The Pike Place Market Foundation is committed to Community-Centric Fundraising. Our fundraising model centers equity, advances social justice and is rooted in the diverse heritage of Pike Place Market.
Here is our commitment to advancing equity through fundraising and communication practices with our staff, clients, partners, donors, volunteers and community.
Fundraising must be grounded in race, equity, and social justice.
The Market Foundation is committed to moving conversations, and our commitment to community-centric fundraising, beyond diversifying donors, volunteers and board members. Instead, we must acknowledge that racism and wealth inequality are the true root causes of the disparities in our neighborhood, and we must engage in challenging discussions to understand how these inequities impact the community we serve. Our Model for a Healthy Community is designed to reduce barriers, increase access and address inequities, and our fundraising must reflect that commitment as a priority.
We are generous and mutually supportive of other nonprofits.
We work in authentic partnership across the community by offering shared resources, expertise, mutual trust and respect. We view other nonprofits as critical partners with the common mission of strengthening our community.
We promote the understanding that everyone personally benefits from engaging in the work of social justice.
We must avoid creating a sense of charity or pity among donors toward community members. Instead, we encourage donors to learn and understand how systems are designed to create privilege and wealth inequities that benefit some people, while harming others. Rather than protecting the self-interest of some, we can work together to build a community and systems where everyone is healthy and has the opportunity to thrive.
We prioritize transformational fundraising practices over transactions.
By educating our community about the systemic issues that perpetuate inequality, racism, and poverty, we can inspire and engage our staff, partners, donors and volunteers to create transformative change across the community.
We foster a sense of belonging, not othering.
All who engage in this community are equally valued whether they are clients, partners, volunteers, staff, donors or board members. We tell stories, share experiences and show up in the community with dignity and respect for each other. Knowing that our platform can either perpetuate or dismantle harmful power structures, we must intentionally center our whole neighborhood so that we can help re-frame issues, rewrite outdated narratives, and work toward a future that shifts power towards our community members.
Time is valued equally as money.
Time is a resource we cannot make more of and a contribution of time and talent are valued just as much as the donation of money. Volunteers are important partners and are vital to centering community in every aspect of our work and mission.
We recognize that healing and liberation require a commitment to economic justice.
We must understand and address the root causes of inequity to uplift our Model for a Healthy Community and achieve our mission in the Market community. As stewards of the health of our community, we are responsible for challenging and working toward changing the systems that harm our neighbors.
Learn more about Community-Centric Fundraising