King County Elections and Seattle Foundation Award Nearly $1 Million to Community Organizations via Voter Education Fund

Nearly $1 million has been awarded to 23 organizations through the Voter Education Fund, a first-of-its-kind, nationally recognized program from King County Elections (KCE) and Seattle Foundation. VEF is a partnership between government, philanthropy, and community-based partners working together to remove barriers to voting and provide accurate, reliable, and non-partisan voter education and registration, particularly in historically marginalized communities.

Kicking off in July, this cohort brings both new and returning grantees to the program. The Malawi Seattle Association received a seed-level grant in the previous grant cycle. Seed grants go up to $10,000 are for organizations looking to run a specific event or small program. In this cycle, the Malawi Seattle Association is receiving a multiyear grant, which provides up to $50,000 over a two-year period to support longer term civic engagement and voter education.

“This funding represents far more than financial support – it's an investment in our community to give people the power to influence decisions that affect their lives, communities and future,” stated Wezi Longwe, President of the Malawi Seattle Association.

Grants are awarded to 501(c)3 organizations committed to non-partisan voter registration and education work in King County. Organizations receiving funding will attend an orientation and training with King County Elections in July and dive right into a busy primary election season. Awardees receive ongoing training, materials, and technical support to build capacity and effectiveness around voter registration, education, and get-out-the-vote work in the communities they serve.

Previous Voter Education Fund partners have hosted non-partisan candidate forums, created educational videos and materials to break down the voting process, and helped hundreds sign up to receive their ballot and voting materials in one of the six languages Elections provides ballots and voting materials. Voters have gotten registered, learned how to track their ballot, and received vital information about how to vote through the program.

“On behalf of the Greater Seattle Korean Association, we are honored to receive this support and excited to expand our voter education efforts in the Korean American community. With this investment, we look forward to creating meaningful, accessible content and building deeper engagement through both digital outreach and trusted community partnerships,” said Stacy Yun, Secretary General and Program Manager of Greater Seattle Korean Association. The Greater Seattle Korean Association received a multiyear grant.

“Information is access. And access to your vote is just as important as the right to vote itself. We are so proud to provide these grant dollars to our community partners, increasing the vital reach of accurate and reliable information to all corners and communities in King County,” stated Julie Wise, King County Director of Elections. “Over the years, Voter Education Fund partners have helped thousands of voters get registered, get their voting materials in language, and get the information they need to confidently participate in each election. I cannot wait to see the incredible work that will come from this new cohort of partners!”