Community Reinvestment Plan: Department of Commerce

In 2024, United Way of Snohomish County and six other United Ways in the Pacific Northwest received grants from the Community Outreach Fund through the Community Reinvestment Project (CRP), managed by the Washington State Department of Commerce.

These funds aim to address the unequal impact of the war on drugs, particularly on Black, Indigenous, and Latine communities. These groups have been disproportionately affected and often have high involvement with the justice system.

Our outreach focuses on strengthening Black-, Indigenous-, and Latine-led community initiatives. Specifically, we aim to:

• Provide financial literacy and mentoring support to By/For organizations.
• Support asset-building initiatives.
• Plan and implement a statewide Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
• Oversee and manage an Individual Development Accounts (IDA) program.

We are just beginning to support organizations and bring grant funding to the community. As grants are awarded, we will share details about the organizations and their work here.

For more information about the CRP efforts, contact Susan Gustafson, Director of Programs, at susan.gustafson@uwsc.org.