Seattle Times Support the Press

ONE VOICE CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND eattle Times impact journalism initiatives tackle urgent community issues head-on. Innovative community-funded, public-service journalism goes beyond reporting to explore viable solutions to urgent local issues and make a difference for the people of our region. Education Lab engages the public and explores solutions to public education challenges. Lawmakers credit our stories for helping pass school discipline reform that languished for years. Coverage inspired readers to send $10,000 in personal donations to support an at-risk school program. Education Lab publishes a regular series of first-person essays, including local students writing about changes they want to see. We’ve shared stories from special-education students and students balancing homework with being homeless. Education Lab amplifies voices that would otherwise not be heard, to find solutions for all. Traffic Lab digs into our region’s pervasive traffic problems, spotlights promising approaches to easing gridlock and helps readers find the best ways to get around. Train tracks on the I-90 floating bridge, that light rail connecting Ballard and West Seattle, timing of Highway 99 tunnel tolls — Traffic Lab tracks the impact of transportation projects on your daily life. We dive into massive infrastructure projects and important ballot measures to find out what you get for what you pay. And we keep an eye on future technology that promises to make getting where you need to go a little bit easier. Project Homeless explores and explains the systemic issues causing homelessness in our region to surface solutions. We report from homeless encampments, call for accountability and find out what is — and isn’t — working to address homelessness. King County spends nearly $200 million a year on homeless services, yet the homeless population continues to rise. Project Homeless shows you where the money goes, how people become homeless and what keeps them on the street. We examine lessons learned across the country to try new ideas here and encourage smart changes to public policy. The Seattle Times is a pioneer among news organizations, developing groundbreaking funding models for public-service journalism initiatives that improve our community. Community funders, including nonprofits, corporations and philanthropic foundations, have supported this work with more than $5.5 million since 2013. The Investigative Journalism Fund, an initiative with Seattle Foundation, launched this year, collaborating with individual donors and personal champions of the free press to ensure the future of local investigative journalism. “Solutions journalism reporting is the perfect example of what journalism can do to drive the community forward.” Kati Erwert, senior vice president, product, marketing and public service See how our community-funded journalism searches for solutions to improve our region. seattletimes.com/supportthepress#change