Seattle Foundation invests $365,000 in grants to support vulnerable communities
Seattle Foundation has awarded a total of $365,000 in grants to 23 organizations through our Resilience Fund to protect and advance the safety, security, legal and human rights of our region’s most vulnerable communities.
As with earlier cycles of this funding, many organizations applied for grants to support advocacy trainings and legal clinics for people experiencing eroding rights in the current political climate, including immigrants and refugees and LGBTQ people. Additionally, a number of organizations working on criminal justice reform received funding. The grantees’ plans include:
Northwest Community Bail Fund will post bail on a case-by-case basis for low-income vulnerable residents who would otherwise remain incarcerated while awaiting trial.
Mujer al Volante will support low-income Latina women to get their driving licenses and gain skills to lead independent lives.
Seattle Area Support Groups will fund peer support for members of Greater Seattle’s LGBTQ community experiencing heightened trauma, anxiety and fear.
Somali Community Services of Seattle will educate the East African immigrant/refugee community about legal rights, coordinating with human service agencies and advocating for individuals.
We received applications from 55 organizations for this flexible, responsive grant program, including many from immigrant and refugee groups experiencing strong demand from community members who need assistance with legal advice and support, family safety plans and information about their rights.
“This responsive grant program is designed to fund innovative approaches that develop community resiliency,” said Jonathan Cunningham, Program Officer at Seattle Foundation. “Over the past two years Seattle Foundation is proud to provide timely, flexible funding to frontline organizations that are committed to strengthening the resilience of local residents facing increased risk and uncertainty.”
These King County-based nonprofit organizations are addressing amplified threats and discrimination based on factors including race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability and country of origin. The organizations serve a variety of vulnerable communities, including immigrants and refugees, LGBTQ populations, low-wage workers and other marginalized residents whose security and rights are threatened under changing federal policies and declining funding.
The funded organizations are:
- CAIR-Washington
- Chinese Information and Service Center Seattle
- Civil Survival
- Community Passageways
- Got Green
- India Association of Western Washington
- Legal Counsel for Youth and Children
- Mujer al Volante
- Northwest Community Bail Fund
- Puget Sound Training Center
- Somali Community Services of Seattle
- Somali Family Safety Task Force
- Somali Parents Education Board
- South Park Information and Resource Center
- Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network
- Eastside Legal Assistance Program
- Ingersoll Gender Center
- Lavender Rights Project
- Na’ah Illahee Fund
- Seattle Area Support Groups
- Southwest Youth and Family Services
- Surge Reproductive Justice
- Tenants Union
In the spring of 2018, the Foundation invested $327,000 in Resilience Fund grants to community organizations. Since its inception in early 2017, the Fund has made a total of more than $1.6 million to 102 organizations.
Additional financial support to the Resilience Fund is provided by the Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation, Emerald Fund, Bank of America, the Fund for New Citizens at the New York Community Trust and individual philanthropists.