Paul G. Allen Family Foundation giving $1.4M in COVID-19 relief aimed at underserved communities

The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation is giving an additional $1.4 million in relief funds to aid underserved populations across Washington state in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The foundation, originally founded by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and his sister Jody Allen, said Monday the new funding focuses on food security and child care, among other needs, and builds on previous aid totaling $12 million from the foundation.

“We cannot overlook communities that are disproportionately burdened by the economic and social impacts of this pandemic,” Jody Allen, chair of the Allen Family Foundation, said in a news release. “These grants provide resources supporting the urgent needs of vulnerable populations during this unprecedented health and economic crisis.” 

The foundation cited federal data being analyzed by the Washington Office of Financial Management, which has found up to 1.8 million Washingtonians currently experiencing food insecurity, which is double the monthly average before COVID-19. In addition, nearly 16% of child care providers have closed and 48% report that they are at risk of closure.

Grants from the Allen Family Foundation prioritize support to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and LGBTQ+ communities, as well as people living in rural or remote areas who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The following nonprofits received immediate support:

• Na’ah  Illahee Fund’s Native Community Crisis Response Fund will continue to provide flexible direct support to Indigenous communities with a focus on food insecurity, gender-based violence and support to local artists.
• The Potlatch Fund, a longtime partner and advocate for Indigenous people, has provided emergency funding to current and previous grantees based on immediate needs of families and businesses.
• WA Food Fund, a statewide initiative launched to support food banks across the state to meet the high demand for food assistance as a result of the pandemic.
• University of Washington Foundation to support the WAFOOD survey, a joint effort between the UW and Washington State University with collaboration from Tacoma Community College (TCC). The data from the online survey will help inform public agencies and food banks about the needs of people experiencing economic and food insecurity.
• All In WA Child Care Initiative to expand child care for economically vulnerable families with working parents. COVID-19 social distancing restrictions has led to a statewide 47 percent drop in enrollment in licensed care, resulting in significant revenue reductions for child care businesses. To date, the All In WA Child Care Initiative has dispersed 21 grants of more than $2.8 million to organizations with strong relationships among networks of child care providers and the capacity to administer flexible grants to licensed family child care businesses.
• Pride Foundation established their Community Crisis Care Fund to offer direct support to LGBTQ+ communities, which have been deeply affected by the pandemic. In the first four rounds of grant making, Pride Foundation distributed nearly $1 million across the Pacific Northwest.