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August 02, 2019
The NonProfit Times
It just always works out this way. It’s never intended but a theme always emerges as the nominations for the annual NPT Power & Influence Top 50 come in and are discussed. Two trends quickly emerged for 2019. There is plenty of innovation popping in the Pacific Northwest and need is evolving missions into initially unimagined domains throughout the nation.
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July 31, 2019
Seattle Business Magazine
This past January, Hermanns took on the role of chief impact officer at the Seattle Foundation, an executive position that entails overseeing the foundation’s existing philanthropic and program initiatives as well as developing new strategies and innovative programs.
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July 17, 2019
Real Change
Dr. Hanna Ekstrom recently set out to “serve the under-served” — and their four-legged friends, who serve them in so many ways. Ekstrom parked her mobile vet clinic in front of the Real Change office on Main Street on July 10, unrolled a Seattle Veternary Outreach banner, set up a covering to protect her staff from the rain and used a chalkboard as a waiting list. Vendors signed in with theirs and their pets’ names to get free veterinary service.
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June 27, 2019
Yahoo Finance
While the Supreme Court's ruling today delays a decision on the inclusion of a citizenship question in United States Census 2020, two coalitions involving foundations and local government are announcing more than $1.5 million in grant awards to enable community-based organizations to conduct outreach and build confidence in hard-to-count communities in Greater Seattle and across Washington state.
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June 11, 2019
Inside Philanthropy
Early Microsoft employee Rao Remala and his wife Satya first established a donor-advised fund at the Seattle Foundation, and in 1998, a family foundation called the Satya and Rao Remala Foundation, which gave away around $581,000 in a recent year. Inside Philanthropy spoke with the next-gen Remala sisters to find out more about how the family’s philanthropy has evolved and deepened through the years, and its current two-pronged focus areas of education and health.
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May 28, 2019
KUOW
Eleven groups are receiving the Voter Education Fund engagement grant for the first time. King County and the Seattle Foundation say this cycle of grant recipients put an increased emphasis on reaching people with disabilities, as well as African American and Native American voters, and residents of South King County.
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May 27, 2019
Bellevue Reporter
The city of Bellevue is contributing $50,000 to the regional census fund, administered and supported by Seattle Foundation, to support outreach to what the city identifies as “hard to count” communities. Bellevue joins Seattle Foundation, the City of Seattle and King County as funders of this effort.
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May 10, 2019
Puget Sound Business Journal
As head of Seattle Foundation, Tony Mestres has a front-row seat to observe the Puget Sound region’s growing pains, which are more acute than ever before. Formerly a Microsoft vice president, Mestres now leads the state’s second largest grant maker, which last year invested a record $141 million in more than 2,000 organizations — critical for a community grappling with complex issues like education, transportation, housing and an income inequality gap so wide you see it on the streets. Less palpable is the lagging pace of philanthropy in greater Seattle, which is surprising given the region is known for its progressive values.
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May 10, 2019
Seahawks.com
Baldwin went from undrafted in 2011 to becoming one the best receivers in franchise history, but his on-field performance is just a small part of his Seahawks legacy. For all Baldwin accomplished on the field, his bigger contribution to the region might be all the work he did off the field, fighting for justice and equality, working to connect law enforcement agencies with the communities they serve, giving his time and money to important political causes, and working with King County and the City of Renton to build a community center ... Later that year, the Equality & Justice for All Action Fund, partnering with the Seattle Foundation, awarded grants ranging from $15,000 to $25,000 to seven non-profit organizations focused on education and leadership programs addressing equality and justice.
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May 03, 2019
King 5 News
This year, GiveBIG donors can make their donations on May 8 or schedule donations ahead of time, when it’s convenient and top of mind. The campaign had previously been hosted by the Seattle Foundation, raising about $113 million over the last eight years. After the foundation announced its retirement of GiveBIG, a group of about 100 nonprofits rallied together to find a new home for the beloved fundraiser.
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April 28, 2019
The Seattle Times
The U.S. Supreme Court should reject the Trump administration’s bid to add a citizenship question to the upcoming census. That question will undermine the census’ constitutionally mandated goal of accurately counting how many persons – not citizens – live in the United States ... If the Supreme Court chooses partisan gain over the Constitution, the best hope communities have is with education and outreach. Seattle, King County and the Seattle Foundation have dedicated $1 million to engaging historically undercounted populations
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April 22, 2019
Nieman Lab
A growing partnership between The Seattle Times and the Seattle Foundation is one example of how local philanthropy has partially helped a challenged newspaper raise $5 million since 2013. Now The Seattle Times is looking to add $500,000 more in crowdfunding from small supporters and those civically passionate “longtime subscribers” to beef up its investigative team — and the Seattle Foundation is happy to be its nonprofit savings account.
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April 17, 2019
Seattle Business Magazine
Kris Hermanns says leaders must learn to make good decisions in an ambiguous world. The Seattle Foundation executive believes it’s important to recognize that ‘individuals and groups may have different truths.’
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April 15, 2019
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times launched an Investigative Journalism Fund, an innovative community-funded initiative with the Seattle Foundation to support investigative journalism. The Times is aiming to ensure the future of local investigative journalism and protect and expand the ambitious, rigorously reported work that is critical to a healthy democracy by seeking out community funders and personal champions of a free press.
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April 05, 2019
Northwest Asian Weekly
Joined by community members at Seattle’s El Centro de la Raza, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, and Seattle Foundation President and CEO Tony Mestres created the first-ever Regional Census Fund (RCF) to provide $1 million in funding to help community organizations prepare for the 2020 Census, which will be conducted next year in 2020.
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April 01, 2019
KUOW
One year until the 2020 Census, Seattle leaders are working to get people counted who historically have not been: immigrants, LGBTQ people, homeless individuals, and people of color, who are often under-counted in censuses. Monday, local officials announced they're giving one million dollars to community groups to do outreach in order to encourage people from those groups to fill out next year's survey.
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April 01, 2019
The Seattle Times
Seattle, King County and the Seattle Foundation will together award $1 million in funding this summer to community organizations for outreach, Locke said. The tally will help determine how much federal funding the state receives and whether the Seattle area is awarded an additional member of Congress.
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April 01, 2019
Seattle Channel
King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, and Seattle Foundation President and CEO Tony Mestres announce a Regional Census Fund to help community-based organizations prepare for the United States 2020 Census, which will be conducted one year from now: April 1, 2020.
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March 31, 2019
The Seattle Times
We’re one year away from the nationwide start of Census 2020, and we have only one chance to get it right. This legislative session, lawmakers have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to ensure an accurate count of Washington communities, by fully funding the people and infrastructure for a robust and accurate Census 2020 count.
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March 13, 2019
Seattle Channel
This video showcasing the Waterfront Park Thought Forum (presented by Laird Norton Wealth Management) shares the economic, cultural and equity benefits of the 26-block public-private park. Seattle Foundation President & CEO Tony Mestres participated in a panel discussion and announced the Foundation's $500,000 commitment to support vibrant, equitable programming for all in the park.
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February 15, 2019
Giving Compass
In this podcast, Seattle Foundation President & CEO Tony Mestres talks with Paul Shoemaker, founding president of Social Venture Partners, about the history and role of community foundations. Mestres also shares his thoughts on leadership and philanthropy gaps and tackling complex social issues like homelessness.
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February 07, 2019
International Examiner
Totem Star, along with three other Asian Pacific Islander American-serving or Asian Pacific Islander American-led outfits like the Wing Luke Museum, 21 Progress, and the International Capoeira Angola Foundation (ICAF Seattle), are among a total of 14 groups to receive funding from the Seattle Foundation’s pilot initiative, the Creative Equity Fund. The fund, launched in 2018, awarded $200,000 in grant money to those using arts and culture as a strategy to address structural racism.
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January 03, 2019
The Seattle Times
In Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), Tuyet Nguyen found a place to teach ...
She’s recently taken on another subject: getting other immigrant voters involved in the election process. Nguyen is one of several volunteers who help propel ACRS’ grass-roots voter-engagement program, which aims to get Washington immigrants and residents of Asian and Pacific Islander descent more involved in civic life.
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December 14, 2018
The Seattle Times
We’ve all heard about the many accolades Greater Seattle has earned in recent years. We rank high on lists of Best Places to Live, Fittest Cities, Best Cities to Find a Job and Most Caring Cities. However, we are not one of the most generous cities in the nation, despite a common perception that we are. It’s time to bust that myth.
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November 15, 2018
The Seattle Times
It all starts with choosing the agencies who will receive the donations ...The agencies are vetted every two years by The Seattle Foundation, which manages donations of about 1,200 family, individual and corporate philanthropies in the region, according to Mary Grace Roske, the Seattle Foundation’s chief brand officer.
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November 03, 2018
The Seattle Times
Seattle’s southern region, just below the I-90 interchange, has the highest percentage of residents making under $25,000 as well as the city’s highest concentration of African Americans, Asians, Latinos and other people of color. Studies show less-affluent people and people of color around the country disproportionately decline to vote. The income pattern holds in South Seattle, where voter turnout is higher and more in line with city averages the closer you move to expensive Lake Washington waterfront property.
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November 02, 2018
Nonprofit Quarterly
The midterm elections will soon be upon us. In many states, citizens will vote not just for federal and state officials, but also on ballot initiatives. Nationally, there are 155 statewide measures in 37 states...Some nonprofits and foundations appear to have taken this message to heart. For example, for only the second time since its founding in 1946, the Seattle Foundation announced on October 22nd it was endorsing Initiative 1631, which would place a fee on carbon emissions to reduce fossil fuel use and finance renewable energy investment. In its statement, the foundation explained that support for the initiative was consistent with their climate justice impact strategy.
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October 25, 2018
Seattle Business Magazine
Seattle Foundation is one of the largest community foundations in the United States and manages more than $1 billion in assets. In 2017, the foundation invested nearly $100 million in grants across the spectrum of community needs.
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October 18, 2018
The Seattle Times
So far this year, the state has seen 258,219 voters register. King County registration jumped by nearly half — from 61,191 in 2014 to 91,239 new voters through the past 12 months ... The county and the Seattle Foundation use the fund to provide grants between $10,000 to $25,000 to 33 community-based organizations to get people registered and to familiarize voters with candidates and issues on the ballot.
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October 08, 2018
Youth Giving
Last year, I applied to join Seattle Foundation’s Youth Grantmaking Board (YGB) because I wanted to make a difference in my community and give back the way my mother and grandmother do. While I was familiar with the idea of helping one’s community, philanthropy was a foreign concept to me.