Washington state that funds exclusively volunteer emergency services at the county level. The foundation's assets have declined modestly from ~$1.56M (2021) to ~$1.39M (2024), reflecting consistent distributions slightly exceeding investment income. At current asset levels, it should maintain giving capacity at current levels for the foreseeable future.

## Application Process & Strategic Tips

The Rizad Foundation does not operate an open grant cycle and does not accept unsolicited applications from the general public. Based on IRS filings and the Candid Foundation Directory, the foundation funds "only volunteer search & rescue personnel within Cowlitz County, WA."

Eligibility requirements: - Organization must be based in or primarily serve Cowlitz County, Washington - Must be a volunteer emergency services organization (SAR, fire, rescue, law enforcement reserves, emergency communications) - Must have or develop an established relationship with the foundation's board

Application pathway: Given the board composition and giving history, the most likely pathway for a new eligible organization is direct outreach to a board member: - Art Jordan – President - Mark S. Nelson – VP/Treasurer - Lori Hendrickson – Secretary

No formal RFP or application portal exists. The foundation's website (rizad.org) is a minimal placeholder with no grant information.

Strategic Tips: 1. If you are a Cowlitz County emergency services organization not yet in the grantee pool, personal introductions through existing grantees (Cowlitz County SAR Council, Fire District #1) are the most effective entry point. 2. Align requests to documented program areas: training, equipment, vehicles, communications gear, and building maintenance for volunteer emergency services. 3. The foundation distributes roughly $100K–$175K/year from a $1.4M asset base. Grant requests in the $10,000–$40,000 range are most likely to succeed. 4. No grant deadlines are publicly posted; outreach in the summer/fall before the December fiscal year end is advisable.