About Washington Bus
Making politics engaging, effective, and fun by putting young Washingtonians in the driver’s seat and giving them tools to be organizers, legislators, and leaders.
Focus Areas
Youth leadership developmentCivic and political engagementVoter registration and turnoutCivic education in schoolsState-level policy advocacyElectoral organizing and endorsements
Funding Style
general operating (unrestricted)core organizational supportflexible fundingoperational overhead support
Topics
organizational sustainability
About Washington Bus
The Washington Bus gives unrestricted support to organizations tied to youth leadership, civic education, voter engagement, and state-level advocacy, with all three of its largest recent grants going to Seattle-based groups for general operating support. In 2025, it awarded $104,875 to Progreso, $98,675 to Washington CAN, and $54,575 to One America Votes. That pattern fits a funder that backs the operating capacity behind organizing work rather than only project-specific activities. The foundation’s public profile also points to a practical theory of change: making politics engaging and giving young Washingtonians tools to become organizers, legislators, and leaders. Its active Bus Summer Fellowship, hosted by the Washington Bus Education Fund, adds another layer to that approach by training participants in political and community organizing over ten weeks. Across the recent grants shown here, the emphasis is on flexible support for groups that work in civic and electoral spaces, especially in Washington State.
What Washington Bus Funds
A central theme in The Washington Bus’s giving is general operating support for organizations working in civic and political engagement. It gave $104,875 to Progreso for general operating support, and that sits alongside similar unrestricted support for other Seattle-based recipients. The foundation also backs voter outreach and turnout work: one of its recent grants went to Washington CAN for general operating support, reinforcing a pattern of funding the infrastructure behind advocacy rather than only single campaigns. Youth leadership development is another clear thread. The foundation’s Bus Summer Fellowship, hosted by the Washington Bus Education Fund, is a ten-week political boot camp focused on political and community organizing. That program aligns with the group’s broader interest in civic education, legislative participation, and electoral organizing. A third area is policy and electoral advocacy, reflected in support for One America Votes for general operating purposes.
How Washington Bus Gives
The recent grants shown here cluster tightly in size: the 25th percentile is $54,575, the median is $98,675, and the 75th percentile is $104,875. All three top grants in 2025 were awarded as general operating support, which matches the foundation’s stated philosophy of flexible, core organizational funding. The recipient list also suggests repeat-style support for organizations working in overlapping civic and advocacy roles, rather than one-off project grants. The Washington Bus is a public charity, and its active fellowship is hosted through the Washington Bus Education Fund. Unsolicited applications are not accepted for that program.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$258K
Total Assets
$648K
Total Revenue
$969K
Total Expenses
$508K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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