Strengthening and Expanding Existing Emergency Food Provider Infrastructure

King County provided one-time grants ranging from $50,000-$250,000 to food banks, meal programs, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations and other non-profits to support food security efforts in King County. Priority was given to organizations serving the highest risk populations in areas of the county with limited food resource supports, that could enhance their services quickly, and would prioritize purchasing local and culturally appropriate foods. 

Grant Programs for Farm Businesses

King County has committed nearly $1.4 million in emergency relief funding to assist King County farmers and farmers markets comply with state and County safe operating requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to overcome losses attributable to COVID-19. In addition to supporting farm businesses and farmers markets, the grants program for farm businesses will ensure continued access to fresh, local farm products by income-challenged residents of King County.

K-12 Digital Equity

On September 15, 2020, King County awarded $1 million to the Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) for a K-12 digital equity program to support equitable access to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will provide technology, internet connectivity, and technical assistance to K-12 students disadvantaged by socio-economic circumstances, including historical racial inequities amplified by COVID-19. As appropriate, the program will be extended to caregivers of K-12 students identified for this program and childcare providers supporting remote learning and schoolwork of school-aged children.

PSESD has distributed $344,000 to seven school districts, including the Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, Tukwila, and Seattle. The school districts will use this funding to provide internet connectivity, devices, accessories, and digital literacy support to K-12 students experiencing need. In addition, PSESD has partnered with the Equity in Education Coalition (EEC), which will oversee delivery by its community-based organizations (CBO) partners of $538,000 in digital literacy training and technical assistance.  All communication about the services and resources made available through this program and delivered by PSESD, school districts, and CBOs, including childcare providers serving school-aged children, will be done in the language and form most appropriate given the specific circumstances of students and their caregivers/parents targeted under this program. 

Vulnerable Adults Digital Equity

The Vulnerable Adults Digital Equity program aims to reduce barriers to accessing online resources and digital services at a time when there is an increased reliance on the Internet to access public services and economic relief resources. The program provides the technology, internet connection, and digital literacy to enable beneficiaries to access web-based platforms and applications for housing, economic, health, or other basic benefits, needs, or information necessitated by COVID-19. Through a competitive process, King County partnered with community-based organizations that currently serve seniors, limited-English proficiency, unemployed, and/or homeless adults to carry out this program.  

Grant Recipients - $1.2 million

Small Business Support

King County issued grants to 23 chambers of commerce and CBOs located in incorporated King County to provide marketing, technical assistance, and other related support to small businesses to support safe reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. This program is part of King County’s economic relief and recovery efforts to counter the adverse impacts of COVID-19 on the local economy and small businesses. The grants were distributed to organizations with five or fewer employees.

Grant Recipients - $495,000 

As the local government agency for unincorporated King County, Local Services established a grant program to help small businesses in the unincorporated area maintain viability through the COVID-19 emergency. To date more than 626 businesses have been approved for grants.

Economic relief and recovery grants for cities are intended to help alleviate the significant adverse economic impact of COVID-19 on incorporated municipalities of King County. The funds were distributed to 38 cities in King County (except for the City of Seattle) based on per capita population with a minimum grant of $10,000. Thirty-three cities have accepted the grant funding. Most cities are using the funds for outreach materials about safe reopening, as well as broader marketing and promotion of the cities. Twelve of the cities are using the funds to extend passthrough grants to small businesses.

Grant Recipients - $1.9 million

King County awarded $5,000 grants to 60 chambers of commerce and community-based organizations (CBO) located in incorporated King County whose primary mission is to provide marketing, technical assistance and other related support to small businesses. Examples of CBOs included business improvement areas, downtown partnerships, community development associations, merchant associations, and community business coalitions. The grants were designed to support organizations with 15 or fewer employees.

Grant Recipients - $300,000 ($5,000 each)

Support to Chambers and Community Based Organizations in Unincorporated King County

King County Local Services has funding available to provide to local business chambers and community-based organizations that are directly helping small businesses impacted by COVID-19. These awards are intended to reimburse organizations for the expenses they have incurred assisting small businesses affected by COVID-19.

To ease the economic burden on the tourism industry, King County provided one-time grants to independent live music venues; science organizations that promote tourism; and arts, culture, and science organizations that provide educational programs. Unexpected, mandatory closures due to COVID-19 have had severe adverse economic impacts on these organizations, which rely heavily on tourism. The grant program is designed to serve as economic support during this difficult time and facilitate compliance with the public health safety measures as these organizations begin to reopen, when allowed to do so, with the ultimate objective of supporting the county’s economic recovery, attracting tourists, and enhancing the quality of life for all King County residents.

Grant Recipients - $2.5 million

King County committed $8 million for the development of a comprehensive tourism campaign to stabilize economic losses related to the impacts of COVID-19 on the tourism industry. The goal of these tourism campaigns is to encourage residents and visitors to safely and mindfully support King County businesses, in turn driving overnight stays to revitalize and stabilize the lodging tax. Additionally, reinforcing King County’s robust reputation around prioritizing public healthy safety is a top priority of the campaign.

To implement this program, King County contracted with Visit Seattle ($6M) and Seattle Southside ($2M). Visit Seattle will support countywide recovery efforts and Seattle Southside will focus on South King County. Both Visit Seattle and Seattle Southside will collaborate and coordinate with Visit Bellevue, Visit Issaquah, and the Woodinville Chamber, among others, to ensure all corners of the county are represented and see the benefits from this effort.

To maximize 2020 Census participation, King County executed a one-time grant program for organizations to complete 2020 Census outreach and community engagement work in SeaTac and Tukwila, which have low Census response rates. Historically undercounted communities face several barriers to Census participation in 2020, including a digital divide, politicization of the decennial count, lack of access to information in culturally competent formats, and general distrust of government. King County has prioritized funding and working with organizations serving hard-to-reach communities so that communities in King County get access to their fair share of federal resources.

Grant Recipients - $50,000