Gates Foundation Makes Big Donation to Fight Poverty in Everett

December 11, 2012

Everett, Everett Economy

Gates Foundation

Greater Everett Community Foundation and United Way of Snohomish County to split $880,000.00

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation just gave a big boost to the fight against poverty in Everett and Snohomish County. Here’s a press release just in from Neil Parekh at United Way of Snohomish County…

United Way of Snohomish County and the Greater Everett Community Foundation will each receive $440,000 over the next four years from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to fight intergenerational poverty. It is part of the foundation’s Building Community Philanthropy initiative.

The Gates Foundation has really stepped up by investing $880,000 into Snohomish County to help local nonprofits fight poverty throughout our community,” said Dennis G. Smith, president and CEO of United Way of Snohomish County. “This will make a huge difference in the lives of many of our friends and neighbors.”

The Greater Everett Community Foundation and United Way of Snohomish County will be collaborating on this initiative. Much of this additional $880,000 will be re-granted to local nonprofits in order to support their work throughout Snohomish County

Reflecting on the impact this funding will have, Maddy Metzger-Utt, president of the Greater Everett Community Foundation added, “Volunteers and staff in the nonprofit sector work so hard. It is exciting to bring this new funding into our community and give our nonprofits a boost.”

United Way will use the funds to strengthen local human service infrastructure by supporting the capacity-building needs for agencies positioned to grow their work in the community, support the training needs of these agencies, and grow collaboration, mentoring, and learning among local nonprofits. The funds will also be used to support Snohomish County’s Project Homeless Connect.

The Greater Everett Community Foundation will use the money to increase the resources available to address the needs of low-income families, expand the successful nonprofit capacity-building work that GECF started in 2011; and utilize existing relationships and knowledge to engage the community in a coordinated approach to reducing poverty.

“The Gates Foundation has a long-standing commitment to supporting community philanthropy,” said David Bley, director of the Pacific Northwest program. “These organizations have established networks of nonprofits that serve families and children quickly and efficiently. Local partners know their community needs,” Bley added.

United Way of Snohomish County and the Greater Everett Community Foundation are two of just seven community philanthropic partners receiving $2.5 million to support reducing intergenerational poverty. This follows nine Pacific Northwest grants in May, through which organizations received some $5 million in re-granting money for their communities. To date, a total of $7.5 million has been awarded by the foundation during 2012 to be re-granted by 16 philanthropic partners in the Pacific Northwest.

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