The COO Learning Community leverages the power of collective knowledge to accelerate change. We are currently growing the number of resources, opportunities and platforms available through the Learning Community — look here for current opportunities available to community partners.
Through community-driven partnerships, we are creating greater racial, economic, and health equity that enables all people in King County to thrive and prosper.
ABOUT US
Communities of Opportunity is a network of residents, communities, decision-makers, and funders who believe every community can be a healthy, thriving community—and that equity and racial justice are both necessary and achievable. We are dedicated to eliminating racial, health, and economic disparities and to transforming how we create health and well-being for all people. Together, we’re advancing community-based priorities, tapping into existing community expertise and leadership, and shaping policies to promote equity.
Our
Impact
Starting in 2014 as a partnership between King County and the Seattle Foundation, the initiative has grown to more than 150 organizations partnering together, with the voices of hundreds of community members guiding the way.
Our Work
When community members have voice and power in the decisions that impact their communities, and express it through civic engagement and leadership, it leads to broader community and policy changes that assure racial, health, and economic equity. Therefore, three reinforcing elements are at the heart of Communities of Opportunity.
Geographic & cultural community partnerships
Policy & systems change
Learning community
This new process of empowering local communities to identify their priorities, which exist at the intersection of health, housing and economic opportunity will bring positive changes to places throughout King County that have struggled for much too long.
The Latest
Communities Rise offers FREE monthly legal clinics to provide legal assistance to Washington-based small businesses and nonprofits! Legal clinics are held virtually via Zoom video call. Qualifying clients are paired with an attorney for a free 1-hour limited engagement legal consultation to discuss business-transactional matters.
This event marks a significant milestone in the growth and commitment of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) to fostering entrepreneurship and bolstering small business growth within the King County service area.
¡Evento GRATIS para toda la comunidad! Traiga a sus amigos, familiares y vecinos para comprar, comer y apoyar a las empresas locales. No se pierda un evento divertido y la oportunidad de ganar premios gratis.
This gathering will center the Road Map Project Community Leadership Team (CLT) work to recognize, uplift, and celebrate the cherished Blackness our communities show. Earlier this year, the CLT authored and published their Black Community Statement of Love; for this convening, CCER is centering this statement and what it represents.
On Thursday, September 7th at 5:30 p.m., a free overdose prevention and response training will take place on zoom. The one-hour training is for the public and professionals interested in updates on drug trends and being trained in overdose prevention. All are welcome to attend.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has released a new research funding opportunity through the Systems for Action Research Program to award studies rigorously testing innovative approaches of helping medical, social and public health systems work together to dismantle systemic racism and address the health and social needs of people experiencing health inequities. Each study supported by the S4A program must examine a novel approach to systems alignment that engages partners from medical care, public health, and social services systems in collaborative efforts to dismantle structural and systemic racism and improve health equity.
Major Grant and Nimble Grant opportunities are now open. Learn more about these Health Equity Funds grants focused on addressing health disparities in King County and the Puget Sound region…
Partners for Places aims to enhance local capacity to build equitable and sustainable communities in the United States and Canada. These one-to-one matching awards support the planning and implementing of urban sustainability and green stormwater infrastructure projects. These one-to-one matching awards provide partnership investments between $45,000 and $150,000 for one-year projects, or between $75,000 and $180,000 for two-year projects, with one or more local foundations required to provide at least a 50% matching grant.
The purpose of the proposed work is to identify, spread, and grow successful policies and systems; support new communities to take action; and encourage communities to move up the ladder of engagement, taking actions that achieve cross-sector partnerships and put sustainable, systems-level policies and programs in place. Communities that are primed for change may use this support to mobilize more effectively to improve indoor environments or expand and sustain existing efforts.
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy invites proposals for original research that can be applied to address the challenge of promoting the fiscal health of municipal governments in a range of contexts and institutional settings across the world. Of particular interest is research that explores the ways sound urban planning, land-based taxation, and economic development combine with disciplined financial management to promote prosperous, sustainable, equitable, and fiscally healthy communities.
The Lincoln Institute seeks research proposals on approaches the public sector uses to quantify the value it adds to private land through its actions—a critical step toward recovering at least part of that added value to reinvest in projects or services that benefit communities
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) will award up to $4 million in grants through the Evidence for Action (E4A) program to support research driven by Indigenous communities focused on advancing “upstream” solutions to promote health equity and wellbeing for Indigenous Peoples. The term “upstream” refers to systems, structures, laws, policies, norms, and practices that determine the distribution of resources and opportunities, which in turn influence individuals’ choices and behaviors.
The Powering Climate & Infrastructure Careers Challenge, an initiative of the Families and Workers Fund, is designed to support the state and local agencies, education and training providers, communities, small businesses, and workers at the forefront of this effort. From an open application, the Challenge will deploy flexible, gap-filling philanthropic funding and technical assistance to scale inclusive workforce development, support effective planning and implementation, and deliver uplifting careers.
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has opened its 2024 Community Forestry Assistance Grant cycle to communities with urban forestry projects. Applications are due by January 8, 2024. At least fifty percent of all funding is dedicated to communities containing high environmental health disparities. Awards range from $10,000 to $350,000. Funds will support both single-year projects, as well as those that take multiple years to implement.
Conservation Futures grants can help acquire parks and open spaces for passive recreation. Grants may help purchase or conserve urban greenspaces, natural areas, forests, community gardens, farms, and trails – including stormwater parks or parks near affordable housing. Acquisitions serving historically underserved communities may qualify for a match waiver to cover the full purchase price.
In this second part of the Commercial Affordability Summit recap, read about other current programs and models of commercial affordability and access to capital and support for small business and entrepreneurs: from those led by the City of Seattle such as Restored; to some of the most community rooted examples of commercial affordability projects.
With the Commercial Affordability Summit convening, COO sought to share what we learned from the pilot project, which concluded in 2022, and provide a platform for learning about additional strategies, models and programs that are currently being designed and implemented in support of an equitable and thriving small businesses environment and greater economic justice.
CCER is hosting its first regional convening since 2020! Please join us at the Regional Alignment Convening where we will center the Road Map Project Community Leadership Team (CLT) work to recognize, uplift, and celebrate the cherished Blackness our communities show.
NextCycle WA is seeking applicants to receive business & technical support on projects that aim to accelerate the circular economy in Washington! Applications are being accepted now through January 26, 2024. The Circular Accelerator Program consists of competitive challenges designed to identify and support promising circular businesses and projects. Applicants are selected for a six-month program to advance their ventures.
COO drives change through investing in the groups, models, infrastructure and connections that build community power — in COO’s Learning Community strategy, the initiative resources the infrastructure, sustained capacity, and spaces for strengthened connections for community organizations’ to build and pilot innovative work and operationalize equity.
Through this program, New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN), and its partners will deliver meticulously crafted capacity building courses and tailored hands-on technical assistance to fortify partnerships. These offerings are rooted in the understanding that creating enduring partnerships between economic development organizations and community-based organizations are essential to achieving lasting, equitable, and inclusive economic development strategies and funding coalitions.
Stories and news from across the COO network as well as some of the impacts on systems and policy led by groups working to build community power and community health and well-being.
COO convenes partners from across the network and from across geographies to come together and build greater connections for an ecosystem moving in alignment and cooperation for greater equity, justice and well-being for all. Learn more about our upcoming convening and some of what has guided the planning and agenda.
Communities of Opportunity (COO) and Grow America (formerly National Development Council) hosted this 3 session Asset Management Training series for community-based organizations or individuals that own real estate, are developing a space to own, or considering ownership in the future.
A roundup of community partner news and stories of impact in the media for October 2023!