GivingGuide2019

1 R Special Advertising Section | SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019 3 For Seattle Foundation, the impetus behind a local giving day came out of a very practical need they saw within the local nonprofit community. In 2011, many nonprofit organizations simply didn’t have the technology necessary to accept donations online. Seattle Foundation believed that by creating a day of giving and providing the online platform to collect dona- tions, they could help nonprofits raise much needed funds and develop their ability to ask for, and receive, donations online. Seattle Foundation believed that this growth was imperative to the future sustainability of nonprofits in the Puget Sound region. Through GiveBIG, Seattle Founda- tion filled that need and accomplished their goal — and so much more! GiveBIG is a singular day when every donor and every gift is recognized and celebrated. Each year, 1,500 nonprofits and tens of thousands of donors come together to participate in GiveBIG and raise vital funds for their missions. Nonprofits benefit from the collec- tive messaging and therefore raise significantly higher funds with lower expenses — a major win for organiza- tions, the people and places they serve, and the donors who invest in their work. Fast forward to 2017. Seattle Foun- dation’s goal of helping nonprofits fundraise successfully online was un- questionably accomplished, and they announced that 2018 would be their final year of hosting the day of giving they had created. As nonprofits considered how to keep their missions funded in the ab- sence of GiveBIG, conversations about giving days began circulating, such as giving days to support individual nonprofits, or a single sector com- ing together. None of these options, however, could match the collective benefits of GiveBIG, and its support of all sectors with no arbitrary barriers between them. With this in mind, nonprofit orga- nizations met with Seattle Foundation to find out if the Foundation would back a new home for GiveBIG. Seattle Foundation fully supported the idea. Soon, more than 40 staff from a diverse group of nonprofits, such as Seattle Symphony, Village Theatre, Hopelink and others, were coming together to determine if a future for GiveBIG was possible. It was immediately clear that Give- BIG was very important to the group who came together in early 2018, but it was not known if the community at large felt the same way. To find out, the team reached out to the full nonprofit community to gauge the broader im- pressions and valuation of GiveBIG. The message in response was clear: Our nonprofits rely on GiveBIG and it plays an important part in their ability to achieve their missions. Bolstered by the supportive response, an open invitation went out to the en- tire nonprofit community to be part of the Nonprofit Coalition, a nonprofit- led effort to find a future for GiveBIG. Professionals from more than 100 nonprofits worked together to define business plans for a sustainable future, met with organizations whose mis- sions aligned with a leadership role in GiveBIG, and discussed past GiveBIG experiences in order to make recom- mendations for improving the event in the future. Through this work, two organiza- tions came to the fore: 501 Commons, a nonprofit that provides 30+ services that amplify the strengths of thousands of nonprofits in our region, and Encore Media Group, a local media company well established in the performing arts community with a 50-year history in Seattle. These two organizations partnered closely with the Nonprofit Coalition to develop business plans and forge a path ahead for GiveBIG. Together, 501 Commons and Encore Media Group have a high level of expertise and the resources necessary to present GiveBIG, ensuring that it remains a vital day of giving and an ongoing source of pride for our community. In addition, the Non- profit Coalition formed a 16-member GiveBIG Nonprofit Advisory Council to guarantee that nonprofits continue to have a voice in the planning, and future, of GiveBIG. GiveBIG brings our community together in a very special way each year, and the collaboration between 501 Commons, Encore Media Group and the Nonprofit Advisory Council provides an exciting path forward — and a bright future for our local giving day — founded in collective work and ownership. A special thank you to 501 Commons and Encore Media Group for helping to create a future for GiveBIG. And to every donor: Thank you for investing in your community — your gifts are vitally important to the missions you support. We invite you to join us once again for GiveBIG 2019 on Wednesday, May 8. Nonprofits lead GiveBIG for the community at large Seattle Foundation champions climate justice, civic engagement GIVING GUIDE Nearly a decade ago, Seattle Foundation created GiveBIG, Washington state’s largest day of online giving, to help the nonprofit organizations that make our community a better place to live and celebrate the tens of thousands of people who give back to our community through charitable donations. These members of the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps spend 12 weeks together learning, conducting community outreach and exploring green careers. The program, led by the Duwa- mish River Cleanup Coalition, has received grants from Seattle Foundation and receives support form the City of Seattle to pay the teens as interns. “It’s a really great program,” said Elisa Antonio, 14. “You help the community and you learn a lot about South Park and how the past generations are impacting us now with pollution, as well as the inequality that we face.” The Coalition is supported by Seattle Foundation’s Climate Justice Impact Strategy, which is designed to make a local difference in the global movement to protect our planet and people from the impacts of climate change. In Seattle and around the world, vulnerable communities are hit first and worst by climate change and pollution, including extreme heat, contaminated drinking water, pollution, flooding and poor air quality. For example, life expectancy in South Park and Georgetown, neighborhoods that border the Duwamish River, is eight years shorter than the Seattle average and a staggering 13 years shorter than for residents of the high-income Laurelhurst neighborhood. The Duwamish River, which runs through these neighborhoods, is a designated Superfund cleanup site and recognized as one of the nation’s most toxic hazardous waste spots. Partnering with local philanthropists, Seattle Foundation supports community-led solutions on climate justice that put In the heart of the Duwamish Valley, 60 youth have been planting trees around the com- munity, painting a river mural at a park in Georgetown and learning how they can shape and advocate for a cleaner future in the city’s most polluted area. See Seattle Foundation , page G19 DANIELLE MOTIF PHOTOGRAPHY Deysi Olivera, left, and Elisa Antonio pause from painting a mural at Duwamish Waterway Park. As members of the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps, the high school students learn about the local environment and green jobs, as well as how to advocate for a cleaner future.