Beyond These Walls was founded on a simple belief: the people closest to the harm are closest to the solutions. As an organization led largely by LGBTQIA2S+ people who have experienced incarceration themselves, we believe that meaningful change must be driven by those most directly impacted by the criminal legal system. Their commitment is not symbolic. It shapes every aspect of their work, from direct services to advocacy and organizing.

Cleo Tung NWHF Programs Manager, reflects on community impact, interconnectedness, and a vision of the future as the grants period for the Justice Reinvestment Equity Program (JREP) comes to a close.

When it comes to managing a nonprofit, compliance can be a major challenge point of overwhelm. This is especially true for organizations navigating work across multiple entities such as c3s, c4s, and PACs. Together, with our trusted partners, Northwest Health Foundation launched its first ever multi-entity compliance cohort to help nonprofit staff and leaders navigate complex compliance requirements so they can confidently leverage their structures to advance their missions and power-building work.

Meet the Ashby Family LEAD & Engagement Services, located in Vancouver, Washington. Ashby exists to support individuals with visible and invisible disabilities through programs, resources, and advocacy that foster independence, dignity, and authentic community connection. They serve families in Clark and Cowlitz County. Their creation is the result of their lived experience as African American leaders, in their community invisible disabilities are isolating due to feelings of shame.  

Meet The UPRISE Collective, a nonprofit organization that serves BIPOC, Queer/Trans and Disabled community members by centering intrinsic community knowledge, power and survivance. Founded in 2018, UPRISE was dreamed into existence by two Disabled, Queer, BIPOC social workers who were frustrated by always being an addendum to curriculum, systems, policy and programming.

Since acquiring JREP funding and having the support of Northwest Health Foundation and Latino Coalition for Community Leadership, Oregon Washington Health Network (OWhN) has created successful programs, offered in both English and Spanish, led by team members Asuzena Ochoa, Luis Ibarra, and Jesus Rome. 

Let’s be real. The term “fiduciary responsibility” is just a terrifyingly fancy way of saying don't let the ship sink. Over the years, I’ve been the person in the room who was lost and overwhelmed, and the person leading the conversation. I’ve learned that a high-functioning finance committee isn't just about the numbers; it’s about building a bridge between the spreadsheets and the humans who oversee them.