About Building Changes
Building Changes advances equitable responses to homelessness in Washington State, with a focus on children, youth, and families and the systems that serve them.
Focus Areas
Homelessness preventionYouth homelessnessFamily homelessnessDiversion and flexible fundingHousing stabilitySystems changePolicy and advocacyTraining and capacity building
Who They Fund
youth and young adults (including youth of color)families with children experiencing homelessnessstudents experiencing homelessness (K-12)refugees and immigrants
About Building Changes
Building Changes puts large, multi-year dollars into Washington homelessness response systems, especially work serving children, youth, and families. Its recent grants show a strong tilt toward diversion, flexible funding, and housing stability rather than small project awards: the foundation backed the King County Regional Housing Authority with $3,950,000 for the Partnership 4 Zero program and supported Africatown International with $1,669,598 for the Centralized Diversion Flex Fund project. Those awards sit alongside funding for intermediaries and coalitions, including Panorama Global for fiscal sponsorship and the Lived Experience Coalition for hotel program support. The foundation’s grantmaking also reaches organizations working at different points in the homelessness response system, from school partnerships and youth diversion infrastructure to family housing support and healing services. Several grants are tied to statewide or countywide efforts, while others support local providers in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Renton, Tumwater, and beyond. Across the recent record, Building Changes funds trusted organizations, collaborative programs, and system-level efforts that connect direct assistance with coordination, capacity, and policy work.
What Building Changes Funds
One clear theme is diversion and flexible funding. Building Changes awarded $343,692 to Comprehensive Mental Health of Tacoma - Pierce County for a youth diversion infrastructure project, and $220,395 to Volunteers of America of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho for the same type of work. It also funded the Centralized Diversion Flex Fund project through Africatown International, showing a strong interest in rapid, practical housing crisis response. Family housing stability is another major area. Freedom Project received $222,761 for Housing for Families, while Triumph Teen Life Center received $189,476 for its Resources Center and Food Bank, serving families. The foundation also supports healing and re-entry related work. Mujeres in Action got $183,328 for Puerto Seguro, a housing advocacy and healing services project for survivors facing homelessness, and Second Chance Outreach received $167,400 for re-entry and housing support for youth and young adults of color.
How Building Changes Gives
Building Changes’ typical grant size is substantial: the 25th percentile is $103,989, the median is $164,423, and the 75th percentile is $218,874. The recent grant list also includes several awards well above that range, indicating use of both mid-sized program grants and larger system-level commitments. The same organizations appear across multiple years, including Africatown International, Freedom Project, Together, Mother Nation, and Fyre, which points to recurring support rather than one-off funding. The foundation also uses fiscal sponsorship and intermediary relationships, as shown by grants to Panorama Global. Some active programs accept unsolicited applications, including Washington Youth & Families Fund.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$5.2M
Total Assets
$7.6M
Total Revenue
$7.7M
Total Expenses
$8.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $104K and $219K, with a median of $164K.
25th Percentile
$104K
Median
$164K
75th Percentile
$219K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
DANIEL ZAVALA
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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