The Port of Vancouver USA has announced the recipients of its 2025 Community Fund. The Community Fund assists programs and projects in the local community that share the port’s mission of economic development, workforce training and tourism. The Community Fund will disburse $10,000 among the following projects and programs in 2025:

 

Ke Kukui Foundation—The Ke Kukui Foundation will receive $2,500 for a second year from the port in support of the 4 Days of Aloha festival. Port funds will support cultural workshops featuring master practitioners from Hawaii who share music and traditional artistic practices with attendees. With 17,000 attendees and 400 workshop participants, the festival is a regional tourism draw supporting hotels, restaurants and business in downtown Vancouver. 

 

Vancouver Bee Project—The Vancouver Bee Project works to support bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators by creating native plant habitats. The group will receive $2,500 to support the second annual pollinator festival in June at Marshall Park. Fourth Plain Forward matched port funds to further support the public festival. The festival contributes to the local economy by providing a showcase for vendors and suppliers that support pollinators, and strives to educate on the importance of environmental health to economic vitality. 

 

The Historic Trust and Providence Academy Small Business Incubator—The Historic Trust will receive $2,500 for the inaugural year of its small business incubator program. Port funds will help support monthly lease rates for local small businesses that are ready to take the next step in their growth and lease office space in the Academy building.

 

 

 

Vancouver Arena Project and Vancouver Go-Fest—The Vancouver Arena Project will receive $2,500 in support of its third annual Pokémon Go-Fest in Esther Short Park this summer. The festival is a regional tourism draw and organizers utilize a passport centered on having participants visit 12 or more businesses in downtown Vancouver. The Vancouver Pokémon community is one of the largest in the world with 6,000 registered players. Attendance in 2023 was 1,500 and last year 4,000 players participated.

 

The port launched the Community Fund in 2020. For its 2025 award consideration, the Community Fund received 17 applications requesting a total of $90,000.

 

“This year we received more applications than ever before,” said Ryan Hart, Chief External Affairs Officer. “The number of quality applications makes the job of our selection committee all the more difficult. But we landed on some excellent projects that fit well with port priorities to assist local businesses, support tourism and promote economic opportunity.”

 

Several ports in Washington state operate community funds and the port drew from that expertise in developing its own guidelines. The Port of Vancouver USA’s program supports its Strategic Plan and a stated community goal of: pursuing opportunities to share port resources with community partners to advance shared goals.

 

The port will solicit applications for the 2026 round of funding later this year.