Summer Update From Chris and Heidi
June 15, 2023
Hello! We are thrilled to bring you some updates about recent changes and developments at our foundation. First up, we're delighted to announce a significant overhaul of our website. Since our first launch in 2018, we've grown, learned, and evolved, and it was time our online presence did too. The aim wasn't merely cosmetic, although we do,... More
Fall Updates From Kim
November 16, 2021
The blustery windstorms and shorter days have arrived, so too has vaccine access for some of our youngest kiddos. Hooray! I know many parents have been waiting for this day to arrive, and my hope is that it will bring some peace of mind to many who have felt overwhelmed and anxious for too long. While I,... More
Welcoming Karen Laughlin, Climate Program Director
November 16, 2021
We are excited to welcome Karen Laughlin to our team as our first Climate Program Director. She joined the team on September 27th to build upon our climate and clean energy strategy and deepen relationships with our grantees and partners. We know her experience as a grantmaker and policy advisor will provide significant value to our work,... More
Advancing Advocacy & Civic Engagement
September 03, 2020
Our advocacy strategy first took shape in late 2016, as we joined organizations and other funders who were concerned about the future of our democracy. We knew that in order to advance education equity and a clean energy future, we had to give more attention to building the infrastructure needed to do so. After a few years,... More
SFF Responds to the Pandemic and the Movement for Black Lives
September 03, 2020
Earlier in the year, we shared a message of support to our partners, and an acknowledgement of the racial violence plaguing our country. We voiced a commitment to examine our position, power and responsibility and we pledged to take additional actions, including deepening investments to address the growing needs,... More
SFF COVID-19 Response - Full List of Grants
August 20, 2020
As a follow up to our earlier message in May on the actions we've taken related to the pandemic, we want to share a full list of grants made across the state of Washington. While we primarily partner with organizations working in King County, we've recently entered education and advocacy partnerships in Pierce, Snohomish, Skagit and,... More
SFF Message on racial violence
June 16, 2020
Dear partners and friends, We hear the call to fight – no justice, no peace. If there is no peace for black and brown families, our work is not complete. We hear the calls to action as individuals and as a foundation and know that collective healing is in order. We commit to activating our networks and,... More
SFF response to COVID-19
May 20, 2020
The last few months have truly been an unprecedented period in time. This pandemic has further exacerbated the devastating realities of unjust systems and how they disproportionately impact black and brown communities, immigrants, undocumented workers, families, LGBTQ and homeless populations. The inequities in our economic, health, and education systems are highlighted in the barriers to accessing food,... More
Welcoming Brianna Jackson
February 20, 2020
Brianna Jackson joins SFF after 20 years in the field of early learning and youth development. She has served in a number of leadership roles in the Greater Seattle community. Her passion for relationship building and community engagement has been the foundation for her approach to her work. Brianna recognizes the power in communities coming together to,... More
Announcing the Washington Nonprofits Advocacy Toolkit
October 22, 2019
In 2018, SFF made a $20,000 grant to Washington Nonprofits to join other funders in supporting the development of a new advocacy toolkit for nonprofits. We supported this work because we heard that many nonprofits are not aware of the full set of tools they have to advance their missions and create positive impact. Advocacy is a,... More
Welcoming Whitney Howe
October 01, 2019
Whitney joins the Stolte Family Foundation team as our Operations & Grants Manager. She is a key new member of our team and we are excited for her role in creating systems that foster a collaborative and nimble foundation. She joins SFF with a track record of building connections between funders and grantee partners, helping all parties,... More
Our 2019 Education Grants
October 01, 2019
After two years of community engagement and giving within early learning and summer learning loss, we launched a planning and assessment phase of work in the fall of 2018 to gather input and identify areas of opportunity. With the vision and leadership of our co-founders, we decided to focus on families and the critical role they play,... More
A Message from Kim / Exciting New Partnerships
October 01, 2019
It’s been over a year since our first newsletter, and we’ve made great strides in advancing relationships and increasing our giving across the foundation. In education, with strategic guidance from our senior program officer, and participation in community listening sessions, we completed a strategy refresh and decided to focus on families and the critical role they play,... More
Meeting the Challenge of Our Time: Clean Energy Transition Institute’s New Report
September 26, 2019
SFF is proud to have been an early champion of Eileen V. Quigley’s work in shaping the Clean Energy Transition Institute. Under her leadership, the Institute commissioned a study with Evolved Energy Research to understand how Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington could technically and economically achieve a low-carbon economy over the next,... More
Executive Director Shares Education Update
March 20, 2019
Dear friends, I am writing to share some updates about our work in education. As many of you know, we have been in a period of transition and growth during the past year. With new staff on board last summer, we assessed the impact-to-date of our early investments in education and invited a diverse group of stakeholders,... More
