Community Roots Holding Foundation

TO SUSTAIN OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT SPECIFIC INITIATIVES OF COMMUNITY ROOTS HOUSING (FORMERLY CAPITOL HILL HOUSING).

THE COMMUNITY ROOTS HOUSING FOUNDATION UNDERTAKES ANNUAL FUNDRAISING FOR UNRESTRICTED FUNDS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ROOTS' GENERAL OPERATING NEEDS. UNRESTRICTED FUNDS SUPPORT COMMUNITY ROOTS' CORE ACTIVITIES IN THE SEATTLE AREA BUILDING NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES AS WELL AS OPERATING AND MAINTAINING AN EXISTING PORTFOLIO OF NEARLY 1,600 AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR OVER 2,000 RESIDENTS. THIS SUPPORT ENABLES COMMUNITY ROOTS TO CREATE AFFORDABLE, QUALITY PLACES TO LIVE THAT ARE CLOSE TO SCHOOLS, JOBS, AND TRANSIT SO A FAMILY DOES NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PAYING RENT AND BUYING GROCERIES. TODAY, COMMUNITY ROOTS HAS THE LARGEST PIPELINE OF NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS IN THE ORGANIZATION'S HISTORY, WITH MORE THAN 1,500 NEW UNITS TO BE DELIVERED IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS.

THE FOUNDATION MOBILIZES BOTH RESTRICTED FUNDS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ROOTS HOUSING'S RESIDENT SERVICES PROGRAM. RESIDENT SERVICES PARTNERS WITH RESIDENTS TO ENCOURAGE SUCCESSFUL TENANCY AND HOUSING STABILITY THROUGH RESOURCE AND REFERRAL SERVICES, SUPPORTIVE PROGRAMMING, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THE PROGRAM IS GROUNDED IN THE BELIEF THAT WHEN RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE SERVICES AND SUPPORT THEY NEED TO THRIVE AND NOT JUST SURVIVE, IT CREATES CASCADING IMPACTS OF HOUSING STABILITY, RESILIENCY, AND COMMUNITY CONNECTEDNESS.

THE FOUNDATION ALSO MOBILIZES RESTRICTED FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE CAPITOL HILL ECODISTRICT, A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN INITIATIVE THAT PROMOTES AN ENVIRONMENTALLY RESILIENT, SOCIALLY EQUITABLE, AND CULTURALLY VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOOD IN SEATTLE'S CENTER CITY. THE ECODISTRICT PARTNERS WITH A RANGE OF COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING RESIDENTS, SMALL BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, CITY OF SEATTLE AGENCIES, AND MAJOR INSTITUTIONS TO TEST INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE LIVABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED URBAN VILLAGE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

IN ADDITION TO ANNUAL FUNDRAISING FOR ONGOING PROGRAMS AND GENERAL OPERATIONS, THE FOUNDATION ALSO SUPPORTS SPECIAL INITITATIVES OF COMMUNITY ROOTS HOUSING. IN 2021, THIS INCLUDED THE RISE TOGETHER, A COLLABORATIVE $40 MILLION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN THAT LAUNCHED IN LATE 2017. THE CAMPAIGN, LED BY SIX PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, IS SUPPORTING SIX EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN THE SEATTLE AREA THAT ADDRESS URGENT NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES INCLUDING HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, DISPLACEMENT, COMMUNITY HEALTH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION. MUCH OF THE CAPITAL FUNDS ARE FLOWING THROUGH THE FOUNDATION, THOUGH A SIGNIFICANT PORTION IS ALSO BEING SECURED BY CAMPAIGN PARTNERS. THE CAMPAIGN HAS LED TO THE LARGEST PRIVATE GIFTS IN THE FOUNDATIONS HISTORY, INCLUDING MULTIMILLIONDOLLAR GRANTS. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A SPECIAL INITIATIVE IS THE COVID-19 RESILIENCE FUND, WHICH WAS LAUNCHED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND LARGELY SUPPORTED RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR COMMUNITY ROOTS RESIDENTS THROUGH PHILANTHROPIC GIFTS. THIS EFFORT RAISED OVER $600,000 IN 2020 AND WAS THEN CONTINUED AT A MUCH MORE MODEST SCALE IN 2021 WHEN GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE BECAME AVAILABLE.