Pend Oreille County - Innovia Foundation

Kalispel Tribe gives unemployed community members vocational training

The unemployment rate for Native Americans in Pend Oreille County – which includes the Kalispel Reservation – is almost five times the state rate. Older workers are retiring fast, and young adults often lack the skills necessary to replace them. In addition, the housing shortage on the Kalispel Reservation is responsible for major overcrowding, with […]

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Couple creates scholarship fund for high-achieving students with financial need

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As the first person in his extended family to earn a college degree, Mark Burkett knows firsthand the difference higher education can make in one’s life. Thanks to a scholarship, Mark was able to attend the University of Pacific, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering. Now retired after a successful 26-year career in

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Newport-Priest River Rotary funds benefit education

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Howard W. Wildin II believed education improved lives. So when he asked in his will that the local Newport-Priest River Rotary Club use a portion of his estate to better his community through education, his fellow Rotarians turned to Innovia Foundation to help make it happen. In 2017, with Howard’s gift, the club established an

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“Every person deserves healthy food every day.”

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One out of every eight people in the Inland Northwest struggles with hunger. For the region’s children, the number is one out of every five. Especially in rural areas – where hunger-relief services are scarcer – many low-income families simply do not have the food they need to live healthy and happy lives. Each day,

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Philanthropic couple establishes seed fund at Innovia Foundation

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In 2009, Roger and Teresa Woodworth established an endowed donor-advised seed fund at Innovia Foundation to benefit general charitable causes the family supports. Rather than funding these causes all at once, a seed fund allows donors to donate a small amount each year for a set period of time until the fund reaches the desired

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College Spark Foundation honors education advocate with fund for low-income families

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When Christie Querna completed her work on the Spokane School Board and the College Spark Foundation Board, she did not retire her passion for education. During her tenure on the Innovia Foundation Board of Directors, Innovia Foundation began work on an initiative in Spokane Public Schools to improve graduation rates. In 2014, when Christie completed

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