Seattle ranks no. 1 for charitable giving and no. 12 for volunteering among 51 major metro areas in the country, according to Seattle City Club’s Civic Health Index. Our New Tech community is philanthropic in various ways though we focus on 1) STEM education for untapped minorities, girls, and women, 2) homelessness solutions, and 3) diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. If you’re looking to get your giving groove on look no further. Scroll down, pick a place to volunteer or donate and continue a Seattleite tradition of giving big and caring about our community.
501Commons – Nonprofits need solid technology, sound planning, and robust administrative systems. They also need engaged boards, supported staff, and sustainable funding. 501 Commons’ programs and services support organizations so they have what they need to make a world of difference.
AllHome – A community-wide partnership to make homelessness in King County rare, brief and one-time. We bring together local governments, religious institutions, non-profits, philanthropic organizations, shelter and housing providers, the private sector and engaged citizens in a coordinated effort that both respond to the immediate crisis of homeless individuals and addresses the root causes of the problem in our region.
Babies of Homelessness – cutting through accessibility barriers, and providing diapers and basics (wipes and formula), free of charge, to partner agencies and families facing homelessness in urban, rural and underserved communities in King and Snohomish counties.
Birthday Dreams – A non-profit organization dedicated to bringing joy to homeless children with the gift of a Birthday Party.
Chicks in Tech – Dedicated to retaining women in the technology workforce and increasing the number of girls pursuing technology-based careers by facilitating hands-on technology-centric events to empower, support, and increase the confidence of women and girls.
Coder Dojo – A global movement of free, volunteer-led, community-based programming clubs for young people. At a Dojo, young people, between 7 and 17, learn how to code, develop websites, apps, programs, games and explore technology in an informal and creative environment. In addition to learning to code attendees meet like-minded people and are exposed to the possibilities of technology.
DemocracyLab – An open-source platform connecting skilled volunteers to tech for good projects.
Donors Choose – Support a classroom. Build a future. Teachers all over the U.S. need your help to bring their classroom dreams to life. Choose a project that inspires you and give any amount.
Facing Homelessness – We encourage people to connect to those experiencing homelessness in the same way we connect with others in our lives: through engaging our interests, passions, and talents. Getting involved in this personal way makes room for meaningful relationships, which we believe is the recipe for ending homelessness. The task is not to solve complex social systems or to fix someone’s situation. The task is to begin. To JUST SAY HELLO. To connect with someone through a shared interest. By doing this, the most profound change you will see is in yourself. In these moments of connection, you join the solution for ending homelessness.
Girls in Tech – A global organization focused on the engagement, education, and empowerment of influential women in technology.
Greater Foundation – Aiming to equip the next generation with the tools to reach their highest potential through mentoring and leadership development. Take two simple ideas by two great men… 1. “Everybody can be great… because everybody can serve.” –Martin Luther King, Jr., 2. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” –John 15:13. There is a great leader in all of us. We must first get off the bench and get into the world.
Heroes for the Homeless – Providing outreach on the second Saturday of every month and the second and fourth Saturday during the winter months. Volunteers travel by car and on foot to reach those sleeping on the streets of Greater Seattle in doorways, alleys, parks, at bus stops, inside and underneath trash receptacles, abandoned buildings, encampments, greenbelts, under highways, bridges, and inside makeshift homes constructed of cardboard. As a Hero you will be part of a fun, caring and dynamic group of volunteers who are making a huge impact on the lives of others. Please consider joining us!
Intentionalist – an online guide to intentional spending that supports small businesses and diverse local communities. We make it easy for you to find local restaurants, bars, gyms, shops, and more owned by women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQ, families, and differently abled people. Beyond serving as a directory, Intentionalist supports community connection through business profiles based on interviews with local business owners, and meet-ups that provide the opportunity to meet them and learn about the stories behind their businesses.
It all starts with everyday decisions about where we buy a cup of coffee, work out, or pick up a birthday gift. Whether you identify as a localist, activist, or just a good neighbor, Intentionalist helps you contribute to the businesses that keep our communities vibrant and diverse.
Search the Intentionalist site to discover great local businesses to support. We use it all the time. 🙂
Long Live the Kings – A public 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to restoring wild salmon and steelhead to the waters of the Pacific Northwest.
Mary’s Place – A leading voice for homeless women, children, and families in emergency situations. We empower families to reclaim their lives by offering community, acceptance, hope and dignity. Our work keeps struggling families together and provides practical tools and resources that help them find housing and employment. We inspire the community to support homeless women, children, and families through advocacy, partnerships, volunteerism and philanthropy.
Millionair Club Charity – The Millionair Club Charity helps rebuild lives by providingjobs and other essential support services to individuals who are experiencing homelessness or unemployment in the greater Seattle area. Learn how you can hire our workers today.
National Center for Women and Information Technology – A non-profit community of more than 600 universities, companies, non-profits, and government organizations nationwide working to increase women’s participation in computing and technology. NCWIT equips change leaders with resources for taking action in recruiting, retaining, and advancing women from K–12 and higher education through industry and entrepreneurial careers.
Northwest Center – We are a leader in advancing equal opportunities for children and adults with disabilities. Our services for children provide early intervention, inclusive early learning, and after school programs. Our employment services include transition services, vocational training, job placement, and supported employment. We provide outsourcing solutions that meet the manufacturing and service needs of small and medium sized businesses, Fortune 500 companies, local government offices, and large federal agencies. Our portfolio of Social Enterprises employ people with and without disabilities working side-by-side to offer world-class service to our customers.
Northwest Harvest is Washington’s own statewide hunger relief agency. Our mission is leading the fight for hungry people statewide to have access to nutritious food while respecting their dignity and promoting good health. Our vision is ending hunger in Washington.
One Night Count – Each January, volunteers like you help count men, women, and children who are outside during one winter night. The One Night Count sets in motion a full year of education, engagement, and action for the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness. We work throughout the year to make sure that every person who is homeless counts.
Philanthropy Northwest – the network for philanthropists of all types working in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. We are passionate about coming together to learn, spur action, and support one another in our personal, professional and organizational growth. We are home to The Giving Practice, a national consultancy committed to joyful, effective and equitable philanthropy. Their mission is ours: advancing knowledge and action in philanthropy. The Giving Practice team does this by supporting philanthropy organizations like yours to discover your possibilities, live your values and achieve your goals.
Pike Place Market Foundation – The heart of the Market. By helping our low-income neighbors who work, learn and live in and around the Market, the Foundation helps the Market you love remain a thriving, caring community.
Please consider making a gift to support our Everyone Counts Campaign. We educate, speak up, and act at the local, county, state, and federal levels for safety, survival, housing, and justice – and you can be part of the action!
Reading Partners Seattle – A literacy nonprofit that mobilizes community volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring to struggling elementary student readers.
No experience is required to volunteer! We seek volunteers who can commit 1 hour/week for a semester. Tutors are paired to work with the same student and are provided with an easy-to-follow curriculum that includes all of the books, worksheets, and step-by-step lesson plans to teach an effective lesson. Reading Partners also has a staff Site Coordinator who is available to support tutors at all times. Volunteers make an enormous impact: on average, students double their rate of learning while enrolled in the program.
Reading Partners runs programming Monday-Thursday at 5 Seattle elementary schools, with available session times running from 8:30AM – 3:00pm.
If you are interested in volunteering, sign up online or contact Reading Partners’ Volunteer Coordinator at volunteerSEA@readingpartners.org.
Red Light Traffic – Support Redlight Traffic in identifying victims of trafficking and connecting them with the help they need through the restorative process and rebuilding their lives, as well as prevention through educating and empowering youth.
Register to Vote – Your vote is your voice. Your vote counts so make sure you’re registered and ready to go.
Samaritan – Have you ever seen a person on the street and wanted to help, but felt unsure how? GiveSafe empowers and enables you to give in the right way, leading the homeless from the streets and into the arms of agencies created to serve them.
SCORE Association – A nonprofit association dedicated to encouraging the formation, growth, and success of small business nationwide through counseling and mentor programs.
Sea.citi – Promotes shared prosperity for Seattle by giving back through meaningful engagement opportunities to build a more connected community. Join our initiative today to support a future Seattle that embraces innovation while celebrating the city’s unique character.Activating the innovation economy as a force for civic engagement in Seattle.
Seattle Foundation – Providing the expertise, network of partners and research that enables philanthropists to maximize their impact in meeting our community’s most critical needs. Every day, we convene, communicate with and catalyze our philanthropic partners, uniting passion and discipline to create lasting change. We call this intersection the heart and science of philanthropy. Visit the GIVEBIG website to learn about the community nonprofits we work with.
Seattle Works – Connecting volunteers, develops leaders, and builds community. We’re best known for: Delivering accessible volunteer opportunities that help people get going. Pairing those points of entry with a clear path for increased involvement. Preparing people to join nonprofit boards and public commissions. Being a valued, trusted and knowledgeable partner to great causes seeking to connect with new audiences. From volunteer projects to classes to conversations, we’re here to get you connected!
Seattle YMCA Host Home – Matching young people (ages 18-24) with hosts in the community who can provide the space and opportunity for young people to build independent living skills, gain stability, and focus on goal attainment. This program provides much-needed stability for young people who are “almost there” — many are already working and close to obtaining housing, and just need an extra boost to make sustainable change in their lives.
Host families are volunteers from the community who willingly offer a room in their home that provides safe, short-term, and supportive housing to young people who are at imminent risk of becoming homeless. This is a simple and direct way to make an impact on King County’s homelessness crisis.
Over 1500 youth and young adults between the ages of 12-25 are homeless or unstably housed within King County. Shelter beds and community resources are limited, leaving the vast majority of young people without access to food or safe housing. Through the YMCA Host Home Program you have the opportunity to be champion for some of these homeless young adults.
Search and Rescue (Union Gospel Mission) – Vans drive into the darkest places in King County whenever there are supplies to hand out. Volunteers first ask the men and women they meet if they would like to come into the Mission and sleep. If they don’t chose to come they’re given a warm blanket, food, a hot drink and any other supplies that we have on hand that night. Regular volunteers dare to reach their hands into darkness and build meaningful relationships with men and women who desperately need to be pulled into the light.
Seattle Good Business Directory – a coalition of residents, local businesses, non-profits, and municipal organizations. We envision a vibrant, inclusive, local economy that supports resilient, prosperous, and joyful communities. Seattle Good Business Network connects and inspires people to buy, produce, and invest locally, so that everyone has a meaningful stake in the local economy.
Survive the Streets – An annual event benefiting the homeless and low-income communities of the Seattle area. Now in our 16th year, our goal is to provide more than 300 people with the clothing and gear they need to stay safe and warm this winter. Thanksgiving Day, at Galvanize in Seattle, we will be giving away; sleeping bags, winter coats, fleece jackets, backpacks, duffel bags, socks, gloves, hats and more. If you like to donate quality gear or money go here to learn more.
Tech4Housing – The booming tech industry—and the people, jobs and wealth it’s brought—is at the center of any discussion of affordability and livability in Seattle. For too long there has been no response from the tech community itself. It’s time for a grassroots organization of tech workers to step up and play a constructive role in shaping an equitable future for Seattle.
TechBridge – A non-profit organization that works to promote girls’ participation in science and technology fields.
Technology Access Foundation – A nonprofit with a mission to equip students of color for success in college and life through the power of a STEM education.
Union Gospel Mission – Started in 1932 to feed and care for those suffering from the Great Depression. From a simple, borrowed soup kettle, we now serve and care for thousands of homeless and hurting people each day throughout King County.
United Way of King County – Focusing on income and housing to make the most impact on our county-wide homeless crisis. We work side-by-side with the two other largest funders in our community – the City of Seattle and King County – to make the most of every dollar.
Unloop – Enabling people who have been in prison to succeed in careers in tech. We are technologists, entrepreneurs, and community members who believe everyone deserves access to living wage employment. Learn more about us here.
Urban Impact – Partnering with families and communities to break the cycle of social, material, and spiritual poverty.
Washington State Opportunity Scholarship – A unique partnership helping to build the next generation of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, health care professionals and other professionals in high-demand fields.
Washington Women in Need – WWIN believes that a woman has the wisdom and freedom to make her own choices and design her own future. Given the opportunity, every woman can inspire positive change for herself, her family, and her community. We make financial grants to women in Washington State who are ready for transformational change in two categories: Education and Health Care.
WeCount – As a society, we are only as safe as our most vulnerable members. The leading cause of poverty and suffering is a lack of personal community support, the failing of the social safety-net that keeps us all from falling between the cracks. WeCount helps communities succeed together by connecting you or someone you know with available local resources.
Women’s Funding Alliance – Improving the lives of women and girls in Washington State. We shine a spotlight on the most pressing issues and bring actionable solutions to philanthropy, community-based organizations, business and government. We champion women’s leadership, and we invite our community to get personally involved in elevating the status of all women and girls in our state.
