Community News! April 2026
NEWS, STORIES, AND RECENT ARTICLES FROM AND ABOUT COO PARTNERS IN COMMUNITY
This is an online version of our monthly newsletter distributed April 14, 2026. Get all the news by signing up for the monthly newsletter.
Apply to Represent COO on the House Our Neighbors Social Housing Learning Trip This Fall
Members of the House Our Neighbors delegation on the 2024 Vienna social housing trip.
COO has the opportunity to send one (1) person from our network to represent COO in this year’s House our Neighbors (HON) social housing learning trip to Vienna the week of September 20. Our Learning Community will cover the major travel costs for that person. The group will tour and learn directly from social housing residents, staff, and researchers in one of the most established social housing regions in the world. We welcome anyone in the COO network who is actively working on housing policy to apply for this opportunity. We will accept applications until 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 21.
Learn More and Apply
Liberatory Governance Training Returns – Apply Now
The popular Liberatory Governance and Leadership training from alterNative consulting will be offered in June and July through our Learning Community. It’s a four-month virtual learning circle series designed to help community leaders, staff, and board members learn how to strategically and intentionally leverage governance and leadership to transform how power flows, how systems are structured, and how culture is felt at the organizations.
The training is offered at no cost, and participants are eligible for a stipend. Applications are due Monday, May 11.
Governance Group Meets for Planning and Reflection in Heartfelt Space
Collage of scenes from the day, clockwise from upper left: Aaron Garcia; Jackie Vaughn; Yordanos Teferi, Martha Guerrero, and Leila Batmanghelidj; Najmah Messiah; Dr. Jamalia Jones; Tyler Crone; Sili Savusa; Sili again with Lydia Assefa-Dawson, Matias Valenzuela, and Michael Seiwerath; and finally, in the center, James Lovell and Yordanos Teferi. Photos by COO.
The Communities of Opportunity Governance Group – officially called the COO-Best Starts for Kids Advisory Board/Governance Group (GG) – met for its annual Retreat Friday, March 27, at the White Center HUB.
GG members and staff came together to reflect on the impact of COO’s work to build power to improve community conditions in King County. COO staff led a participatory activity in which attendees identified specific recent accomplishments by COO partners in economic opportunities, housing, strategic community connections, and health in the county.
As part of the launch of COO’s strategic planning process, Governance Group members invited the Executive Office and Public Health and Best Starts leaders to portions of the retreat to share context and plan for levy renewal and support for COO in the next years.
Attendees included Tyler Crone, Executive Office, Community Relations; Nadine Chan, Division Director, Health Sciences; and Dr. Jamalia Jones and Megan McJennett from Best Starts for Kids leadership.
This year’s retreat convened in what is probably the most significant and heartfelt setting for COO in all of King County – the newly opened HUB’s Savusa Hall. Years ago, COO provided the seed funding for the White Center community partnership that eventually developed the HUB and the affordable housing next door. Now, the HUB’s multipurpose community space is named for Sili Savusa – the former longtime director of the White Center CDA, now Executive Director of Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington, and co-founder of COO.
Co-op Events Explore Restaurants, Dietitians, Real Estate Appraisers
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson (left) was a special guest at an event that featured speakers (center, top) Zach Pacleb; (top right) Cheryl Markham, Ben Curran, and Mark Paschal; (bottom right) our host from Watershed, Ben Curran; and (bottom center) Nathan Britton, Cheryl Markham, and Ben Curran. Photos by COO.
The latest event in Communities of Opportunity’s Learning Community series about cooperative & community ownership explored Restaurant Worker-Ownership Transitions.
We met Monday, March 23 at Watershed Pub & Kitchen near Northgate Mall in Seattle. Our panelists ranged from the successful restaurant co-ops Pidgin Cooperative and Jude’s Oldtown, to Watershed, whose owners are converting to an employee-owned model this year, to a values-based community-investor in Pidgin. Another speaker was Cheryl Markham, one of the few attorneys in Washington state (or maybe the only one) advising co-ops as they get established.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson was a special guest, along with her family. She talked about her interest in co-ops as a model for economic opportunity and stability, as well as a space for strengthening democratic practices.
Scenes from the Dietitians and Appraisers co-op event
Earlier in the month, the group gathered at the Delridge branch of Seattle Public Library to hear about dietitians and counselors co-ops. Maria Taylor talked about Common Table Nutrition Collective, the co-op she founded with other dietitians; and Dallas T. Kiedrowski described the co-op he’s establishing for real estate appraisers.
The Learning Community hosts these events in partnership with Seattle Cooperators Meetup. Follow the Learning Community to hear about the next event.
PNW Fellows Launched March 27
The 2026 Powerful Narratives Work (PNW) Fellowship – a program of the COO Learning Community – gathered for their launch day in the White Center HUB’s Learning Lab on March 27.
In this second year of the program, the cohort is building skills, tools, and knowledge to move forward a shared narrative and narrative change strategy for a regional Solidarity Economy, and greater economic justice and well-being. The program will move forward over the course of the next 6 months, and this year includes shared professional development opportunities and a shared narrative platform for storytelling with the CityCast Seattle podcast.
Resource Media, our partners on this program, shared this slideshow from launch day; and here’s a highlights reel from last year’s Fellowship final session and celebration. We’ll be sharing more about the Fellows soon.
Coming Soon: NextCycleWA Pilot Launched April 8
Our partnership with NextCycle Washington launched on April 8 – watch for more about that in our next issue!
Social Media Updates! Connect With Us
We hope you’ll follow us on our social media platforms, including Instagram and our LinkedIn page, where we share news and opportunities that happen between newsletters.
For job fairs, trainings and other career and professional development resources, you can join the list for our Workforce Development newsletter. You can also check out our Workforce Development Opportunities web page, for training and other opportunities that are open year round, with no imminent application due dates.
Community News!
Build 2 Lead Hosts Another Successful Melanin and Medicine for Young People
Scenes from Melanin and Medicine, clockwise from top left: The room cheers as a dance team from Fearless Dance Studio performs; (top right) Communities in Schools of South King County and (middle right) Surge Reproductive Justice were part of the health fair; (lower right) students learn how to do sutures; (bottom center) Najmah Messiah, Dairyona Thompson, and Shylene Vang are praised by Jimmy Brown for organizing the event; (lower left) Omari and Ashleigh from Converge Media.
Build 2 Lead held its 4th Annual Melanin and Medicine event March 31-April 2, their premier event focusing on closing gaps in access, representation, and economic opportunity within healthcare career pathways. The event kicked off with the online premiere of their new documentary, “It’s In Me,” on March 31.
Then on April 2, the primary event day, more than 130 young people attended “a day filled with inspiration, connection, and impact,” said Build 2 Lead. Students came from schools and organizations that included Federal Way School District middle and high schools, Rainier Scholars, Renton High School, and Auburn Mountainview.
The students attended hands-on learning sessions with healthcare professionals from local healthcare organizations and research institutes, visited a health resource fair, and enjoyed a spirited talent show. COO staff and other Public Health – Seattle & King County staff were delighted to support the event as volunteers along with other local professionals. The resource tables included COO partners Communities in Schools of South King County and Surge Reproductive Justice, as well as Public Health and other organizations. The South King Fire Department EMT team not only did a presentation, but also invited students to visit the fire truck parked outside the building.
There was a great emphasis on capturing the story of this work. Converge Media was there to capture footage and do interviews, and will be releasing a video story about the event on their large platforms across social and digital media. We’ll share it when it’s published!
Coalition members celebrate the passage of the bill. Photo Credit: Casa Latina’s LinkedIn page. You may remember this photo from last month!
Partners Educate Communities on New Domestic Workers Law
The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights takes effect on July 1, 2027. Multiple partners advocated for this new law, including our funded partners Casa Latina and Fair Work Center. The partners are now working over the next year to educate communities about this new law.
South Seattle Emerald covered the bill’s passage and the next steps in its implementation. Read the story: Nannies, Housekeepers, and Other Domestic Workers to Gain State Protections in WA
The lead image from the new newsletter.
SVHSC Debuts Its Newsletter
Snoqualmie Valley Human Services Coalition has launched a new newsletter to share updates about their collaborative work and opportunities to share your voice, as well as professional development resources and funding opportunities. To subscribe, contact the Coalition.
The Coalition is a growing network of organizations and community members working together to make human services more accessible - ensuring everyone in the valley has access to the resources they need. The work is coordinated by A Supportive Community For All, which provides staffing, infrastructure, and strategic guidance to advance shared goals. The Coalition is a funder partner of COO.
Surge Rooted in Care Event: Resources, Diapers, and Film Screening
Surge Reproductive Justice partnered with My Time for Massage to host the “Rooted in Care” event this past Saturday, April 11 at Rainier Arts Center. The event provided resources to parents and raised awareness of the high rates of local Black maternal and infant mortality.
Before the event, Surge leader Jackie Vaughn talked about building power for Black liberation on Converge Media’s “We Live in Color” show with Deaunte Damper. Jackie was also featured in a South Seattle Emerald story about the Rooted in Care event. In that story, the Emerald wrote that the recent Washington State Department of Health report on maternal mortality showed that 82% of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable, with Indigenous, Pacific Islander, and Black families having the highest rates. The event was a local kickoff for the national Black Maternal Health Week this week -- April 11-17 -- with the theme “Rooted in Justice & Joy.”
Jackie Vaughn with host Deaunte Damper.
Doulas For All Talks About New Directory, Other Services on FOX 13
Doulas For All Coalition recently reported that Washington state has officially funded $1 million for the Washington State Doula Hub and the Directory & Referral System. Coalition members Jazmin Williams of BLKBRY and Tabitha Milian were interviewed on Seattle’s FOX 13 to talk about the birth doula services that are now available across the state. Watch the Facebook reel with the interview.
PNW Fellow Publishes Cham Cuisine Cookbook
Nurhalizah (left) with her team at the 2025 PNW celebration.
Nurhaliza Mohamath, one of our inaugural Powerful Narratives Work Fellows in 2025, has published a new cookbook, “My Cham Tongue.” In the book, Nurhaliza weaves breathing Cham food culture into the broader context of Cham history.
Nurhaliza is a Saigon-born, Seattle-raised, Muslim descendant of Bangsa Champa, immigrating to the Rainier Valley or Occupied Duwamish Territory in 2002. She is a community member, storyteller, eldest daughter of Cham refugees who believes in collective liberation and reclamation by ways of food sovereignty and justice for our economies and land.
Read the South Seattle Emerald story about the project: In a New Cookbook, Author Nurhaliza Mohamath Serves Up Cham Cuisine and Culture
Chief Seattle Club Hosts Executive Announcement on “Breaking the Cycle”
When King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced his new Breaking the Cycle initiative recently, he chose a significant setting: Sweetgrass Flats. This building developed by Chief Seattle Club provides permanent supportive housing for American Indians and Alaska Natives who had experienced chronic homelessness. “Breaking the Cycle” is intended to open 500 units, a mix of shelter and affordable housing, in 500 days.
Chief Seattle Club said that the new initiative “is a bold new plan to help break the cycle of homelessness, addiction, and incarceration, and provide long-term solutions centered on data, accessibility, and stability.” Chief Seattle Club is a COO funded partner. Read their Instagram post about the event.
Supporting Legacy Homeowners in the Central District – KUOW Interviews Wa Na Wari
Wa Na Wari’s CACE21 project was recently featured on the Seattle Now show on KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio. CACE21 project lead researcher Dr. Kristin McCowan talked about what they found in research with residents about policies and practices that have affected Black homeowners in the Central District, including the rising cost of property taxes.
The Central Area Cultural EcoSystem, 21st Century (CACE 21) is a community organizing initiative that seeks to build community power and capacity among Black Central District homeowners and Black cultural workers to advocate for land use policies that lower the barriers to creating more cultural spaces based on the Wa Na Wari model. CACE21 is a previously funded partner of COO.
Look2Justice Featured at Conference on the Carceral System
Look 2 Justice Co-Founder Dr. Chelsea Moore delivered the opening keynote speaker at the Evolving Carceral Landscape in America conference, April 10-11 at Princeton University. Dr. Moore was representing both ACLU-WA and Look2Justice.
In addition, Look 2 Justice’s currently incarcerated Executive Director, Christopher Blackwell, spoke on the conference’s War on Drugs panel. Students for Prison Education, Abolition and Reform (SPEAR) is a Princeton University-based student organization that educates, advocates, and agitates against the carceral state on Princeton’s campus, in New Jersey, and beyond. Look 2 Justice is a COO funded partner.
Partner Events
Upcoming Partner Events Include:
Saturday, April 18
Every Month is Black History Month, at Northwest African American Museum; and
Black Earth Day, Genesee Park
Wednesday, April 22
Renters' Rights and Advocacy Workshop, Queer Power Alliance
Thursday, April 23
Sustainability Innovations Summit, Housing Development Consortium - Seattle & King County
Thursday, April 23 - Sunday, April 26
Seattle/King County Clinic at Seattle Center
Find more partner and other community events on the Community Events calendar on our website. You can now view it as a calendar layout or the new list format.
Visit our Community Events Calendar for COO and partner events!
Other Opportunities
Nonprofits – Apply For the King County Employee Giving Program by April 21
Your nonprofit organization can apply to join the King County Employe Giving Program until April 21. For eligible nonprofits, our employees can support your organization through various donation methods, especially during our Annual Giving Drive, and take advantage of their volunteer time off benefit at your organization. If you’re a community nonprofit partner who’s already part of the program, like many of our COO funded partners, remember to renew your application. Learn More and Apply/Renew for KCEGP
Help Rename a South Seattle Park
Seattle Parks and Recreation is asking community members to submit their ideas for renaming the park located at 700 S. Cloverdale St. in the South Park neighborhood. The City says that this action follows recently reported allegations of sexual abuse against César Chávez, for whom the park was previously named. You can submit your idea for a new name until April 14. Learn more and submit your idea here
King County Play Equity Coalition Seeks Board Members
The King County Play Equity Coalition is opening nominations for its 2026 Board of Directors. The members help shape systems so that all young people, especially those who have been historically excluded - have access to play, movement, and opportunity. Learn more and apply or nominate someone by April 27.
Apply for the Immigrant and Refugee Commission
The King County Immigrant and Refugee Commission (KCIRC) is seeking dedicated people who bring a strong commitment to supporting immigrant and refugee communities to fill five open positions on the commission. The application is open until April 30, 2026. Learn More and Apply
Funding Opportunities
Apply for Grants More Easily -- Create an Agiloft Account Now
If you’re interested, in applying for Best Starts for Kids funding, please plan to set up an Agiloft account first. Agiloft is the contract and invoice management software that includes solicitations, also known as funding opportunities. The Department of Community & Human Services (DCHS) is expanding the use of Agiloft.
To make your future application process as easy as possible, review this announcement from DCHS to get ready. Learn more!
For existing Best Starts partners:
Apply for the Capacity Building Small Grants
Apply By 2:00 p.m. Thursday, April 23, 2026
The purpose of this Request for Application (RFA) is to support community-based organizations (CBOs) that are current awardees of Best Starts funds (who have a Best Starts contract on April 23, 2026). The small grants will support the infrastructure needed to enhance Best Starts partner CBOs’ capacity to provide services and programming. This includes the equipment, systems, resources, and processes that sustain the key functions of an organization. A new focus for this round of Best Starts’ capacity building small grant is prioritization of projects that support the fiscal management capacity. Applicants may request up to $9,999 in their proposed budget.
Learn More about the Capacity Building Small Grants
Best Starts for Kids Prenatal to Five (P-5) Innovation Fund RFP, Round 3
Apply by May 15, 2026 at 2 p.m.
Best Starts for Kids P-5 Innovation Funds aim to build up the power of community-driven Innovation to meet the emergent needs of families in King County. We seek community leaders to design, develop, test, and build the potential of innovative Anti-racist approaches such as policies, programs, products, media, places, and services) centering Black families, Indigenous families, families of color, immigrant and refugee families, LGBTQ+ families, families with disabilities, families involved in the child welfare system, low-income families, and those geographically isolated.
Learn More about P-5 Innovation Funds and the Information Session March 17
For upcoming Best Starts Opportunities, visit the Best Starts Funding Opportunities calendar
Non-Best Starts Opportunities: You can also check out funding opportunities from other agencies and organizations that support groups that promote the health and well-being of our babies, children, and young people on the list maintained by Best Starts for Kids. Read more and see the March-May opportunities!
COO’s List: See funding opportunities from many other funders on our Funding Opportunities page.
Job Opportunities
City of Seattle/Green Seattle Partnership: Senior Green Seattle Partnership Planner – apply by April 21
Lavender Rights Project: Deputy Director, Program and Policy and Community Organizer
REACH: Vice President
United Way of King County: Development Strategy Partner and Project Coordinator, Institutional Philanthropy
White Center Food Bank: Development and Event Coordinator – priority application by April 17
University of Washington: Research Coordinator, Housing Futures Center – apply by April 21
Seattle Parks and Recreation: Senior Green Seattle Partnership Planner – apply by April 21
King County Department of Community and Human Services: Learning Center Seattle Site Manager, Project/Program Manager III – apply by April 18
King County Parks: Capital Project Manager III – apply by April 22
See more job listings on these sites that collect multiple opportunities:
Housing Development Consortium’s job listings from housing organizations
Philanthropy Northwest’s searchable list of positions in development, communications and more
King County, City of Seattle, State of Washington, and other government jobs at www.governmentjobs.com
National Council of Nonprofits searchable list
About This List: These job announcements were current as of Monday night, April 12, 2026. Please check the employer's site for the most current information.
If you have a job to share in next month's issue, please send it to us by April 22. Thanks!