The Puyallup Tribe announced $600,000 in donations to local organizations in Washington state.

The tribe hosted a ceremony on Wednesday to thank recipient organizations for their work. The event took place at the Emerald Queen Event Center in Tacoma.

“We are here today to award nonprofits in Washington that are working to make their communities better and that’s all of you,” said Chairman Bill Sterud, according to a

The donations are overseen by the Puyallup Tribe Charity Trust Board. The program is funded by a portion of revenues generated at the Emerald Queen Casino. Applications are accepted on a quarterly basis.

According to the news release, the tribe has donated more than $17 million over the past 10 years.

Recipients of the grants follow:

The following is the text of a December 8, 2023, news release from the Puyallup Tribe of Indians

PUYALLUP RESERVATION, Tacoma, Wash.—The Puyallup Tribe Charity Trust Board has awarded 43 local organizations a combined $600,000.

Representatives of more than 40 nonprofit and charitable organizations were greeted and thanked by members of the Puyallup Tribal Council as they arrived for the Dec. 6 celebration at the Emerald Queen Event Center in Tacoma. Tribal Council delivered remarks recognizing recipients and all attendees gathered for a group photo.

“We are here today to award nonprofits in Washington that are working to make their communities better and that’s all of you,” said Puyallup Tribal Council Chairman Bill Sterud.

The donations are for the third quarter of 2023. They are funded from Emerald Queen Casino revenue as part of an agreement with the state of Washington that includes additional contributions for smoking cessation and problem gambling programs, and for impact costs paid to local governments for such things as fire and police services.

The Puyallup Tribe has donated more than $17 million to hundreds of local organizations through its Charity Trust Board over the past 10 years. The Puyallup Tribal Council has donated millions more out of its own budget to help community organizations ranging from the Fife Native American Education Program to the Daffodil Festival.

Casino operations are also the single biggest revenue source for the Puyallup Tribe’s government. They pay for comprehensive services to the Tribe’s Membership, including children’s services, housing, educational support, emergency assistance and funeral services. In the past two years, the Tribe has embarked on an ambitious economic diversification program that will not only strengthen its economic base to bring security for future generations but bring more jobs to the region.

The Charitable Trust Board has awarded donations to the follow organizations:

Allen AME Church – $5,000

Asia Pacific Culture Center – $20,000

Bainbridge High School Girls Basketball Boosters – $20,000

Communities in Schools of Peninsula – $2,500 Crescent Heights Elementary – $10,000

Diabetes Association of Pierce County – $2,000

Emerald Ridge Lacrosse Club – $5,000

Facing Homelessness – $10,000

Fife Native American Education Program – $17,000

First Baptist Church of Lakewood – $3,000

Foundation for Edmonds School District – $20,000

Friends of Pediatrics Northwest – $10,000

Greater Lakes Mental Healthcare – $25,000

Hilltop Artists in Residence – $6,000

Huy – $5,000

Kid Connect – $2,500 Law Enforcement Youth Camp – $27,000

League of Women Voters of Tacoma-Pierce County – $3,500 Make a Wish Alaska & Washington – $10,000

Mountain View Community Center – $10,000

Multicultural Child & Family Hope Center – $35,000

Native Action Network – $10,000

Native American Church Qua-Utz – $14,000

Northwest Indian College Tulalip Campus – $15,000

Northwest Indian Housing Association – $5,000

Northwest Junior Rodeo Association – $5,000

Northwest Kidney Centers – $15,000

Nourish Pierce County – $60,000

Parkway Community Services – $25,000

Pierce County Santa Cops – $10,000

Pizza Klatch – $5,000

Reach Ministries – $3,000

Seattle Storm Foundation – $2,500 ShareNet Food Bank – $10,000

Sidewalk Rescue – $15,000

South Sound Estuary Association – $1,000

Sundance Circle Hippotherapy Foundation – $10,000

Tacoma Youth Chorus – $5,000

Truly Motivated Transitional Living – $12,000

United Ways of the Pacific Northwest – $50,000

Washington Explorer Search and Rescue Pierce County – $22,000

Washington School Principals Education Foundation – $17,000

Daffodil Festival / The Daffodilians – $40,000

Each quarter, qualifying organizations are encouraged to apply for a donation with preference given to projects that demonstrate benefits or services to Natives as part of their service population. Learn more about the Charity Trust Board and how to apply for a grant.

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About the Puyallup Tribe of Indians
The Puyallup People have lived along the shores of what is now called Puget Sound since time immemorial. The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is a sovereign nation of more than 5,000 members and one of the largest employers in Pierce County. It serves its members and community with generosity and is committed to building a sustainable way of life for future generations. Since 2012, it has donated more than $17 million to local nonprofit organizations through its Charity Trust Board, with Tribal Council donating millions more from its own funding. Learn more about the Puyallup Tribe.

About the Puyallup Tribal Council
The Puyallup Tribal Council is the elected governing body of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. The council consists of Chairman Bill Sterud, Vice Chairwoman Sylvia Miller, and Councilmembers Annette Bryan, James Rideout, Anna Bean, Monica Miller and Fred Dillon. Learn more about the Puyallup Tribal Council.

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