About Us

The IAF Northwest is a regional network of broad-based community organizations in Washington, Oregon, Canada and Australia. It is part of the larger Industrial Areas Foundation which has affiliates in 19 additional states, the United Kingdom and Germany. Started in 1940, the IAF is the oldest and most widely recognized network of its kind.

The IAF Northwest consists of four established local Alliances: the Spokane Alliance and the Sound Alliance in Washington state, the Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good in Oregon, and the Greater Edmonton Alliance in Alberta, Canada - and four start-up Alliances in Sydney (Australia), Vancouver (British Columbia), Calgary (Alberta) and the North Sound (north of Seattle to the Canadian border).

One-to-one relational meetings are a key part of the IAF's work.

The IAF Northwest supports the charitable and educational activities of these eight IAF affiliated organizations in the region; conducts six-day leadership training sessions; provides financial assistance and technical support to the affiliates; and develops and coordinates state and regional programs or campaigns—such as SustainableWorks.

It is driven by the belief that a wide range of faith, labor, education, immigrant and other civil sector institutions are essential to a vibrant democratic society—mending and reweaving the social fabric essential for strong families, healthy communities and a just world. A primary purpose of IAF Northwest, therefore, is to assist these affiliates in:

• Strengthening each member institution by helping them: develop meaningful connections with and among a broad cross-section of their membership; elevate and embrace the best of their values traditions; and engage their members in action around  shared interests and values—fostering relational, reflective and action-oriented cultures.
• Serving as a vehicle for member groups to act in the public arena with sufficient power for the common good.