I’m no stranger to Fall in Seattle, when the sun sets before I’m done with work, and my water-logged dog walking shoes never dry out. And so, without fail, I get through the PNW’s “dark season” by dreaming about the bloom of the cherry blossoms in April and picnics on Lake Washington that last until 9 pm. It is this ability to imagine that carries me through to our warmer and brighter days.
We are living in a dark season in the United States—one that touches every corner of our lives, including the nonprofits that hold our communities together.
Recent federal grant freezes and delayed payments are creating a ripple effect across the nonprofit sector. A recent study from the Urban Institute found that a third of nonprofits reported federal, state, or local government funding disruptions. These organizations deliver housing, food, and health programs and are now being forced to freeze hiring or cut staff. And even those that don’t depend on government grants are struggling to meet rising demand within shrinking resources.
Here in King County, we’re seeing those same ripple effects firsthand. Earlier this year, FEMA indefinitely froze $1 million in Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) funds that local organizations in the region were counting to support food banks, housing programs, and emergency shelters. The current federal shutdown has only deepened the strain, sending even more people to organizations like Food Lifeline, which were already stretched thin.
Even before 2025, nonprofits across our region were grappling with a changing fundraising landscape and growing competition for limited dollars. The Renton Regional Community Foundation’s 2024 Non-Profit Survey Summary reported that 70% of the nonprofits they surveyed couldn’t meet demand in 2024, up from 53% in the prior year, while nearly half reported decreases in funding from individual donors and public foundations.
At SVP Seattle, we are seeing this impact even closer to home. This year, two organizations we’ve worked closely with—Look, Listen + Learn and the Renton Innovation Zone Partnership—announced plans to sunset due to funding shortfalls. Their closures are a startling reminder of how quickly vital community institutions can disappear when the systems meant to sustain them fall short.
The losses aren’t equitable. Despite increased support in recent years, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led and serving nonprofits still receive a disproportionately small share of funding and struggle to connect with funders, build long-term relationships, and secure the support necessary for growth and sustainability. BIPOC-led nonprofits hold 76% fewer unrestricted assets than white-led peers, leaving them especially vulnerable when funding pauses or donors pull back.
The need to support leaders at the forefront of change has never been more urgent.
SVP Seattle is changing this narrative by reimagining philanthropy, partnering with community leaders, and dismantling systemic barriers.
We want to invite you to join in growing our collective impact. That’s why we are launching the Reimagine Campaign: A Future Led by Community—a three-year, $2.75M effort to scale what’s working at SVP:
- Doubling our Partner community so more people practice justice-focused philanthropy.
- Growing our grantee network by 200% to resource more BIPOC-led organizations.
- Expanding volunteer support by 400% to mobilize more skills, networks, and hours for impact.
Together, we’re building a future where every community has the power and resources to drive transformative change.
Our grantmaking cohorts – made up of SVP Partners and community leaders– are creating new ways of practicing philanthropy that center the experience and expertise of grassroots organizations.
SVP Seattle has created something special—a space where people from all backgrounds come together around a shared vision for collective impact…This collaborative was different because it wasn’t just about giving money; it was about rethinking philanthropy entirely. SVP Partners came in ready to learn, listen, and engage deeply with climate justice issues in King County. They didn’t just fund a project—they built partnership.
SVP’s Reciprocity Rings invite participants to both ask for support and offer help, building stronger connections, deepening trust, and reminding us that in a community rooted in reciprocity, giving and receiving happen together. At our most recent Ring, one Executive Director met a potential new board member, a fundraising professional found a mentor, and someone exploring a career in philanthropy connected for informational interviews.
Through our new GrowFundMe program, small, BIPOC-led nonprofits are gaining the tools and relationships to thrive. For six months, nonprofit leaders and SVP Partners learn side by side, sharpening their fundraising and storytelling skills that help organizations grow. It all leads to our Annual Showcase in June, where their stories take center stage and every dollar raised is shared equally among them.
Imagination alone doesn’t bring the light back—it’s what we do with it. By reimagining philanthropy together, we can move from scarcity to abundance, from isolation to connection, and from this dark season toward a spring defined by community strength.
Thanks to the generosity of committed lead donors, we’ve already reached half of our $2.75 million goal—a powerful start toward building a future led by community.
If you’re already part of the SVP community, I invite you to increase your annual gift or start a monthly donation to help us reach our goal.
If you’re new to SVP, join us as a Partner and be part of a growing network that’s transforming philanthropy for equity and justice.
Thank you for imagining, giving, and acting with us to create a future led by community,
Emiko Atherton (she/her), Executive Director
