By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Amid federal funding cuts, rising living costs, declining donations, and a shrinking volunteer base, King County Executive Shannon Braddock recently announced a $25 million investment to support nonprofit human services providers and the workforce that powers them.
This investment will help subsidize cost-of-living expenses, improve benefits, support professional development, and provide hiring and retention bonuses. The funding comes in part from the voter-approved Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL), a local source that continues to sustain critical health and human services across King County.
According to Michael Bailey, director of the Adult Services Division within King County’s Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), which oversees the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL), this local support ensures that essential services, and the people who provide them, can continue meeting community needs.
“The Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy is responsible for providing critical health and human services to all King County residents, and it does so by ensuring that individuals have equitable and accessible access to both financial stability services, to housing stability services, to social engagement opportunities, and also to our larger social service system,” said Bailey.
The VSHSL is a six-year property tax levy that partners with organizations to offer programs and services that promote housing and financial stability, improve health and well-being, and foster social connection. Its goal is to create thriving communities and reduce disparities throughout King County.
Braddock said the investment is both timely and essential.
“At a time when many nonprofits are facing state and federal funding cuts, King County is stepping up to stabilize this workforce that bolsters our county’s work and helps strengthen the communities we serve,” said Braddock. “This is an investment that supports local jobs and strengthens the foundational services that countless members of the public rely upon each and every day.”
The announcement follows findings from two recent surveys conducted by 501 Commons, an organization that provides consulting, training, and advisory services to nonprofits. The surveys — the Nonprofit Wage and Benefit Survey and the Nonprofit Employee Engagement Survey — analyzed data from 224 nonprofit organizations in King County that employ more than 20,000 people.
The results reveal a workforce under pressure. One in three nonprofit employees reported holding a second job to make ends meet. Sixty percent said they spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Voluntary turnover rates were reported at 18% for full-time staff and 20% for part-time staff over the past year.
Of the turnover reported, 27% was attributed to high stress and burnout, and 53% to employees leaving for higher-paying positions. Only 32% of surveyed organizations offered structured leadership development programs, resulting in limited career advancement opportunities and gaps in succession planning.
“Recent King County surveys show that many human service workers are still struggling to ensure that their own needs are met,” said Bailey. “It’s neither fair nor equitable to ask so much of our human service workers and continually choose not to prioritize investments for that same workforce. This opportunity, this investment does just that. It includes fair and equitable wages, it includes access to better benefits, and in some cases, it also allows the opportunity to subsidize costs such as healthcare or childcare.”
“What we found recently is that over 60% of nonprofit employees report spending more than 30% of their income on housing. And one in three employees reported holding a second job to make ends meet,” continued Bailey. “We as a human services department, we as a human services community feel the responsibility to change that, and this opportunity allows us to do just that.”
In 2025, King County will distribute $11.4 million of the investment to support workforces at 90 nonprofit organizations. These groups provide essential services including disability support, housing, senior care, violence prevention and advocacy, legal aid, veteran services, and immigration support.
“The human services workforce plays a critical role in ensuring that people across King County have equitable opportunities to live healthy, happy, and connected lives,” said Bailey. “Despite their historical contributions, staff turnover continues to be a challenge. It’s time we support these workers and the vital work they do every day. This investment is a step in the right direction and will have a tremendous impact not just on workers, but the communities they serve.”
Through 2029, King County’s VSHSL will invest a total of $57 million to help stabilize the nonprofit human services workforce.
“It takes people to care for people,” said Kelly Rider, director of King County’s Department of Community and Human Services. “By investing in a strong, diverse nonprofit and human services workforce, we can help more residents access the support they need to meet basic needs, improve their well-being and become more connected to community.”
