Resilience Fund
The Resilience Fund supports community organizations protecting and standing with residents facing increased risks and uncertainty.
Seattle Foundation created the Resilience Fund in 2017 as a vehicle for timely, flexible grantmaking to address urgent needs due to a shift in federal policies, funding and the national political climate. The Resilience Fund has supported and strengthened community organizations that are working to increase the protections and resilience of vulnerable residents in King County. The Resilience Fund was developed with initial support from King County, Medina Foundation, Stolte Family Foundation, Bank of America, The Fund for New Citizens in The New York Community Trust, Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation, Emerald Fund and individual philanthropists, and later received support from the Fund for New Citizens in the New York Community Trust, Emerald Fund, and Facebook. The Resilience Fund provided grants of up to $20,000 to community-based nonprofits.
The Resilience Fund has supported community-based nonprofits in King County with flexible funding to address unanticipated and emerging challenges that impact marginalized populations in our region. Grants were made to nonprofits facing increased needs for support, legal guidance, organizing and advocacy to address threats and discrimination based on factors including race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability and country of origin.
Seattle Foundation has paused the Resilience Fund for 2022 as we continue to monitor federal policy decisions and the rapidly evolving national political climate. The numerous conditions that precipitated the initial launch of the Resilience Fund have changed over time, and we are now considering ways that our responsive grantmaking program should evolve to meet current conditions. We will update our nonprofit partners on how the Resilience Fund will shift in the future.
To learn more about past rounds of grantmaking through the Resilience Fund:
- The first round of the Resilience Fund in the spring of 2017 granted $565,000 to 33 organizations.
- The 2017 fall cycle of the Resilience Fund granted $371,000 to 24 organizations.
- The 2018 spring cycle of the Resilience Fund granted $327,000 to 22 organizations.
- The 2018 winter cycle of the Resilience Fund granted $365,000 to 23 organizations.
- The 2019 cycle of the Resilience Fund granted out $550,000 to 31 organizations.
- The 2020 cycle of the Resilience Fund granted out $555,000 to 30 organizations.
- The 2021 cycle of the Resilience Fund granted out $425,000 to 23 organizations.
Find more Resilience Fund updates on our blog.
Questions:
For questions or assistance, please contact:
Jonathan Cunningham
Seattle Foundation
Most recently, Fund for New Citizens in the New York Community Trust, Emerald Fund, and Facebook, which pledged $1 million to support Black business, creators and nonprofits, have also partnered with Seattle Foundation to address these pressing issues.