Community News! July 2024
NEWS, STORIES, AND RECENT ARTICLES FROM AND ABOUT COO PARTNERS IN COMMUNITY
Hope, Unity, Belonging: White Center HUB Breaks Ground
Aaron Garcia and Sili Savusa at the groundbreaking.
White Center community members gathered Saturday, May 18, to recognize a huge milestone: The groundbreaking for the White Center HUB. The HUB (“Hope, Unity, Belonging”) will be a place of learning, sharing, and quality homes for working families, says the White Center Community Development Association (WCCDA).
Read our Story, and See Photos and a Brief Video of the Event
WE’VE LAUNCHED A NEW WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT NEWSLETTER!
Want to stay up-to-date on job fairs, trainings and other career and professional development resources? COO is launching a new newsletter to share out job and workforce related resources, events and opportunities! Subscribe at the link below, and reach out if you have an opportunity to share with us: info@coopartnerships.org!
You can also check out our new Workforce Development Opportunities web page, for training and other opportunities that are open year round, with no imminent application due dates.
We published the first issue the week of June 10 and will send it every 4-6 weeks.
Collective Prosperity Learning Series
Session #2: Rebuilding and Reclaiming
Thursday, July 11, 6:30-8 p.m.
Location: 606 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
How do we support one another as we work to reclaim, relearn and rebuild within our communities? This conversation will focus on the work happening to build capacity to actively transform the material conditions of communities in King County, including the philosophical frameworks of care, connection and power that undergird their work.
COO Learning Community - Strategic Health Policy Convening
Thursday, July 18, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: TBD
Is your group, organization, or coalition working to create more equitable health systems and health policies to support greater community health, well-being and care? Interested in sharing space with others to collaborate, connect, and strategize? Have a baseline understanding of state and regional policy change processes and want to share and build knowledge with others working on intersecting and aligned health policy issues?
Fill out an interest form and we'll share more details about this upcoming small cohort convening series!
Ongoing Resource for COO Partners: Capacity Building Coaching
Up to 10 hours of coaching support is available to your group or organization through COO, to strengthen the work, health, and sustainability of community-rooted organizations. Current coaching supports are offered in:
Organizational leadership & strategy
Financial planning and management
Fundraising and campaign structures, planning, and strategies
Community development projects
Coaches support organizations and organizational leaders by offering subject matter expertise, thought-partnership and resource-based knowledge.
They are not project-based consultants nor meant to take on the work appropriate to organizational staff.
They can offer connections to resources as well as dedicated advice, guidance and new or different ways for organizations and organizational leaders to think about the needs, decisions and strategies to move their projects or organizations forward.
Interested in coaching supports? Please submit a request so we can better understand your coaching need.
This opportunity is available to groups not currently funded by COO, as well as previously funded and currently funded groups.
For partners interested in support that is not listed above, who currently have a COO or BSK contract: Here's where to find and request additional capacity building consultants.
community news
Community Members Honored with MLK Distinguished Service Award
Congratulations to the community members who recently received the MLK Distinguished Service Award. Each year, King County Councilmembers select someone from their district for the award.
This year’s winners include:
· Roxana Pardo Garcia, founder of Alimentando al Pueblo in Burien. Roxana was selected by King County District 3 Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda.
· The late Chinatown-International District community activist Matt Chan, selected by District 2 Councilmember Girmay Zahilay.
· Shamso Issak, founder and director of Living Well Kent, selected by District 5 Councilmember Dave Upthegrove.
· Terrell Dorsey, founder of Unleash the Brilliance, selected by District 7 Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer.
Congratulations to all the community members who were honored!
Photo: Roxana Pardo Garcia, center, in floral top, with Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda in pink jacket to the right, and community members.
Partners Unite around Equitable Development Initiative
Urban Family co-founder Paul Patu speaks at City Hall in support of the Equitable Development Initiative, June 4. Photo Credit: Guy Oron, Real Change. Used with permission.
Many of our partners came forward to voice their opposition to a Seattle City Council proposal that would have affected funding for community development. In support of the Equitable Development Initiative, community members quickly rallied over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. They showed up to comment during the City Council meeting, sent messages to councilmembers, and more. They also advocated in media, such as this June 3 op-ed piece in the Seattle Times by Hamdi Abdulle of African Community Housing & Development.
The South Seattle emerald captured the story with this May 30 article about the community response and a June 3 follow-up about the Council’s decision. Real Change News’ coverage included the June 4 news conference at City Hall.
Magic Cabinet Launches New Cohorts
Magic Cabinet has launched their first cohorts of fiscally sponsored organizations in the Puget Sound. They partnered with RVC on this initiative. Local leaders and community members selected nine of RVC’s fiscally sponsored organizations to join Magic Cabinet’s three new cohorts. Each cohort – nine nonprofits total – will collectively steward a pool of $2.5 million in capacity-building funding over the next five years.
Congratulations to these cohort members, including our partners Surge Reproductive Justice and Collective Justice.
Leading the Way in Snoqualmie Valley
COO community partnership A Supportive Community for All is the lead organization of the Snoqualmie Valley Human Services Coalition, a group of organizations committed to working together in innovative ways to connect community members to the resources they need. The coalition now has a website! Check it out and learn more about their collective work.
News From Around The Community
Somali Cultural Center Opens in SeaTac
South Seattle Emerald profiled the celebration on opening day of the new Somali Cultural Center, and talked to our Governance Group member Ubax Gardheere and other colleagues about how this center serves the community.
SUN Bucks Available for Summer Nutrition
King County families whose children receive free or reduced-price school meals are automatically eligible for a new summer nutrition lifeline for families with school-age children, SUN Bucks. Children in households benefiting from SNAP, FAP, TANF, or SFA are also instantly qualified. Read more about how to get and use SUN Bucks on Public Health Insider — in English and Spanish.
Seattle Communities Partner on Gardens
An award-winning urban garden program in South Seattle is just one example of what communities can accomplish, reports NextCity. The Rainier Community Center’s garden was honored June 24 with the Toro Urban Park Innovation Award, and a $50,000 grant, at the Great & Greener conference in Seattle.
Retirement Brings “New Chapter” at Northwest Asian Weekly
KUOW talks to longtime publisher Assunta Ng about her legacy and the new generation carrying her work forward.
Black Wall Street Kicks off Summer of Soul
Converge Media visited some of the more than 100 Black businesses at Summer of Soul’s Black Wall Street Market. The festivities are part of Africatown Community Land Trust’s Summer of Soul. Next up: Reunion on Union, July 21.
Real Change Wins Three Journalism Awards
Congratulations to Real Change News, who won three awards recently from the Society of Professional Journalists. In the Northwest Excellence in Journalism competition, SPJ honored Real Change for photo and design entries that readers may remember, including the first-place “Here, Kitty Kitty.”
What Transportation Equity in Seattle Means
Reducing car dependency means investing in sidewalks, bike infrastructure, and more housing, says disability rights advocate and author Anna Zivarts. She’s profiled in this Seattle Medium article, and urges people to get active in both the Seattle Transportation Levy and One Seattle Comprehensive Plan. Her book, “When Driving Is Not An Option,” is now available.
LISC Wins Grant from State Farm
LISC announced a new $2 million, one-year grant from State Farm, continuing their longtime partnership. The funding supports LISC’s work in a dozen markets, including the Seattle area: Atlanta, Bay Area, Chicago, Central Illinois, Houston, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Puget Sound, and Twin Cities. The work includes bringing capital and opportunity to under-resourced communities across the country to build affordable housing and more development projects. Read More About the Grant
Black Home Initiative: NEW FUNDING, NEW LEADERS
A few noteworthy items about recent successes of Black Home Initiative network members:
Thanks to Housing Development Consortium for this photo.
Wells Fargo Grant Goes to Five Members
Five members of the Black Home Initiative network recently won funding for affordable home ownership from Wells Fargo, according to Housing Development Consortium. Find out who. Congratulations to all!
Seattle Foundation Invests in Field Order 15 Fund
Seattle Foundation announced a $1 million investment in a loan program that helps Black developers build affordable housing in the Puget Sound Region. The funding will support HomeSight’s Field Order 15 Fund.
Read the full story in Puget Sound Business Journal (subscription required) or in this fact sheet about the initiative, which includes information about funding opportunities open till Aug. 1.
Nehemiah Initiative Seeks Director
Another network member, The Nehemiah Initiative Seattle, is seeking its first Executive Director. The person in this role will partner with Black churches to build permanently affordable homes in Seattle. Check out the announcement in our Job Opportunities section below.
The Nehemiah Initiative Seattle is a faith-based community development initiative (FBDI). Its mission is to empower the African American community in the Seattle region and beyond to support the retention of historically Black institutions by advocating for development of real property assets owned by those historically Black institutions.
Amazon Announces $1.4B for Housing Equity Fund
Amazon announced they extended their commitment to the Housing Equity Fund with an additional $1.4 billion. The funding will create and preserve an additional 14,000 homes in three communities, including Puget Sound.
Read about the new investment in South Seattle Emerald’s News Gleams
Community Partners Describe Fund’s Impact
Bloomberg News recently wrote about the fund and Amazon’s impact on the local community, including Seattle. Hamdi Abdulle and Bilan Aden of African Community Housing & Development were two of the Seattle community members interviewed for the story.
Bilan, a member of our Governance Group, described several ways ACHD benefited from the fund.
The Sarah Queen Affordable Housing Planned for former church Site
Besa Gordon and Jaebadiah S. Gardner. Photo credit: Converge Media.
A new affordable housing project named for the late community leader Sarah Queen Gardner is planned for the Central District. Ms. Gardner’s grandson, Jaebadiah S. Gardner, is an African-American and Mexican-American businessman, multi-family real estate developer, fund manager, and author. He described his plans when he stopped by The Day With Trae, hosted by Besa Gordon, on Converge Media.
Capitol Hill Seattle recently reported on the development on the site of the former Mt. Calvary Christian Center at 23rd and Jackson in Seattle. The project won a $4.5 million grant from Amazon in 2022.
ACHD’s Bilan Aden Speaks About Outdoor Education at National Conference
Bilan Aden, vice president of African Community Housing & Development, spoke at the annual conference of Children & Nature Network earlier this month. The network supports a global movement of leaders working to turn the trend of an indoor childhood back out to the benefits of nature. ACHD says Bilan’s TED-style talk, “Cultivating Innovators: Outdoor Education Rooted in the African Diaspora Experience,” highlighted the many intersections that lead to a lack of representation of the Black community in outdoor recreation, the natural sciences, and outdoor education.
Read more about Bilan’s presentation and the importance of getting outside.
Tubman Center Featured in King County’s Juneteenth Video
Dr. Peter Asante and Danisha Jefferson-Abye of Tubman Center in a screenshot from the video.
Four King County grantees doing important anti-racism work – including our partner The Tubman Center for Health & Freedom – are featured in a new King County video released on Juneteenth. The featured organizations—Asé Theatre, Black Farmers Collective, the National Black MBA Association – Seattle Chapter’s Living Powerfully Experience, and the Tubman Center for Health & Freedom—are four out 130 grantees awarded in fall 2023 to address Racism as a Public Health Crisis in King County.
County Executive Dow Constantine said the video “highlights these organizations’ incredible work that actively confronts the root causes of structural racism.”
QUICK RECAP — Oceania Youth Summit
In the past couple newsletter issues, we helped promote the Oceania Youth Summit in May, in Federal Way. We’re pleased to share that the event was a great success, with more than 300 people from the Pacific Islander community coming together for learning, celebrating, and sharing cultural activities. We hope to be sharing their beautiful event video soon!
Above: Youth leaders Christopher Yang, Mele Havea, and Miller Miller at the Summit. More about them to come! Photo Credit: Bill Bungard Photography
Correction: House Our Neighbors
In last month’s news we mistakenly referred to House Our Neighbors (HON) as Seattle’s social housing developer. HON is the advocacy organization that successfully advocated to pass a social housing initiative in 2022. They are now supporting the establishment of the Seattle Social Housing Developer. Thanks to HON for pointing this out. We’re sorry we made this error. And we’re looking forward to sharing more about their trip to Vienna and what they learned about social housing.
In Memoriam: Amarr, Cristopher, and Hazrat
We want to pause to honor the memory of three King County high school students who died in gun violence incidents within the past few weeks: Amarr Murphy-Paine, Hazrat Ali Rohani, and Cristopher Yahir Medina Zelaya.
Read about Amarr in Seattle Medium
Read about Hazrat and Cristopher in the Kent Reporter and Seattle Times
Converge Media covered the June 13 Unity Walk in the Central District. The walk was organized to further build community around preventing gun violence.
Many community partners offer resources and are working to prevent gun violence and offer healing, such as Community Passageways, profiled in this KUOW story. Additionally, King County Executive Constantine proposed launching 100 Days of Action, an initiative this summer and fall to intensify and align King County's work with cities, community partners, the Regional Peacekeepers Collective, the Sheriff’s Gun Violence Reduction Unit, and others. The Day with Trae on Converge Media on Thursday, June 20, included a talk with Eleuthera Lisch, Director of Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Eleuthera shared details about the Regional Gun Violence Community Resource Guide.
At the Unity Walk. Photo by Susan Fried for the Converge Media story.
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES
PLACES’ Advancing Leaders Applications Open
Apply By July 9
The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation offers the PLACES’ Advancing Leaders (PALs) Program to support emerging leaders and amplify youth perspectives in preservation, place stewardship, and community building. It supports first-time attendance at the PLACES conference this fall for students and young professionals with an interest in developing their network, growing as leaders, and deepening their understanding of place-based professions.
Apply for Microsoft Grants through their Tech for Social Impact Program
Microsoft offers grants and discounts for their products and services to eligible nonprofits around the world, including products like Azure, Dynamics 365, and Microsoft 365, as well as solutions custom-built for nonprofits like Fundraising and Engagement for Dynamics 365 Sales. To learn more about Microsoft’s most popular nonprofit offers, download the Microsoft Nonprofit Grants Proposal.
Outdoor Educators Institute: Seattle Applications Open
Apply by July 8
The Outdoor Educators Institute (OEI) advances racial equity in the outdoors through a free training program for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Participants gain outdoor education skills, experience culturally relevant facilitation, and explore opportunities in the outdoor sector in collaboration with local partner organizations and leaders of color who are actively shifting the outdoor field to focus on environmental justice and racial equity.
Boards and Commissions
KUOW Public Radio Seeks New Board Members
Puget Sound Public Radio is the not-for-profit corporation that operates KUOW Public Radio on behalf of the University of Washington, which holds the station’s broadcasting license. Its board is seeking new members and prioritizing community members with the skills and experience in Finance, Digital/Web, and Arts & Education.
Funding Opportunities
Best Starts Capacity Building Small Grant RFA Coming Soon
Best Starts for Kids will be providing another Capacity Building Small Grant RFA opportunity soon! We will release this mini-grant opportunity on July 16. It will be open only to current BSK/COO-funded partners, as in the past. Applications will be due Aug. 16. Partners will be able to request up to $9,999 in funds to purchase tangible (and not so tangible) items that will build the capacity of their organizations. Watch the Best Starts funding page for more details.
Best Starts – Non-Best Starts Funding
Check out funding opportunities from other agencies and organizations that support groups that promote the health and well-being of our babies, children, and young people. Read more!
COO Learning Community Capacity Building Design Consultant
Apply By July 9
King County is soliciting proposals from interested and qualified suppliers to provide implementation of COO’s capacity building framework and related activities of the COO Learning Community (LC) strategy.
For full details, please see the King County E-Procurement Portal, number KC001104.
Small Business Investment Grant
Apply by July 14
The Small Business Investment Grant, funded by the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Community Reinvestment Project, aims to promote equity for businesses in Seattle-King County, with a focus on those 51% or more owned and operated by individuals from Black, urban Indian/Tribal, and Latine communities. Funds from the grants can be used for a variety of purposes, including capacity building and growth, sustainability efforts (environmental, financial, and social impact), hiring (especially to enhance workforce diversity), retention, and staff training. The overarching goal is to ensure that historically marginalized communities gain equitable access to resources, thereby promoting broader community development and economic resilience.
Call for Partnership on Climate Justice
Apply By July 8
Social Venture Partners Seattle and Basilica Bio invite organizations to apply for a multi-year partnership to collaborate with SVP’s community on initiatives such as capacity-building projects and advocacy efforts.
Receive $25,000 per year for three years for your organization (a total of $75,000)
Opportunities for collaboration
Capacity-building support from SVP volunteers
Request for Proposals (RFP): Best Starts for Kids: Healthy and Safe Environments
Apply By July 23, 2 p.m.
Public Health – Seattle & King County seeks proposals from eligible community-based organizations, agencies, and school/school districts interested in ensuring that children, youth, and young adults live, learn, work, play, and experience healthy and safe environments.
Visit the BSK Healthy and Safe Environments RFP webpage to access the full RFP document.
Senior Villages – Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy
Apply By: July 30, 2 p.m.
A new funding opportunity from the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) will fund the ongoing development and operations of geographically based or culturally affiliated Senior Villages to support diverse and low-income seniors to age well in their communities of choice and remain stably housed.
Pacific Hospital PDA Nimble Grant Cycle 2 Open
Applications due by Aug. 5, 2024, before 12 p.m.
Nimble Grants can provide funding for short-term health-related projects, such as research, pilot programs, capacity building, technology improvements, training, or policy and advocacy work. Grants up to $30,000 are available in this Cycle 2, the second of two in 2024.
Scandiuzzi Krebs Grants for Culture & Community Building Organizations
Apply By Aug. 12
Scandiuzzi Krebs announces sponsorship opportunities for general operating support to culture and community-building organizations based in Washington State that have an annual operating budget of under $250,000. Sponsorship amount ranges from $2,000 – $4,000.
Game On-Community Places to Play Initiative
Apply By Sept. 5, 2024
Game On-Community Places to Play is an initiative of The DICK’s Sporting Goods Foundation and LISC. The initiative provides funding and technical assistance to community-rooted organizations working to create and renovate multi-use youth sport spaces for youth ages 6-24 years old in under-resourced communities across the country. Special consideration will be given to proposals that demonstrate how their capital projects will support youth development programming.
The goal is to improve the quality, safety and accessibility of local athletic spaces for young people. Grant awards will range from $50,000-$100,000 and will require 1:1 match funding.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
A Way Home Washington: Strategic Communications Director
Bike Works: Development Director and Programs Manager
Families of Color Seattle: Development Director (priority application by July 5)
Heathier Here: Numerous positions including Workforce Development Manager
Housing Development Consortium: Operations Manager – priority application by July 12
Nehemiah Initiative Seattle: Executive Director
Northwest Harvest: Communications Director
Seattle-King County Coalition on Homelessness: Communications Lead -- priority application by July 1
WestSide Baby: Development and Communications Senior Manager
4Culture – several positions including Science & Technology Program Manager
City of Seattle – Many positions including EDI Strategist and Fund Manager – apply by July 9
King County
Associate Portfolio Manager – apply by July 7
Best Starts for Kids Sustain the Gain (5-24) Policy and Program Manager (PPM IV) -- apply by July 6
Community Health Services Supervisor (CHSS) – apply by July 2
Healthcare Navigator II – apply by July 2
King County Access to Baby & Children Dentistry (ABCD) Coordinator -- apply by July 2
MIS Program Specialist (PPM I) – apply by July 6
Workforce Stabilization Program Manager (Project/Program Manager III) – apply by July 6
Find more King County, City of Seattle, State of Washington and other jobs at governmentjobs.com
About This List: These job announcements are current as of June 25, 2024. Please check the employer's site for the most current information.
If you have a job or news item to share in next month's issue of COO & Partner News, please send it to us by mid-July. Thank you!