Innovia Foundation has done its part in garnering $70 million in commitments so far for its LaunchNW mentoring and scholarship program.

Now, the Inland Northwest business community should do its part to provide the mentorship required to make the initiative a success—and to help the organization reach its lofty financial goals.

LaunchNW has set the bar high, aiming to provide gap funding for post-secondary education for students in the Inland Northwest. It’s starting with students in 10 high schools, as well as others who live in Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington housing.

Ben Small, the former Central Valley School District superintendent and executive director of LaunchNW, says the organization aims to provide scholarships, in its first cohort, for about 250 students graduating during the 2024-25 academic year. Those scholarships will cover technical training, registered apprenticeships, and two- and four-year schools in the Inland Northwest.

To be eligible for funds, students must participate in the Mpower Mentoring Program that LaunchNW is rolling out this fall. Through 18 partner organizations, LaunchNW will pair students with mentors who can help to guide students and their families as they navigate a path to post-secondary education, including seemingly simple tasks like completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form.

The mentorship program will be the key to the program’s success. Scholarships alone won’t ensure that students move forward and find fulfilling careers. As Innovia CEO Shelly O’Quinn succinctly puts it, “We can’t fund our way out of this.”

This is where professionals in the Spokane business community come into play. Collectively, we can help students find paths they might not have known existed otherwise. With help, those students can become meaningful contributors to the workforce, and in best-case scenarios, productive members of the community.

And professionals aren’t just people who work in offices. Tradespeople and other skilled laborers will need to step alongside white-collar workers to help many of those kids.

Such a call to action for increased volunteerism might be necessary even if LaunchNW wasn’t ramping up. According to Innovia, national data shows a steep decline in volunteerism, leaving nonprofit organizations without necessary support to meet growing needs. Some organizations have lost as many as 75% of their volunteers since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Innovia.

Over the long term, more education for a greater number of young adults could have an upstream effect on some of the social issues that vex the community, including homelessness, food insecurity, and addiction. Education isn’t a panacea for such societal ills, but it’s a step in the right direction. And LaunchNW has the potential to make long strides toward improving the quality of life for many Inland Northwest families.

But it won’t be effective—or as effective as it could be—if the business community doesn’t step forward in a major way to help guide students and their families.