Urban Sparks Programs
Project Coaching
Urban Sparks has rich experience in design, project management, fundraising and small business, which are core to accomplishing community driven projects. We also collect current know-how from projects around the city. With this knowledge, we help community groups visualize successful outcomes, be resourceful and navigate the very challenging world of volunteer driven public projects. We help leaders stay creative and energetic while navigating constantly changing terrain.
Coalition Building
We gather committed partners and resources crucial to all project phases, from the conception to the completion. We created I-5 Trails Coalition, with Seattle's major cycling organizations, to gain permission for EMBA.org to build the I-5 Colonnade Mountain Bike Park. We're currently building a coalition for the first Service House: affordable housing for new non-profit workers so that they can concentrate on learning the industry while serving Seattle's nonprofit community.
Fiscal Sponsorship
We provide fiscal sponsorship to projects run by small organizations that have no long term need to be a 501(c)(3). That saves a huge amount of work on the part of the small organization, allowing them to focus on accomplishing the project.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
Service House
Urban Sparks is the project leader for Service House. Service House will provide affordable housing, camaraderie, and education to young people in full-time volunteer service programs like AmeriCorps, so that they can build a lifelong bond to the philanthropic mindset while serving Seattle’s nonprofit community. Seattle will attract the best and brightest with housing the meets the specific needs of young people in service, and the entire philanthropic community will benefit from the investment in this generation. As a large initiative, Service House needs visionary supporters who can offer gifts supporting project development activities at many levels.
Fiscal Sponsorship Projects
We are fiscal sponsor and coach for:
- Undriving which inspires Seattlites to creatively incorporate more fuel-free transportation into their daily trips;
- Healthy Habits, which works with Native American at-risk youth on healthful cooking and eating; and
- Community Greenways and Trails, which promotes the development of safe bike and pedestrian streetscapes in our neighborhoods.
We were fiscal sponsor for the bronze
JP Patches and Gertrude statue project, benefiting Children’s Hospital.