Submitted by BECU.
The BECU Foundation today announced the 2022 nonprofit recipients of its inaugural Housing Stability Grant. Through an invitation-only submission process, eight local nonprofit organizations were awarded grants of $100,000 each to help prevent homelessness in BECU’s service areas and support financial well-being.
“As a cooperative, we are committed to combatting the challenges facing our members and communities. To support this work, the BECU Foundation expanded our philanthropic efforts to include grantmaking that addresses systems of economic inequity and assists nonprofits in their fight against housing insecurity,” said Gloria Dixon, BECU’s director of Philanthropy and executive director of the BECU Foundation. “Through the Housing Stability Grant, our goal is to stabilize housing for those at risk of losing their home and help individuals and families overcome barriers during times of financial hardship.”
Selected nonprofits will direct grant funds to areas focused on preventing homeowner foreclosure and renter eviction, including:
- Mortgage or rent payment assistance due to loss of income and/or owing back mortgage
- Foreclosure or eviction prevention and diversion counseling
- Mediation between landlords and tenants
- Case management (as part of housing stability)
- Legal services or attorney’s fees related to foreclosure or eviction proceedings and maintaining housing
- Specialized services for individuals with disabilities or seniors
- Fair housing counseling
The 2022 Housing Stability Grant awardees ($100,000 each) include:
Homeowner Foreclosure Prevention
- Northwest Justice Project: Provides free legal assistance to address fundamental human needs such as housing, family safety, income security, health care and education in Washington state.
- Rebuilding Together South Sound: Repairs homes and nonprofit facilities in Seattle’s South Sound.
- SNAP Financial Access: Delivers financial education, training, consultation, and access to loans to help entrepreneurs and first-time borrowers succeed in Spokane, Wash.
Renter Eviction Prevention
- Byrd Barr Place: Offers essential services such as food, shelter, warmth and financial tools for neighbors in Seattle’s Central District to build stability and self-sufficiency.
- El Centro de la Raza: Builds community in Washington state through unifying all racial and economic sectors, organizing and defending the basic human rights of vulnerable and marginalized populations, and bringing critical consciousness, justice, dignity and equity to all the peoples of the world.
- Housing Justice Project (King County Bar Association): Provides free legal help to renters in King County, Wash. who are at risk of eviction.
- Multi-Service Center: Addresses the causes and barriers of poverty and homelessness in Federal Way, Wash. with comprehensive and holistic services that help lift people from crisis and vulnerability.
- Solid Ground: Works to end poverty and undo racism and other oppressions that are the root causes of poverty in Seattle.
In addition, the following seven nonprofits each received $10,000 to support the general operation of their organization:
- Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services
- Freedom Church of Seattle
- Interim CDA
- Mi Centro
- Neighbors Together
- Parkview Services
- Tacoma Urban League
As part of its philanthropic commitments, last year the BECU Foundation also awarded up to $865,000 to nine local organizations dedicated to environmental sustainability through its Green Equity Initiative.
The BECU Foundation is an independent nonprofit corporation that is provided with financial and other support from BECU.
Now that BECU reveals it’s mission includes philanthropy, we will be moving our CDs to other credit unions consistently returning 1%+ higher interest. BECU decision executives diverting deposits from earning competitive interest rates are ignoring the realities of survival on fixed incomes.