As we celebrate another remarkable year of student achievements across Pierce County, we write with gratitude for the path we’ve walked together and a deep sense of hope for what comes next.
The Foundation for Tacoma Students, like many of you, is facing the weight of ongoing uncertainty. Over the past five years, the compounding effects of the pandemic, shifting public funding priorities, and mounting economic and political pressures have significantly strained our shared capacity to meet growing needs.
Today, we’re announcing that FFTS is entering a period of strategic pause and recalibration. Continuing our current level of operations is no longer financially sustainable, and maintaining the status quo would compromise the integrity of our mission.
As part of this shift, we’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to significantly reduce our staff and transition to a fully remote model. This decision is not the result of any one event, but rather the accumulation of many intersecting challenges over time. And we know we are not alone in this. Across our region, school districts and community organizations are confronting similar constraints: rethinking how they deploy limited resources, restructuring teams, and making strategic pivots to stay aligned with their missions. This is not a failure. It is a reflection of the complexity of the work and the resilience of the people who continue to show up despite it.
We remain committed to honoring our existing obligations while responsibly winding down long-standing initiatives like What’s Next and the Collaborative Action Consortium. At the same time, we are turning our focus toward reimagining what sustainable, community-rooted backbone support can look like in today’s landscape.
To our partners: We see your persistence and creativity, even in the face of constraint. Your commitment to young people continues to light the way forward.
To our funders: Thank you for investing in the power of collective action. We welcome your partnership as we reexamine how backbone infrastructure must evolve to meet this moment.
To our community: The dreams we hold for our children have not faded. This is not a retreat, it’s a recalibration designed to sustain our shared mission long into the future.
We’re not going dark.
We’re going deep.
This summer, we’ll be taking time to reflect, reset, and redesign. When FFTS re-emerges, things will likely look different. But we remain steadfast in our commitment to advance aligned, community-driven efforts that create real pathways to economic mobility for young people.
In the meantime, we invite you to:
• Keep students at the center of every decision
• Share knowledge, resources, and emerging solutions
• Stay connected and stay hopeful
Thank you for your partnership, your trust, and your unwavering commitment to our students. While our day-to-day operations may quiet, our connection to you remains strong, and our lines of communication remain open.
If you have questions about current programs or future opportunities to connect, please reach out to me directly at tervin@graduatetacoma.org
In partnership,
Dr. Tafona Ervin | CEO, Foundation for Tacoma Students