Ballmer Group Provides $2.3M to Support Friends of the Children Work in Washington State

Friends of the Children was recently awarded a $2.3M grant by the Ballmer Group to both sustain and expand services in the State of Washington. This generous financial investment provides an opportunity for Friends of the Children to increase the number of youth served by chapters in Tacoma, Seattle, and Southwest Washington, and will help to launch a new chapter in Spokane, in Eastern Washington, where the need for services is great. The investment in the new Spokane chapter will support organizational operations for the chapter’s first three years and ensure that it has a sturdy base for local sustainability.

“I am so inspired by the investment of Ballmer Group to support our mentoring model in the State of Washington,” said Terri Sorensen, CEO of Friends of the Children – National. “Their trust in our program means we will be able to walk alongside many more youth in Washington who have big dreams, and who also face some of the toughest challenges life can bring. This investment goes a long way to ensure every child who needs a Friend has one.”

The existing Friends of the Children chapters in Washington are addressing critical challenges in their communities. At Friends – SW Washington, 44% of the youth being served have experienced foster care, while also facing obstacles around the health and incarceration of caregivers. At Friends – Tacoma, 77% of the youth served are children of color, who are overrepresented in the foster care system, and most families in the program are affected by housing insecurity. Both chapters provide a two-generational approach to support, which not only empowers youth through professional mentoring for 12+ years no matter what, but also works to support caregivers with navigating community resources to address the whole family’s needs.

The Friends of the Children long-term professional mentoring model will make a big difference for youth and families in the Spokane region of Eastern Washington. In Spokane County, approximately 14% of all children, and 24% of Native children, are living below the federal poverty level. Across the State of Washington, American Indian/Alaskan Native children make up 1.8% of the state’s child population but account for 5.6% of children in foster care. To address community need, including well-being disparities for Native youth and families, Friends of the Children is focused on growing programming to serve outlying communities and have met with leaders from the Kalispel Tribe, Spokane Tribe, and the Colville Confederated Tribes.

In 2017, Ballmer Group invested $500,000 in catalytic seed funding to bring Friends of the Children’s proven, professional mentoring model to Los Angeles, which was leveraged as a challenge match to inspire additional investments. Over the years, they have also invested more than $2.6M in the Friends – Seattle chapter to expand equity and opportunity for children and families, while supporting the chapter’s long-term sustainability.

Ballmer Group is a philanthropic leader committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States. Both Friends of the Children and Ballmer Group work to empower youth in our country who are impacted by the child welfare system. In Washington State, our chapters are thrilled to receive this multiyear investment from Ballmer Group to help create opportunities for youth and families while continuing to reshape systemic inequities. This investment will support Friends of the Children’s day-to-day work with youth and families through long-term professional mentorship, for 12+ years no matter what.