Multi-year grant supports YWCA’s work to advance opportunity for Washington women & children

Vancouver, WA – YWCA Clark County is one of ten YWCA associations in Washington State receiving an investment from Ballmer Group that will support the economic advancement and safety of local women and children. The $12.1 million grant will be distributed over three years and will benefit more than 55,000 people across Washington State served by the YWCA network annually. 

The funding will bolster a wide array of programs and services delivered by YWCA for employment, safety, and health to meet the immediate needs of vulnerable community members. "We are thrilled by the Ballmer Group’s generous investment in Washington's YWCAs, recognizing our crucial work in supporting women, children, and communities of color," said Brittini Lasseigne, CEO of YWCA Clark County. "This partnership magnifies our ability to create significant, positive change for those most in need across the state. We're honored to be part of this collective effort to empower our communities."

This gift builds on Connie and Steve Ballmer's 30-year legacy of support for the YWCA locally in Seattle and is the first time all YWCA's statewide have received joint funding from Ballmer Group. This approach emphasizes Ballmer Group’s priority of investing in people who live in communities furthest from opportunity. 

"Ballmer Group is pleased to partner with the YWCAs across Washington State," said Andi Smith, Executive Director for Ballmer Group Washington State and National Behavioral Health. "YWCA chapters provide crucial support to women and children and build stronger communities through their focus on housing, health and safety, and economic mobility." 

YWCA has a 130-year long history in Washington State, where it works to improve the lives of women, girls, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. All associations are affiliated with YWCA USA and World YWCA, yet each operates independently within the local community. This means programming each YWCA association is unique, with services designed to meet the needs of its community members. 

YWCA’s services focus on the issue areas of housing stability, health access, gender-based violence, and economic empowerment, centering the needs of women and populations furthest from opportunity. This includes BIPOC women, especially Black women, who are disproportionately impacted by homelessness, poverty, and violence. Most households served by YWCA are led by low-income single women, the majority of whom care for children under 18-years-old, and have been directly impacted by gender-based violence and/or homelessness. 

The ten local associations receiving this grant are: 

• YWCA Bellingham
• YWCA Clark County
• YWCA Kitsap County
• YWCA North Central Washington
• YWCA Olympia
• YWCA Pierce County
• YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish
• YWCA Spokane
• YWCA Walla Walla
• YWCA Yakima

About YWCA Clark County

Celebrating over a century of service, YWCA Clark County has been a pillar in the community for 108 years, steadfast in its mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Annually, we impact the lives of 12,000 women, men, and children in Clark County through a comprehensive suite of programs designed to foster opportunity and equity. Our initiatives address the critical needs of the community, including support for victims of gender-based violence, housing stability, and health access. To learn more about our transformative work and how you can contribute or benefit from our services, visit us at https://ywcaclarkcounty.org.

About Ballmer Group

Ballmer Group is committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States, funding leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to reshape opportunity and reduce systemic inequities. We focus on multiple impact areas and systems that can impact economic mobility - such as early learning, K-12 education, college and career pathways, housing, behavioral health, and criminal justice - and we support leaders and organizations that focus on undoing systemic racism and the barriers it has created. Ballmer Group is both a national and regional funder – we have a presence and invest deeply in southeast Michigan, Washington state, and Los Angeles County. Ballmer Group was co-founded by philanthropist Connie Ballmer and her husband Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts, and chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers. Learn more at www.ballmergroup.org.