Fulcrum’s Programs in Western Washington
Fulcrum impacts Catholic education in Western Washington through its many programs that fall within three major areas of support: for students, for schools, and for educators.
For more information contact:
Susan Ocoma
Senior Programs Director
206.748.7988
susan.ocoma@fulcrumfoundation.org
Becraft Scholars Program
Becraft Scholars is a relationship-centered, community-focused scholarship program serving students and families in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Seattle. Inspired by the life and vocation of Anne Marie Becraft, a Black American nun and educator, Becraft Scholars provides a pathway of access to Catholic education while partnering with archdiocesan schools to foster a culture of belonging for those furthest from educational justice.
Alana Bell
Becraft Scholars Program Director
206.219.5824
alana.bell@fulcrumfoundation.org
Tuition Assistance
Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive. Fulcrum helps make Catholic education accessible to families across Western Washington by providing tuition assistance based on financial need.
Through our Tuition Assistance Grant Program (TAP), we help ensure that more students in grades K-12 can experience the transformative power of a Catholic Education and the promise it holds for their future.
RISE Grant Program
The RISE Grant Program (Resources for Innovation, Sustainability, and Excellence) invests in the future of Catholic education by helping schools strengthen their programs, grow enrollment, enhance operations, and address critical needs. RISE provides flexible funding for purchases or projects that advance the excellence, sustainability, and viability of Catholic schools throughout Western Washington.
This program operates on a rolling basis; applications are accepted year-round, and grants are awarded quarterly, allowing schools to respond to emerging opportunities and challenges as they arise.
Facility Improvement Grant (FIG) Program
The Facility Improvement Grant (FIG) Program is a strategic investment in the long-term strength, safety, and sustainability of Catholic schools in Western Washington with significant facility and capital needs. Through targeted funding for large-scale infrastructure projects, FIG helps ensure that schools have the physical resources necessary to provide exceptional learning environments for current and future generations of students.
Side x Side
Side x Side (Side by Side) is a long-term strategic investment in partnership with the Office for Catholic Schools designed to expand access, foster belonging, and strengthen the capacity of Catholic schools throughout Western Washington to serve a broader continuum of learners.
Grounded in the Catholic belief that every child is created in the image of God and deserves the opportunity to flourish, this initiative will provide schools, educators, and leaders with the resources, expertise, training, and support needed to remove barriers and create new pathways into Catholic education.
Side x Side will help schools expand their ability to serve a wider range of learners, including students with learning differences, neurodiverse learners, students with intellectual or physical disabilities, students requiring social-emotional support, high-capacity learners, and others whose needs may not fit neatly into a single category.
Early Childhood Education Grant Program
The Fulcrum Foundation Early Childhood Education (ECE) Grant Program reflects a commitment to ensuring that every young child in our Catholic schools has access to a high-quality early learning experience rooted in faith, excellence, and opportunity.
This program supports key investments that strengthen and expand Catholic early childhood education in Western Washington, including teacher education and certification, facility and playground improvements, and the purchase of developmentally appropriate instructional materials, books, and sensory learning resources. These investments help create vibrant learning environments where our youngest learners can grow, discover, and flourish.
Pierce County School Support Grant Program
The Pierce County School Support Grant Program reflects a strategic partnership between the Fulcrum Foundation and the Frost and Margaret Snyder Foundation to strengthen and sustain Catholic elementary schools serving students and families throughout Pierce County. This program helps to ensure that Catholic elementary schools in Pierce County have the resources necessary to provide high-quality educational opportunities and remain vibrant centers of faith and community.
Grants through this program address both immediate needs and long-term opportunities that contribute to the vitality and success of Catholic education in Pierce County, including capital projects, capital expenditures, and enrollment-focused pilot programs.
Educational Leadership Grant Program
The Fulcrum Foundation promotes excellence in school leadership through the Educational Leadership Grant Program. Grants through this program support aspiring administrators and principals seeking principal certification or graduate-level degree programs at one of our partner universities.
Partner universities include:
• Boston College
• Creighton University
• Gonzaga University
• Seattle University
• Saint Martin’s University
• University of Chicago, Loyola
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Portland
• University of San Francisco
Leadership Academy
In partnership with the Office for Catholic Schools, the Fulcrum Foundation created the Leadership Academy, a cohort-based, year-long leadership development program for new and aspiring principals.
The Leadership Academy offers courses in managerial, academic, spiritual, and strategic leadership which are taught by recognized Catholic school leaders and shareholders. Many Leadership Academy graduates become successful Catholic School principals in the Archdiocese of Seattle.
In partnership with the Office Catholic Schools, GRACE (Growing Resilient Authentic Catholic Educators) and the High School Instructional Leadership Program for high school department chairs develop strong instructional leaders who are also outstanding teachers. Teacher-leaders may remain in their classroom roles or become school administrators while leading professional development at their schools.