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Voter education fund
The Voter Education Fund (VEF) is a government, philanthropic, and community partnership to remove barriers to voting.
Led by King County Elections, the Seattle Foundation, and local organizations, the fund provides grants for community-based organizations working to increase access to the ballot among historically excluded communities.
After a successful pilot program in 2016, the VEF was launched in 2017. Over the past several years, VEF partners have registered thousands of Washingtonians to vote, provided non-partisan voter education, and helped many of our neighbors make their voices heard.
About our funding and selection process
Who we fund
- 501c3 organizations (or those who have a 501c3 fiscal sponsor)
- Organizations closely connected to their communities
- Organizations representative of the communities they serve
- Organizations with clear and actionable field plans
We prioritize proposals that seek to decrease inequities in voter registration and voting, specifically in historically disenfranchised communities.
What we fund
Ongoing campaign or events focused on one or more of the following:
- Voter education or outreach informing underrepresented voters about how voting works in King County
- Voter registration activities where our communities work, play, or connect
- Nonpartisan community events on elections and voting
- Culturally appropriate technical assistance in navigating the voting process
- Interpretation and translation services for voters
Selection process
Applications will be reviewed by a panel including members from King County Elections, Seattle Foundation, and community members. Evaluation criteria include:
- Connection with their communities
- Experience in non-partisan voter education and voter programs
- Capacity to complete proposed projects
- Approach to tracking progress
- Detailed field plan and budget
Voter Education Fund grants
Multi-year grants of up to $50,000 over two years
- For organizations looking to increase their reach and build capacity in existing voter education and registration efforts.
This application period is now closed for 2023-2024.
Below is the list of multi-year grantee organizations for this cycle:
- African Community Housing and Development Asian Counseling and Referral Service
- Chinese Information and Service Center
- Eastside for All
- Freedom Project
- Hearing, Speech, & Deaf Center
- Institute for Community Leadership
- Korean American Coalition of Washington
- Latino Community Fund of Washington State
- OneAmerica
- Para Los Niños
- Real Change Homeless Empowerment Project
- Refugee Women’s Alliance
- Somali Family Safety Task Force
- Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness
- The Vera Project
- The Washington Bus Education Fund
- Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
- UTOPIA (United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance)
- Villa Comunitaria
- Voices of Tomorrow
- Washington Indian Civil Rights Commission
Seed grants of $5,000 to $10,000
- For organizations new to voter education and registration, and/or those that provide smaller events and programs.
Applications accepted and grants awarded on a rolling basis.
Organizations who have received seed grants thus far include:
- Alphabet Alliance
- Amigos de Seattle
- El Centro de la Raza
- Entre Hermanos
- Fanikia Foundation
- Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center
- LGBTQ Allyship
- Malawi Seattle Association
- Muslim American Youth Foundation
- Native Vote Washington
- Sea Mar Community Health Center
- Serve Ethiopians Washington
- South Sudan Kuku Association of North America (SSKANA)
- West Hill Community Association
- Wing Luke Museum
- yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective