Establishing Priority Populations to Advance Equitable Outcomes

We all want to prosper, but each of us starts from a different place and faces different hurdles on the path toward achieving our goals. For some, the barriers are persistent and deeply rooted, making progress difficult.

Targeted Universalism addresses these challenges by directing resources to where they are most needed—and where they can have the greatest impact. But how do you determine who has the greatest need? The answer lies in data and our communities.

Establishing priority populations

We rely on both to determine a set of priority populations—groups facing the greatest systemic barriers to opportunity and resources—that help guide our strategic grantmaking decisions. We use the term to describe the communities that are often most impacted by injustice and least served by traditional funding models.

These groups are not chosen at random. We draw from local data sources like the Clark County Community Needs Assessment, Cowlitz County Health and Human Services data and PeaceHealth’s Community Health Needs Assessments.

In addition, through our participatory grantmaking model, we lean on the lived experience and expertise of our Community Grants Committee for deeper insight into our three-county service area. This group plays a vital role in reviewing these priority populations each year to ensure it remains current and reflective of our evolving community needs.

Recognizing how disparities stack up

Tens of thousands of resourceful, ambitious and caring people are represented in these demographic categories. But they all experience greater systemic barriers when attending school, accessing healthcare or simply getting across town.

Refugees and immigrants experience racial, cultural and language barriers that make accessing employment difficult, even for those who have degrees in advanced fields. Similarly, people living in rural areas are more likely to lack access to essential services like public transportation and quality healthcare.

Both of these realities impede individual prosperity, and the negative outcomes compound for people who fall into more than one of these populations. For example, immigrants living in rural communities face all these barriers and more. This is called intersectionality.

While these layered challenges can seem overwhelming, it’s possible to shape systems and solutions that allow all our neighbors to thrive. It starts by prioritizing those who have historically been farthest away from opportunities. By providing them with access and resources, they can chart their course toward prosperity and begin creating community-centered solutions designed around their unique strengths.

Advancing equity: Real community impact

We’re already seeing the impact of using priority populations in our grantmaking.

Take the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, which received funding to support its Small Business Development Program. This program delivers culturally responsive, bilingual technical assistance to Latino-owned businesses—whether helping with start-up plans, business expansion or training on new software.

Or consider One Community Health, which provides integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services to underserved communities. Through a recent grant, they’re improving access to quality healthcare services for residents in rural Skamania County.

In both cases, our priority population approach helped us recognize where and how to invest in work that supports real people by addressing real barriers.

Why this matters and how you can support

We recognize that conversations about race, identity, and systemic inequity can be complex. These ideas challenge many of our long-held beliefs about fairness and equality. Equity asks us to dig deeper—to recognize the dignity of all people and our shared goals, and to create tailored approaches that help us accomplish both.

It’s not about exclusion. It’s about ensuring that all members of our community can thrive.

This has been a major step in our learning, and we welcome your feedback and partnership in evolving local grantmaking for the better. You can reach out to our team anytime at [email protected].

You can support our work and the community-led solutions our grantees are creating. Two of our primary grantmaking vehicles—the Community Giving Fund and the Social Justice and Resiliency Fund—help power nonprofits that are advancing prosperity and equity every year. Learn more or make a gift at cfsww.org/donate-to-funds.

Together, we can build a stronger southwest Washington—one where everyone belongs and has what they need to succeed.