Program areas at Puget Sound Sage
Equitable development our equitable development work focused on 3 campaigns in 2022. Our first campaign, king county equitable development initiative, led our crest coalition members in advocating to build regional infrastructure for community-driven projects outside of seattle city limits. Our other campaigns included working in partnership with the cid coalition to mobilize the chinatown/international district community in working with Sound transit to develop transit station alternatives and fight for culturally relevant development options and neighborhood investments. Lastly, our southcore coalition celebrated 10 years of community visioning, and held a celebration of our achievements in july 2022.
Leadership institute the community leadership institute (cli) is an 6-month fellowship that trains emerging leaders in issues such as housing, land use, transit, climate and economic development. Graduates learn the nuts and bolts of local government processes such as municipal budgeting, parliamentary procedures, and lawmaking, as well as advocacy, storytelling and communication skills. In 2022, we awarded Sage leaders, our sister organization who runs cli, with 395,000 to support fellows from the 2021- 2022 king county cohort, and to pilot our first ever clark county cohort in southwestern Washington. The clark county cohort had 12 participants, 11 of whom identify as bipoc, and 60% of whom serve on local boards or commissions.
Climate as part of our climate work, we sit on seattle's green new deal (gnd) board to participate in crafting and funding a regional carbon-reduction strategy. In 2022, the gnd board secured funding for climate resilience hubs which will help the city of seattle prepare, adapt and recover from climate/environmental crises. The board also secured funding to transition away from oil heating, develop workforce training for green energy jobs, support indigenous led sustainability projects, and expand the ej fund in 2023. Outside of the board, we convened the environmental justice kitchen coalition to develop strategies that can be presented to the gnd board to further our climate agenda. Additionally, our staff participated in the 2022 city of seattle solidarity budget where community members can participate in the annual city budget process. Through the solidarity budget, we protected the integrity of the green new deal board, and supported a budget to help seattleites thrive.
All other programs