How the Workforce Development Council of Seattle–King County built the foundation for private philanthropy 

CLIENT	Workforce Development Council of Seattle–King County
SECTOR	Regional workforce development
ENGAGEMENT	Fundraising-readiness assessment, messaging framework, and in-person storytelling workshop
OUTCOME	A clearer public story, a shared internal approach to fundraising, and a dedicated fund development role ready to launch

The Challenge 

The Workforce Development Council runs some of the most innovative programs in its field. It was among the first workforce boards in the country to launch a guaranteed basic income pilot, work that drew coverage from the Seattle Times and outlets across the country. As the public funding landscape shifted, leadership set out to build private philanthropy as a complement to its public funding and to become a trusted innovation partner for the region’s funders. 

Three things stood between the Council and that goal: 

• Speaking the funder’s language: Years of deep expertise in public-sector work meant the Council’s story was told in program and compliance terms. Private funders respond to a vision and to people. 

• Turning programs into fundable opportunities: Strong programs and strong press weren’t yet translating into sustained funder relationships. A single news article had prompted an unsolicited gift, a sign of how much more was possible with a plan behind it. 

• Building a shared approach: Fundraising needed to become an organization-wide effort, with program teams helping shape the vision that funders would be asked to support. 

Our Approach 

We started with open discovery conversations, then came back with a draft plan for the team to react to. Building the plan together kept it matched to what the Council actually needed. Because resources were limited, we sequenced the work in phases so every dollar would go as far as possible. 

1. Fundraising-readiness assessment: We assessed the organization’s capabilities and delivered a high-level strategy, a messaging framework, and foundation prospect research. A detailed report set out clear priorities: dedicated fundraising leadership, donor-focused messaging, and putting the board’s enthusiasm to work. 

2. In-person storytelling workshop: We trained communications and program staff together to tell donor-focused stories, and scheduled the session so the right people were in the room. 

3. Ongoing support: Coaching, proposal writing, and help with hiring keep the momentum going after the workshop.

The Results 

• A clearer public story: The team rebuilt its website around a message that speaks plainly to job seekers, employers, and community organizations, and did it faster than planned. 

• Momentum inside the organization: Since the workshop, staff from across teams have met weekly to keep the messaging work moving, and content is being produced ahead of schedule. 

• A clear next step for fundraising leadership: The Council is creating a dedicated fund development role, and the job description is ready to post. 

• A lasting partnership: The Council extended the engagement with coaching through spring, a second in-person session on research and marketing, and hourly proposal-writing support. 

“The amount of work we were able to accomplish would take most organizations months of meetings. Instead, we had a clear deliverable in hand, and the team is moving forward.” 

Marisol Tapia, Workforce Development Council of Seattle–King County 

What’s Next 

With the story and the structure in place, the Council is turning to the work that follows: welcoming its new fund development professional, building funder relationships, and packaging its research and data as thought leadership that funders and partners will pay attention to. 

About The Kipos Group: We help nonprofits build private funding, from strategy and messaging to coaching and proposals, with a team of experienced practitioners who are still working inside mission-driven organizations.