Our Grantees
Our Grantees
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has deep roots in the Puget Sound and a long history of giving back to the region it calls home. With Bill Gates Sr. as a lifelong model of civic leadership, Bill and Melinda created the Pacific Northwest team at the Gates Foundation to give back to the community that gave them and their families so much–because every person deserves a chance to live a healthy and productive life.
The grants below are representative, but reflect only a few of the many grants we’ve made over time. These were selected to illustrate the range of partnerships formed in the last two decades. To explore a full database and see all of the Gates Foundation’s grants in Washington State and around the world, visit gatesfoundation.org.

Issue Area(s):
CommunityTo help meet the needs of those disproportionately impacted, the foundation is supporting the COVID-19 response funds statewide.
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Early learningWe’re supporting Alliance with a grant for state-based advocacy, re-granting and technical assistance.
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Community,Homelessness
The foundation is proud to support Bellwether's efforts to bring more affordable housing to our community.
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Education,Homelessness
We’re supporting organizational capacity building and implementation of a new strategic plan.
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HomelessnessWe’re supporting Building Changes to address student and family homelessness in Washington State.
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Early learningWe are supporting the Early Learning Action Alliance and their work to ensure all children in Washington State have the support they need to be prepared for school and a bright future.
Issue Area(s):
CommunityWe’re supporting six grassroots collaboratives serving low-income communities and communities of color.
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EducationWe are supporting the Community Center for Education Results to lead the Road Map Project in South King County.
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CommunityIssue Area(s):
HomelessnessThe foundation is proud to support Funders Together in their mission to mobilize members with lasting solutions in ending homelessness.
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HomelessnessWe’re providing assistance to King County for the annual Point in Time Count of people experiencing homelessness, and continuing efforts to implement a family homelessness strategic plan.
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HomelessnessWe’re supporting continuing partnerships between the King County Housing Authority and the Bellevue, Highline, and Kent school districts to improve outcomes for students from low-income families.
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Community,Homelessness
The foundation supports Nexus Youth and Families so they can continue providing essential, emergency shelter, clothing and supplies for youth experiencing homelessness.
Issue Area(s):
CommunityDue to ongoing issues tied to the pandemic, inflation, and the rising cost of food, our region’s food banks are seeing unprecedented demand.
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CommunityWe're supporting legal aid and education assistance for immigrant and refugee communities in Washington State.
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EducationWe’re supporting grassroots advocacy around education issues that impact immigrant and refugee students.
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EducationWe supported Partnership4Learning to assist them in their mission to provide resources and expanding opportunities for education and training.
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CommunityWe're partnering with Philanthropy Northwest and community foundations on giving that responds to immediate local needs.
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HomelessnessWe're supporting the implementation of Pierce County's family homelessness strategy and an initiative to determine how services can be delivered more effectively to communities of color.
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CommunityWe’re supporting the Potlatch Fund in their role as a capacity builder for tribes and Native nonprofits.
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EducationWe have provided a variety of grants to Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) to support Educare Seattle, the Road Map Project, and other public education efforts.
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CommunityWe're providing general operating support to cultivate and train leaders of color in South Seattle.
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Community,Homelessness
We're providing general operating support for ROOTS to provide a safe place to sleep and access to services for young adults experiencing homelessness.
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EducationWe’re providing grants to School’s Out Washington to improve understanding of social-emotional learning and support quality after-school care
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Education,Homelessness
We’re supporting the Seattle Housing Authority's partnership with Seattle Public Schools to improve outcomes for low-income students.
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HomelessnessWe partnered with the Seattle Public Library Foundation on a photographic exhibit focused on homelessness, called "Streetwise Revisited."
Issue Area(s):
Early learning,Education
We’ve provided several grants to Seattle Public Schools for a variety of initiatives, including support for professional development and the Seattle Preschool Special Education Program.
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HomelessnessWe’re partnering with Snohomish County to support the implementation of their family homelessness strategic plan.
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CommunityWe supported Sound Discipline in the expansion of their community-oriented restorative justice model to K-12 schools in South Seattle and South King County.
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EducationWe’re partnering with the Spokane School District to support collaboration among all types of public schools.
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CommunityWe're supporting a capital campaign for a social services agency to serve immigrants and refugees.
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HomelessnessWe’re supporting a collaboration between the Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) and the Tacoma School District to improve outcomes for students living in THA housing.
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EducationAsk-A-Teacher Help Desks and Resource Guides for the top 5 learning platforms, plus instructional modules to help teachers take their in-person practices online. By Washington teachers, for Washington teachers.
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CommunityWe’ve work with the Seattle Foundation on a variety of initiatives including the re-granting of our funds and initiatives focused on increasing health, social, economic, and racial equity.
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HomelessnessWe're providing a grant to United Way of King County to support their work to address the full range of health and human services needs in King County.
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CommunityWe're supporting United Way of Pierce County's Centers for Strong Families, a network of organizations working to improve financial stability for families in need.
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CommunityWe provide general operating support to bolster the work of the United Ways of the Pacific Northwest (UWPNW) to advance the common good by focusing on education, financial stability, and health.
Issue Area(s):
EducationWe partner with the University of Washington to support scholarship programs and professional development opportunities for Pre-K and K-12 educators in Washington state.
Issue Area(s):
Early learning,Education
We partner with the University of Washington Foundation on a variety of initiatives to improve the collection and use of data to support student outcomes.
Issue Area(s):
CommunityThe foundation is providing $750,000 to support 77 grantees across 83 grants, working in 36 of Washington’s 39 counties to reach historically hard-to-count communities.
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HomelessnessWe're supporting the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence in their effort to expand housing options for domestic violence survivors.
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Early learningWe’re partnering with the Washington State Department of Early Learning (now the Department of Children, Youth & Families) to support preschool quality improvement.
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EducationNearly 90% of high school students in Washington say they want to continue their education after graduation. That’s what Washington STEM learned when they surveyed our state’s high schoolers. Young people are eager to pursue apprenticeships, career certification programs, and two- or four-year college degrees.
Issue Area(s):
Community,Homelessness
We're providing general operating support for Wellspring Family Services to serve low-income and vulnerable individuals, children, and families in Seattle and King County.