OVERVIEW: The Progress Alliance of Washington makes multi-year investments in organizations involved in progressive political movements in Washington.
IP TAKE: The Progress Alliance of Washington focuses on “the health of the state’s progressive movement across multiple issue areas and over time.” Grantees often receive multi-year funding, strategic support and opportunities to grow their networks and constituencies. This is a collaborative and supportive funder, but it might take some time and effort to get involved here. The foundation welcomes contact via an online form, but doesn’t guarantee a response, “as staff capacity is limited, and not all work will fall under our scope or budget abilities.”
PROFILE: Based in Seattle, Washington, the Progress Alliance of Washington (PAW) was founded in 2006 by a “network of donors” committed to progressive causes in the state. PAW’s mission is to “[b]uild a permanent and powerful progressive movement in Washington state.” Rather than focusing on specific issues, PAW’s grantmaking and engagements take an “infrastructure approach — investing in leadership development, community-based organizations, and tools and capacities that all communities can leverage to win on their issues.” This funder’s giving targets organizing and elections, leadership, communications, policy and movement capacity. Across all areas of engagement, PAW prioritizes “long-term power building,” BIPOC communities and the development of “deeper, more responsive relationships with our grantees.” In addition to grants, PAW provides strategic, technical, organizing and fundraising support to its grantees and partners.
Grants for Civic Engagement, Democracy, Racial Justice and Indigenous Rights
PAW organizes its grantmaking into the following core investment areas:
Grants for organizing and elections support efforts for civic participation, voter engagement, progressive candidates and election measures and the accountability of all elected officials to their constituents.
Grants for leadership focus on the development of political candidates and other leaders who are principled, skilled and representative of “the diversity of the people they represent.”
Communications grants work to coordinate and produce “clear and emotionally compelling stories” to inspire and mobilize communities and leaders.
Policy grants support the development of measures that “improve people’s material lives today, while changing the systems to address root causes of the issues are communities are facing.”
Grants for movement capacity target “crucial tools and capacities” for Washington’s progressive movements, including research, polling, capacity building and other strategic supports.
PAW awards between 20 and 35 grants each year and often partners with its grantees over a multi-year periods. One grantee partner, the Washington Community Action Network, is a statewide grassroots movement works for reform in the areas of democracy, health, health, housing criminal justice and more. Other grantees include Native Vote, Pro-Choice Washington, Black Trans Advocacy and Legal Services and Puget Sound Sage.
It is worth mentioning that in addition to grants and strategic support, PAW runs the following programs:
Donor organizing programming includes workshops, trainings, networking events and more with the goal of “leveraging power” for the state’s progressive movements.
The First Mile Circle is a donor circle that provides funding to “progressive candidates of color in down ballot races across Washington state who are bold, transformational, and accountable to the communities they represent.”
Important Grant Details:
PAW’s grants range from $25,000 to $100,000.
This funder works with progressive organizations of all sizes in Washington, and tends to offer multi-year support.
Grantees also receive strategic, technical, communications and other types of support from PAW.
This funder welcomes contact from nonprofit organizations via it organization inquiry form, but does not guarantee a response.
Information about past grantees is available at PAW’s grantmaking page.
Submit general inquiries to this funder via email at info@washingtonprogress.org or by telephone at (206) 569-8056.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
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