This blog post was written by Anna Cronin, United Way of King County’s chief philanthropy officer.

I grew up in Seattle, the daughter of hippies from Montana and Minnesota who protested wars and frequently spoke about equity, belonging, feminism, and the importance of being a helper. I also had the great benefit of attending school in Seattle, where a mandatory busing program brought kids together from disparate neighborhoods, creating truly diverse educational environments.

Maple Elementary on Beacon Hill was where I learned next to kids whose families, religions, backgrounds, and experiences looked nothing like my own. Every day following the Pledge of Allegiance, we would repeat the Maple Creed: I believe that people of all races built this country, and I believe that people of all races make this country great.

Later, as a sophomore at Franklin High School, I was assigned a research paper to explore the difference in prison sentencing for crack cocaine and powder cocaine – a clear example of systemic racism. All these experiences seeped into my bones, showing me the richness and importance of diversity and racial equity.

That foundation helped point me toward a career in nonprofits, where I’ve spent nearly two decades as a communications and fundraising professional. My experience has taken me from small grassroots organizations to large complex systems. Still, I have always been laser-focused on building support for those furthest away from justice and equity.

The roles I’ve held have also helped me see the full scope of a fundraising program, having spent time as a one-person fundraising team, an event fundraiser, and later the leader of large fundraising and communications teams. I’ve raised money from private funders and donors, as well as from public sources, including federal, state, county, and city. I love this work and the opportunity it gives me to connect with people who care deeply about building a better world where everyone can thrive.

We are in a unique and deeply worrisome time. There are challenges that directly affect the safety net and the organizations that help nourish families, provide stable housing, uplift opportunity, and work toward the myriad ways our neighbors need and deserve support. As I write this, nearly a million Washingtonians are at risk of losing SNAP benefits in just a few short days—34% of those million neighbors are children. We are on the precipice of an unprecedented hunger cliff, and our eroded safety net must hold.

I had someone recently ask if philanthropy was the right place to fix what is currently broken. My answer was no—government should be the body that helps build and sustain our safety net. But at this moment, as the government slashes funding and rewrites policies that erase decades of evidence-based best practices, philanthropy is the only available tool to stand in the gap. We need philanthropy to meet this moment with as much generosity as we can muster.

We live in one of the wealthiest cities in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. I’ve witnessed firsthand the incredible ways that donors, corporations, and funders show up and partner with organizations like United Way of King County to co-create a better world. I have no doubt that the communities of supporters who stand behind United Way of King County will show up in full force, with generosity, curiosity, and partnership, and I couldn’t be prouder to be your new Chief Philanthropy Officer and embark on my journey here.