Frequently Asked Questions

+ What are “We See You” grants?

We created the Black Future Co-op Fund because it was clear that if we wanted philanthropy to work for Black communities, we needed to build our own model that is by and for Black Washingtonians.

Our aim is to shift the philanthropic paradigm by centering Blackness in everything we do and increase investment in Black-led solutions. Within our first 12 months, we raised significant funds and designed a liberatory grantmaking approach to get funding to the Black-led organizations leading powerful work across Washington.

We call them “We See You” grants to acknowledge the critical efforts that Black leaders and Black-led organizations are doing every day on behalf of Black Washingtonians. Many of which have not been seen or funded by traditional philanthropy.

As part of reshaping philanthropy, our intent with the “We See You” grants is to break down obstacles and make the funds easy to access. There is no application, qualification process, or competition with other organizations. We simply want to say, ‘We see you!’, and provide unrestricted funding for recipients to do what they see fit to advance their mission and work. There are also no reporting requirements.

We trust that Black people know what’s needed in our communities and are doing all they can to foster Black generational wealth, health, and well-being.

+ How does the Fund determine recipients of the “We See You” grants?

We identify prospective grant recipients through conversations with Black Washingtonians throughout the state. We are always in listening and learning mode to get to know the Black leaders and Black-led organizations across Washington and to understand the aspirations, ideas, and needs of Black people and communities statewide.

Following our inaugural We See You grants, we’ve built on what we’ve heard through listening tours and the Black Well-being study to identify focus areas for investment each year. For example, in 2022, we invested in Black-woman-led organizations; in 2023, we granted to arts and education organizations; and, in 2024, we awarded funds to support the rest, healing, and liberation of phenomenal Black leaders who’ve poured themselves into racial justice work throughout their lives.

+ Why did the Fund choose to focus on rest, healing, and liberation for Black nonprofit leaders?

We are prioritizing Black nonprofit leaders because we know and have heard from communities that rest, healing, and liberatory practices are essential to reparations, as well as to make progress toward our collective liberation.

At the end of 2022, we launched Black Well-being: Moving Toward Solutions Together, a report by and for Black people to elevate community-identified approaches that will result in the world we want to see. As part of the report, we conducted a statewide survey, which highlighted themes of rest, healing, and amplifying the fullness and beauty of our community. To continue our learning, we recently carried out a statewide listening tour with Black Washingtonians, from which we heard again the high-priority for rest and healing.

We believe that in order to shift the philanthropic paradigm we need to recognize historical and present-day inequities; shift how we resource people and communities; and normalize rest, healing, and liberatory practices as part of the work.

+ What are the criteria for “We See You” grants?

With our “We See You” grants, we are guided by the following criteria to invest in organizations, fiscally sponsored projects, and nonprofit leaders* in Washington state that:

• Embody why we launched the Fund in the first place: Black liberation;
• Are founded by, led by, and serving Black people;
• Are centering and uplifting Blackness and Black perspectives, experiences, and culture in their work;
• Are providing culturally supportive services, nourishing a pro-Black agenda, building engagement and Black collective power, promoting truthful narratives of Black people, and/or recreating social systems;
• Serve Black people and communities in different parts of the state (with a priority on geographic diversity to reach across the state); and
• May have had less proximity and access to philanthropic or major donor funding in the past.

*For our 2024 We See You grants, we used these same criteria above, plus we considered people’s long-time leadership in communities to advance racial justice and Black liberation.

+ What kinds of activities are supported by these grants?

“We See You” grant recipients are working in a number of areas, including providing culturally relevant education and youth mentoring, powering economic mobility through workforce development and training, advancing civil rights, and facilitating healing from racial trauma through creative arts and culture programs.

Grants are unrestricted funds, meaning organizations or fiscally sponsored projects can direct and use the grant funds as they see fit to further their mission. In 2024, the awards to nonprofit leaders are meant to be used to further rest, healing, and liberation for the recipients in the ways they see fit.

+ What types of organizations or projects is the Black Future Co-op Fund looking to support in the future?

As we are a new organization and in the early stages of developing our grantmaking strategy and programming, we are focused on listening and learning from people and communities across the state, and designing approaches informed and directed by Black Washingtonians.

Part of our intention is to be flexible over time in order to be able to shift our granting areas of focus as is needed to appropriately support our communities. Our current cadence is to award We See You grants annually.

+ Is there a geographic focus for the Fund?

The Black Future Co-op Fund is focused on Washington state. We prioritize Black communities throughout the state, including rural, suburban, and unincorporated places that have historically been overlooked by philanthropy and other major funders.

+ How is the Fund partnering with the BIPOC ED Coalition for the 2024 We See You grants?

The BIPOC ED Coalition is a multicultural, cross-sector collaborative of nonprofit leaders of color working in solidarity to promote wellness and restore resources in Washington communities of color. The coalition is a leader — locally and nationally — in its work to prioritize well-being and offer paid sabbaticals and organizational support for nonprofit leaders of color to experience deep rest and healing.

The Fund is partnering with the BIPOC ED Coalition to offer executive coaching and organizational development support to leaders who would like assistance in planning for rest and/or a potential sabbatical from work. Read more about the importance and impact of rest and healing on individuals, organizations, and communities.

+ How can organizations or communities apply for grants?

Our funding process is generative. We identify prospective organizations through conversations with community. To stay abreast of Fund updates, please sign up for our e-newsletter.

+ I’m a Black-owned business. Can I apply for a grant?

Thank you for powering through as a Black-owned business! We understand Black-owned businesses in Washington have been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting economic recession. At this time, we can only make grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. We cannot grant directly to businesses, LLCs, or individuals. Through our listening tour, we’ve heard that Black-owned businesses are facing challenges with accessing financial resources, such as small business grants, loans, or lines of credit. They are also not connected to other Black businesses and lacking technical assistance support. Hearing and understanding these challenges led us to explore a partnership with the University of Washington Foster School of Business and Bank of America to specifically support Black-owned businesses. Read about our partnership, and contact the Consulting and Business Development Center for information on current opportunities.

+ Who determines how grants are distributed?

The four co-architects of the Black Future Co-op Fund determine the list of grant recipients, which is informed by what we’ve heard from Black Washingtonians across the state. We are four Black women who each lead major social change organizations in Washington state that empower Black leadership. Our decisions are guided by the Fund’s vision of a Washington state, working cooperatively, where all Black people are liberated, prosperous, and self-determined to fully live our lives.

+ I want to donate. Can I designate my funding for a specific project or organization?

You can donate to the Black Future Co-op Fund through the Seattle Foundation, which is where we are currently housed as we are building our organization. Please indicate your specific funding interests in the comments box.

Thank you for your investment in realizing the promise of a Washington state where all Black people are liberated, prosperous, and self-determined. With your support, we can create change together and ignite Black generational wealth, health, and well-being. Your contribution makes the mission and work of the Black Future Co-op Fund possible.