Together in
Community
Strategic Direction – 2024-2027
The opportunity is in how we engage people and philanthropy in shared purpose. We need to lean much more deeply into being bold in conversations and decision-making, learning together, and truly believing that we are a collective whose joy and well-being are tied to one another.
Alesha Washington,
President and CEO
Vision
Seattle Foundation envisions a joyful region of shared prosperity, belonging, and justice.
Challenge
Over the past decade, Seattle has experienced significant growth and a flourishing economy for some, but not all. There is an increasing divide in our region with stark and widespread inequity on a range of issues from housing to healthcare.
For years, the people in our region have been calling on us to show up differently and take seriously the role that we can play in the fight for racial, social, environmental, and economic justice.
At the same time, community foundations across the country are being held to greater accountability. From advocating for more diversity on foundation boards to prioritizing racial justice, the philanthropic sector has been transforming to better respond to the work and investments necessary to foster more equitable, just, and thriving communities. This has certainly shaped Seattle Foundation’s journey from a grantmaking institution almost exclusively focused on capital project investments for large scale nonprofits to creating more funding access for organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color working to advance systems change.
Our approach has evolved to meet the growing needs of our community with steady progress, but we are called to do more.
Our city’s complex issues demand multifaceted solutions that can only be achieved through bold collaboration. Grantmaking alone will not achieve the outcomes we are working toward and no one organization can address these challenges on their own. Progress demands collaboration. Our shared future requires that we bring philanthropists, community partners, and civic leaders together in innovative ways. By combining resources, expertise, and time, we magnify impact to build a future where everyone in Seattle thrives.
Process
In 2023, Seattle Foundation engaged in a strategic planning process to reimagine what community philanthropy can be. This process was rooted in a commitment to continue and deepen grantmaking that supports community-led priorities, race equity and inclusion, and public policy advocacy. It led our team and board through discovery, planning, and pressure-testing hypotheses to identify near-term goals and milestones toward our vision.
The three-year strategic plan is the culmination of a nine-month process involving significant dialogue and iteration with core stakeholders and potential partners across the region. This process helped us better understand who our community is calling us to be and provides a roadmap to evolve our business model for greater impact.
Strategic Plan
This strategic plan is our demonstration of a desire to lean in. To realize the joyful community we are all deserving of –
a place where every individual and family has what they need to live full lives.
Inspire
Inspire action around three near-term opportunities, efforts led by community to transform systems: housing, transit, and childcare.
OBJECTIVES:
Housing: Fill critical gaps in the region’s affordable housing production through innovative financing tools.
Transit: Protect critical state and local policies that support climate justice efforts and access to public transportation.
Childcare: Deepen investments in policies, infrastructure, and funder collaboration to expand childcare access in the region.
2026: WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
Growth in grantmaking for near-term, high-impact efforts
- Affordable housing production is better resourced
- Increased access and affordability of early childhood education
Greater civic leadership on important issues
- State funding for climate justice is protected
- Movement on notable policy issues to deepen impact
Reimagine
Reimagine what it means to invest in community by deepening relationships, putting more capital to work through impact investing, and creating shared learning opportunities to harness our collective power.
OBJECTIVES:
Increase our circle of fundholders: Elevate the value of investing in Seattle Foundation, deepen fundholder relationships, and improve the customer experience.
Grow values-aligned community giving: Build a sense of community and shared purpose in giving through engaging events and learning opportunities that bring fundholders and donors closer to us and to each other.
Cultivate co-investment: Sharpen the case for investing directly in Seattle Foundation’s impact strategies to inspire action around community-led, high-impact efforts.
2026: WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
Investors and partners feel more connected to Seattle Foundation, each other, and the community
- Increased investment in Seattle Foundation’s impact strategies
- Stronger connections made through engagement and learning opportunities
Business model strengthened to resource greater impact
- Improved products and services technology, and infrastructure to sustain operations
Evolve
Evolve to become a learning organization that values iteration and transparency, creates sustainable financial growth, and invests the time, support, and resources needed for our team to deliver on our vision.
OBJECTIVES:
Build the infrastructure to support and sustain our impact goals: Nurture our core business and realign our products and fees to ensure long-term sustainability.
Foster a culture of learning internally: Strengthen staff experiences and— through intentional alignment of mission, vision, and values— cultivate a team that embodies equity, inclusion, and belonging.
2026: WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
Culture of care and learning established to support and retain a diverse staff with shared values
- Improved staff engagement grounded in equity and inclusion
- Culture-building policies, processes and procedures that enable staff well-being and success
