Nurturing the roots of holistic wellbeing
Rather than focus on project-based outputs or services, we seek to invest in the holistic wellbeing of people living in vulnerable communities around the world.
Through our grantmaking, we prioritize community-led initiatives that seek to heal people’s connections to God, self, others, and creation. As communities embrace new mindsets about their own identity and purpose, and learn to steward resources in more innovative ways, new paths unfold.
We believe if you heal the spirit of a people, they will lead themselves
We believe that it is not simply lack of access to such things as education, healthcare and job creation that keeps communities from flourishing, but a much deeper brokenness of spirit evidenced by lack of voice, purpose, meaningful relationships, agency and connection. (See Theory of Change)
Choosing our Grant Partners
When exploring new partnerships, we use the following criteria in our evaluation process.
We focus on 4 geographic areas – Mexico, Haiti, Northern India, and East Africa – prioritizing community-based organizations in specific regions of each country that can be connected and learn from each other.
Our support goes beyond funding. We seek to be mutual partners, creating opportunities for networking and collaboration across regions.
We seek partners who share our values and approach to living and working in community.
We are place-based, prioritizing rural communities; we are faith-inspired, responding to God's call to service and justice; and we are healing-centered, prioritizing grassroots initiatives that promote healing and reconciliation.
At this time, funding applications are available by invitation only.
Our Partners
Our current grantees work in one or more of the following areas of community development.
Stories
Changing Mindsets and Livelihoods in India
Inderpaul is a cotton farmer in the Vidarbha region of India. Due to poor weather conditions, he fell into heavy…
Combatting Gender-Based Violence in Latin America
In 2018, VHF hosted our first international grant partner retreat in Mexico City. Forty people from 15 organizations attended. Following…
We For Others: Mindset Change in India
When I (Joseph) joined Vista Hermosa Foundation as a Program Officer to steward relationships with partners in East Africa and…
Changing Mindsets and Livelihoods in India
Combatting Gender-Based Violence in Latin America
We For Others: Mindset Change in India
Trumping the ACES–Adverse Childhood Experiences
From our latest Newsletter–by Cheryl Broetje Do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord – Ephesians 6:4 Recently our friend, Jim Sporleder, principal of Lincoln Alternative School in Walla Walla, gave a seminar for staff from several local communities in which we are working. He told…
Tackling the toughest problem–Tails from Tierra Vida
It wasn’t graffiti, alcohol, drugs or bullying—no, when we asked our future leaders in the Tierra Vida community what the biggest problem was, we learned it was a cat. On the one hand, it felt pretty great to know that the youth of our community feel safe and cared for—so much that they felt that…
Join the Y12 Campaign!
Girls have the power to change the future. If they can negotiate a few critical obstacles facing them in countries around the world, they will. By the age of 12, many have finished their primary education. Without safe and realistic options to continue their studies, they commonly face early marriage, limited employment, and a continued cycle of poverty. We think…
Serving Customers and Employees well
This is a part of a series of stories on companies who are attempting to practice Servant Leadership as a way of doing business. The Center for Sharing works with businesses and non-profits in the northwest who want to be part of a society that serves its people well. Inland Tarp is one of these…
7 Reflections on the Impact of Servant Leadership Development
Seven Reflections on the impact of Servant Leadership—from course participants in Kenya. The Center for Sharing’s mission statement is “Calling forth the gifts of all people through Christ Centered community.” We do this by facilitating Servant Leadership development opportunities where people are allowed to explore their gifts and talents as they wrestle with the age…
Teaching Values and Servant Leadership with youth
Teaching Servant Leadership to Youth Ines Arenas works at Vista Hermosa Elementary School. It was there that she decided that the most important things she was called upon to teach weren’t just the basic academic principles that every student is expected to learn during those years. Ines decided she wanted to use this as an…
International Women’s Day @ the Collegium
Here at the Center for Sharing, we like to celebrate things. Since much of the work we do around the world is helping to empower women, we feel passionate about women’s rights and creating a more equal world for women. That’s why we chose to hold the 1st Annual International Women’s Day here at the…
Living Out Our Faith in the Workplace
Keith Matthews was chosen as one of the Top 25 National Produce Professionals by The Packer for 2011. “Mathews traces his success to mentors including his father in law, Rainier owner Bill Zirkle and Ralph Broetje, owner of Broetje Orchards, Prescott, Wash., whose product FirstFruits Marketing (FFM) markets. From those mentors and others, Mathews said he developed…
Huddle Up! Servant Leadership on the Job
By Luke Hallowell When I first met Jay Ballinger, what first impressed me was his ability to listen. Jay has the unique ability to make you feel heard—like he’s listening with his entire being. Jay participated in the Center for Sharing’s six week course in Servant Leadership during the past year, and I quickly learned that…
Servant Leadership and the Immigration Debate
By Luke Hallowell First off, we want to share that our views are possibly a bit biased. Here at the Center for Sharing, we’ve been beneficiaries of the hard labor of immigrants, and are intentionally located in an immigrant community. Without the generosity of Broetje Orchards and the wonderful people who work there—many of…