Update: King County awarded $200,000 to 24 organizations to engage members of their communities, and provide meaningful feedback with input directly from the communities most harmed by systems of oppression and racism. Learn more about the partners in this press release.

In the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic and movement for racial justice across the country, King County has sought to actively listen to and effectively resource efforts that meet the needs and demands of local Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) within this community. 

All of King County government is committed to implementing a racially equitable response to declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis that centers the voices and lived experiences of communities impacted most.

Intentional and meaningful community engagement, leading to co-creation, is key to King County’s success in living up to its value of leading with racial justice and effectively becoming a more anti-racist government and region.

The 2021-2022 Proposed Budget makes investments to enhance the county’s approach to working in partnership with the community. King County is partnering with and providing resources to local community-based organizations that serve and are rooted in BIPOC communities.

These efforts will rebuild trust, ensure engagement is equitable, be community-driven, and begin the process of healing trauma caused by structural racism.

There is funding for an initial engagement effort that will invest in partnerships with 25-35 community-based organizations in King County currently serving BIPOC communities. Community partners have the opportunity to be funded at the $5,000, $7,500, to $10,000 levels. Recipients will partner with the county to focus on engaging BIPOC community members about the anti-racist budget proposals and policy agendas created in response to demands expressed by community members during its development.

Letters of intent should be sent to Calli Knight at cknight@kingcounty.gov no later than 5:00pm on Friday, October 30, 2020.

Organizations will be notified about whether they are selected for funding no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, November 13, 2020.

Learn more about the letters of intent process:

• Racism is a Public Health Crisis Engagement Scope of Work
• Eligible organizations will engage their communities/constituencies on King County’s anti-racist budget proposals, anti-racist policy agendas in King County, and in partnership with others.

Additional King County commitments to community engagement are linked here.

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