United Way Champions

Together, we’re building a community where people have homes, students graduate and families are financially stable.

UNITED WAY CHAMPIONS

Local solutions. Lasting impact.

Lak Lakshmanan and his son stand before the city of Seattle skyline

“This sort of need – as a result of the pandemic – is something I couldn’t have anticipated and I’m glad United Way was there.”

—Lak Lakshmanan| Director, Google Cloud

The impacts of the pandemic will be particularly hard on our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness. We appreciate that United Way was already on the ground addressing homelessness with smart and effective solutions and are proud to support that continued work.

Norm and Lisa Bontje

When we saw the devastating impact of the pandemic on so many families and young people in our region, we knew we had to help. We’re grateful to the United Way of King County for stepping up to address the drastically increased needs, and to provide the vehicle for us to do our part.

Tod Leiweke, CEO, Seattle Kraken

When we broke ground on the Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle became our home away from home. We are committed to this great city and the people in it and grateful that United Way of King County is here to help families navigate and emerge from this challenging time.

—Tim Leiweke, CEO, Oak View Group

We love United Way because the organization embodies our idea of community. We believe that a society which acknowledges interconnectivity as a value and protects the health and happiness of community members as such is where we want to live. We are proud that United Way is committed to that work.

—Ambika Singh and Shankar Sundaram

The United Way of King County’s rapid and continued response to COVID-19 is providing critical relief to tens of thousands of families and individuals in King County. Their role as community leader, steward, and investor is key to moving the region through and beyond this current crisis.

—David Bonderman, Chairman and Majority Owner, Seattle Kraken

Following the onset of COVID-19 and the resulting impacts on so many families in our community, United Way’s leadership is more important than ever and we are proud to increase our support in this time of extraordinary need.

—David Wright, Vice Chair and Investor, Seattle Kraken

I tend to think globally, but I really like how United Way is tackling problems here locally. They’re able to take programs to scale and the results are impressive.

—Bradley Dillon

I like that United Way invests in concrete initiatives like the Parent-Child Home Program. It has a long lasting impact on kids’ lives.

—Will Strong

United Way is there for the people who need it. We know they make the most of our investment every year.

—Doug and Maryann Orwiler

Jonathan Sposato ad Heather Lowenthal

Our friends in tech ask why we support United Way. For us, we literally can’t think of a more powerful and turnkey platform to amplify our efforts so that everyone thrives. And none of us thrives unless everyone thrives.

—Heather Lowenthal and Jonathan Sposato

We support United Way as the best manager of our investment in the community we love. Their expertise increases the impact of our gifts on the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors.

—Barrie and Richard Galanti

Our family cares deeply about education. United Way’s work to help low-income college students complete a degree or certification helps break the cycle of poverty for so many.

—Suri and Mala Raman

United Way is all of us. Together, we take on homelessness, the achievement gap and financial instability, leveraging smart solutions that change lives.

—Margaret Meister and Joan McBride

Stay connected in this time of social distancing. Make a big, lasting impact. Join forces with our forward-thinking, game-changing United Way Champions when you make a gift of $10,000 or more.

For more information or to make your Champion gift, email James Modie or call (206) 461-4515.

The Impact of Your Investment

United Way Champions make a generous gift of $10,000 annually in our community. These dollars are then intentionally invested into our community with a focus on racial equity because we know that we have years of institutional racism that we’re working against to ensure people have homes, students graduate and families are financially stable.

Fighting Homelessness

Your support allows us to focus on eviction prevention, jobs and homes—proven approaches that bring results.

Results:

Last year with your investment, 2,272 people moved off the streets through Streets to Home. Through partnering with property management companies and hundreds of landlords, 8,100 people impacted by COVID-19 were able to receive rental assistance and stay in their homes.

Helping Students Graduate

We start by helping low-income children prepare for kindergarten. For young people 16-21 who have not graduated, we help them get back on track.

Results:

ParentChild+ works with 1,300 low-income families each year to make sure their toddlers succeed out-of-the-blocks in kindergarten. Last year, 6,082 vulnerable students were connected to services on their campuses that increased persistence and completion rates through our Bridge to Finish program.

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

Ensuring people have the tools to break the cycle of poverty and kids have access to nutritious food every day.

Results:

Our Free Tax Preparation sites are completely virtual and volunteers continue to assist with filings given the extension deadline and the increased need for people to keep more of what they earn. This summer, 30,000 kids received free summer meals at schools, parks, community centers and more.


For more information or to make your Champion gift, email James Modie or call (206) 461-4515.


Champion’s Celebration 2022 Slideshow!


Upcoming Events


For more information for Champion events, or to register, please email uwchampions@uwkc.org.

Become a United Way Champion!