Well before the White House’s cascade of executive orders left people anxious about our nation’s economic future, we in Washington state were already grappling with those uncertainties.

Both the newly elected governor and the Washington Legislature entered this year’s session facing tough decisions about maintaining funding for programs and services desperately needed by our state’s 7.8 million residents. And we at United Way of King County feel their pain.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we distributed nearly $1 million a week in federally funded rental assistance on behalf of the county, but that funding was discontinued as the pandemic was declared over. With it, so went the local moratoriums that kept most folks from being evicted from their homes, which means that the need for those federal funds is arguably greater now than it was before.

The Fear of Losing Funding

As we have continued to raise funds to address housing insecurity and our other priorities—such as food insecurity and education—many of the nonprofits we serve fear losing their federal funding amid the current political landscape. Working to meet the ever-increasing needs of communities also comes at a time when we and other nonprofits have had to make tough internal decisions regarding staff and priorities amid tough economic times.  

I have learned that in really challenging moments, those who lead effectively must embrace a clear vision, embody the confidence and courage to make tough decisions, and look to colleagues who can provide advice and counsel. That is the best way to ensure that all decisions are balanced and thoughtful, both short and long-term.

The current political climate at the federal level is affecting all institutions—not just nonprofit and government, but business and philanthropy. As the governor and legislature look to address a significant budget deficit, their decisions are being weighed and scrutinized heavily—and rightfully so. Each line item, whether approved or rejected, will greatly impact far too many people whose lives are dependent on public support.

The Power of Prioritizing Those in Need

We empathize with and acknowledge the challenges for the governor and legislature, and yet we urge them to prioritize the needs of our residents of Washington who have the fewest resources and the greatest needs, those whose well-being is dependent on support from government and nonprofits like United Way.

I surely understand how difficult this is.

When we at United Way saw a decrease in funding that had once enabled us to increase our services, we restructured the organization to continue its ability to provide valued services and advocacy. We challenged ourselves to look at the situation and develop a multi-year approach, balancing the needs of the community and the cost of doing business. We embarked on a challenging and courageous process to develop a multi-year operational plan that carefully balanced the priority of continuing to be a strong community partner even as we anticipated significantly reduced resources.

We were successful in our efforts, thanks to the advice and counsel of our department leaders, staff who manage our programs, stakeholders, and others closest to the community.

We Urge Olympia to Maintain Life-Affirming Public Support

Now, we are actively engaging with the legislature and the governor to listen carefully to the residents who benefit from life-affirming public support, the community-based organizations and nonprofits who help deliver those services, and those of us at United Way who have long been active as a partner of the legislature and governor in areas of human services. We understand that many of these choices are fundamentally about whether certain programs should exist, whether to reduce certain programs, or whether to slow down the growth. Yet, in good times and bad, whether the resources are paltry or plentiful, we must always be concerned about the impact on the people we serve and those who enlist to serve those people.

That is why today, we continue to press our elected leaders to protect those closest to the harm and farthest from the resources. They must find a way to maintain free meals for school children, ensure more families can afford quality child care, and address the state’s affordable housing shortage. We will continue to advocate for these issues and others outlined in our 2025 State Agenda.

We implore every Washington state resident to urge their lawmakers to do the same.

For more information about our advocacy work, check out our Lobby Day’s article.

This article is part of our Statements from Leadership series and was written by United Way of King County President and CEO Gordon McHenry, Jr.