In 1974, citizens in Spokane, Washington created Northwest Regional Foundation (NRF) to gain a citizen voice in the use of federal Community Development Block Grant money that had become available for the "betterment of communities." With the name later modified to Northwest Regional Facilitators, NRF dedicated its efforts to "helping individuals, groups and communities overcome obstacles and seize opportunities to create their preferred futures."

In the years that followed, NRF focused primarily on affordable housing initiatives, but in keeping with its broad mission, worked in a number of related community development arenas. By 2000, NRF's work had divided into three major areas: Affordable Housing, Family Care Resources and Northwest Nonprofit Resources.