I feel lucky I was able to keep my job and switch to working remotely this year. I haven’t spent as much money as I have in past years because there’s been almost no travel and no meals at fancy restaurants. As we’re approaching the end of the year, if you have some extra cash, here are some local organizations doing great work in the Seattle area that could definitely use it.

Fair Housing

Downtown Emergency Service Center helps people with the complex needs of homelessness, substance use disorders, and serious mental illness achieve their highest potential for health and well-being through comprehensive services, treatment, and housing.

Donate here.

Humble Design is on the frontlines with their new Humble Home Kits. When you sponsor a family, the “Humble Design Home Kits,” will be delivered to them curbside and contactless. They are filled with all of the essential items they need for a fresh start, and more!

Donate here.

Social Justice

Northwest Justice Project (NJP) is Washington’s largest publicly funded legal aid program. Each year NJP provides critical civil legal assistance and representation to thousands of low-income people in cases affecting basic human needs such as family safety and security, housing preservation, protection of income, access to health care, education and other basic needs.  

Donate here.

Lavender Rights Project provides sliding scale to market rate legal services and grassroots community education for LGBTQ+ folks and other marginalized communities.

Donate here.

Creative Justice uses art as a vehicle to prepare young people to be leaders in the community and workplace, amplify youth voice as a source of community transformation, and help lift up the power of young people of color, youth from low-income families, and LGBTQA youth. Creative Justice has established a relationship with the KC Prosecutor’s office and offers this arts instruction for court-involved youth with an agreement that their time and creative work can be used in mitigating any active court case they may be facing.

Donate here.

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project promotes justice by defending and advancing the rights of immigrants through direct legal services, systemic advocacy, and community education.

Donate here.

Community

The Power of Pike Place is the Pike Place Market Foundation’s COVID-19 Response & Recovery campaign. They are nearly $2.9 million dollars towards their $3.5 million goal this year to triple investment in the social services, small businesses and the people of Pike Place Market, all of which are experiencing unprecedented hardships. 

Donate here.

Africatown International and Building Changes provide direct cash assistance so community members impacted by COVID-19 can meet basic needs such as food, utilities and rent.

Donate here.

KUOW is a National Public Radio (NPR) member station in Seattle. They are a community–funded public radio station that relies on the financial support of individual and business members. Over 92 percent of KUOW’s revenue comes from the generous contributions of individuals, businesses and corporations in our community

Donate here.

Hunger Relief

FareStart helps people in poverty overcome barriers by teaching them work and life skills they need to succeed in the foodservice industry — and in life. Through their restaurants, cafes, catering and programs that provide meals to social services, shelters and schools in the Seattle area, participants in our programs get practical work experience while giving back to their community. With Covid-19, FareStart is providing hunger relief and social services in the Seattle area and across the country to ensure that our most vulnerable neighbors are safe and supported throughout the crisis. They are producing more than 800,000 emergency meals a week to alleviate hunger in communities locally and across the country.

Donate here.

Northwest Harvest provides on average two million meals each month throughout the state, in partnership with a network of 375 food banks, meal programs, and high-need schools. They work to provide nutritious, culturally appropriate food for anyone in need and do advocacy and food justice work.

Donate here.

Washington Food Fund is raising money to provide food and supplies for those in need during this crisis and to keep food banks and pantries stocked, in cities and rural communities across our state.

Donate here.

Mental-health focused

Youth Eastside Services is the leading behavioral health services provider in East King County for children and youth, ages birth to 22, and their families. They provide evidence-based mental health counseling, substance use with co-occurring disorder counseling and treatment, early childhood behavioral health services, psychiatric services, school-based services, and education and prevention programs.

Donate here.

LifeWire offers survivor-driven, trauma-informed services, promotes prevention through community-based training and coaching and leads through pioneering strategies and partnerships. They also run a free 24-hour hotline for anyone struggling with an abusive relationship or home life.

Donate here.

API Chaya empowers survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking to gain safety, connection, and wellness.  They build power by educating and mobilizing South Asian, Asian, Pacific Islander, and all immigrant communities to end exploitation, creating a world where all people can heal and thrive. 

Donate here.

And then of course, there are always national organizations like NAACP, ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Southern Poverty Law Center, and many others doing the good work that will put your money to good use.