The COO Learning Community leverages the power of collective knowledge to accelerate change. We are currently growing the number of resources, opportunities and platforms available through the Learning Community — look here for current opportunities available to community partners.
Through community-driven partnerships, we are creating greater racial, economic, and health equity that enables all people in King County to thrive and prosper.
Our
Impact
Starting in 2014 as a partnership between King County and the Seattle Foundation, the initiative has grown to more than 150 organizations partnering together, with the voices of hundreds of community members guiding the way.
Our Work
When community members have voice and power in the decisions that impact their communities, and express it through civic engagement and leadership, it leads to broader community and policy changes that assure racial, health, and economic equity. Therefore, three reinforcing elements are at the heart of Communities of Opportunity.
Geographic & cultural community partnerships
Policy & systems change
Learning community
The Latest
The 9th Annual Affordable Housing Week is a series of education and advocacy events that highlight the role affordable housing plays in stabilizing our communities.
In this interactive 2.5-hour workshop we will hear from grassroots organizations who have been able to leverage public resources and affect local policy through the power of community-driven planning, and apply these insights to our own work in place.
On the third Thursday of each month, Denkyem Co-Op brings together Black leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals to engage in meaningful dialog.
Celebrating Dreams 2024 will be hosted at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center in Seattle on May 23rd, 2024 from 4:00-7:00pm. Celebrating Dreams is an empowering event where women entrepreneurs can network with investors, community leaders, supporters, and resource suppliers; connect and unite with other seasoned women entrepreneurs and gain insight into new business innovations.
Pacific Islander youth from around Washington state are invited to the Oceania Youth Summit on Friday, May 24, in honor of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This free event is an opportunity for Pacific Islander youth & young adults ages 15-27 to come together for a day filled with workshops, prizes, collaboration, and more!
Financial Coaching Training and Technical Assistance Partner: We seek proposals from organizations poised to boost financial stability by weaving financial coaching into regional employment and training programs. This role involves developing and supporting the infrastructure necessary for expanding the Financial Opportunity Center®, including creating and conducting staff training, co-designing curriculums, and formulating financial coaching supports for workforce participants. Funding of up to $100,000 is available.
FOC Expansion Partners: We are also seeking proposals to pilot the expansion of this model in Snohomish, King, and Pierce Counties. This initiative aims to integrate financial coaching with access to public benefits, thereby enriching employment and training programs. Proposals for grants of up to $75,000 per year for three years, contingent on performance and fund availability, are invited.
A new funding opportunity is available from the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) to provide trainings and cultural competency to the veteran-serving community on key issues that affect veterans, military servicemembers, and their respective families or that strengthen the ability of entities to be inclusive and welcoming of veterans, servicemembers, and their respective families.
The Seattle Office of Housing, in partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR), invites developers to submit proposals for the redevelopment of the Lake City Community Center.
The Community Development Block Grant Program, Washington Department of Commerce, has $2 million in General Purpose grant funding available for low- and moderate-income communities. We will be accepting applications on an ongoing basis through 2024.
New Funding Available: LISC Puget Sound announces two significant grant opportunities aimed at organizations dedicated to fostering economic empowerment and enhancing workforce outcomes in the region.
The Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act was passed in 2021 to reduce environmental and health disparities and improve the health of all people in Washington state. This HEAL capacity grant program focuses on enhancing community-led decision making to advancing environmental justice (EJ) and building climate resilience.
The King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is pleased to release this Request for Proposals (RFP) for Support Services for Immigrants and Refugees with funding from the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL). VSHSL seeks to improve access to civil legal advice, civic engagement, and resources for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers residing in King County.
Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) is seeking one or several contractors (business, government agency, or community-based organization) to measure the use of neighborhood parks in King County. Measuring how people are using parks will be done for 3 days at each park by counting the number of people in various locations following a taught method. PHSKC is interested in better understanding how people use parks to support planning and programming decisions with the goals of increasing park use, access, and quality.
The submission form for the Health Equity Zone for Native Communities opened on March 18, 2024. Tribal and Urban Native communities from across Washington are encouraged to apply. One community will be selected by the Indigenous Advisory Panel in this pilot phase of the Initiative.
The selected community will receive flexible funding of $200,000 per year for two years that can be used towards developing organizational infrastructure to support community decision-making, identifying health priorities, and developing culturally relevant strategies.
Sweetgrass grants support public health programs related to chronic disease prevention and management. Part of our Community Grants Program, Sweetgrass grants award up to four grants of $10,000 to urban Native health and human services organizations and to urban Indian organizations with programming focusing on Indigenous approaches to chronic disease.
A tour of SCIDpda’s new Beacon Pacific Village affordable housing development that will offer large family-sized apartments, childcare, adult day health, and more.
Stories and news from across the COO network for May 2024, as well as some of the impacts on systems and policy led by groups working to build community power and community health and well-being.
COO held the 2024 Governance Group Retreat March 1 at Cedarbrook Lodge in South Seattle. GG members and COO staff joined together to review initiative accomplishments, hone goals and responsibilities, share stories and messaging, and plan for this milestone year and beyond.
Communities of Opportunity Governance Group members were invited to co-present at the PEAK2024 national conference in Seattle recently. In their workshop, they described COO’s unique funding and shared decision-making model.
Stories and news from across the COO network as well as some of the impacts on systems and policy led by groups working to build community power and community health and well-being.
Community members come together to learn and share about community wealth building in a workshop led by People’s Economy Lab and The Democracy Collaborative.
Stories and news from across the COO network as well as some of the impacts on systems and policy led by groups working to build community power and community health and well-being.
Reflections from the December All-Partner Convening - a day devoted to connection, learning, sharing, and restoration.
As Sarah transitions into an advisory role to the Learning Community from her COO Capacity Building design consultant lead role, COO reflects on a few of the things developed and delivered with Sarah’s leadership. Read more…
The latest summary of Communities of Opportunity (COO) initiative news, events and updates