Seattle, WA – September 22, 2005 – Seattle Jobs Initiative (SJI), a nonprofit organization that helps low-income adults attain living wage careers, is proud to announce that it was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. The grant will allow SJI to build its capacity to help Seattle’s low-income residents secure, retain and advance in living wage jobs that can support themselves and their families.

“This grant will help SJI implement strategies to expand and diversify its funding base – critical to a new nonprofit,” said Rhonda Simmons, executive director of Seattle Jobs Initiative.

SJI has been successfully operating programs for low-income people in Seattle for eight years, placing more than 4,500 individuals in living wage careers during that time and touching thousands more. For its first six years, SJI operated as a program of the City of Seattle Office of Economic Development. Now a nonprofit organization, Seattle Jobs Initiative is working to develop an independent revenue base.

About Seattle Jobs Initiative
Seattle Jobs Initiative (SJI) is a nonprofit organization that helps low-income residents secure and advance in living wage careers by creatively aligning support services – including resources for shelter, childcare, transportation and medical care – with short-term job training. By partnering with local businesses that are seeking qualified employees, Seattle Jobs Initiative links students to internships and jobs. Seattle Jobs Initiative’s policy team compliments their program work by researching and advocating for legislative changes that improve access to training and services for low-income residents. More information about SJI can be found online at www.seattlejobsinitiative.com.

About the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
Launched in 2004 through the consolidation of Paul Allen’s six private foundations (first established in1988), the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation supports nonprofit organizations focused on making positive and measurable change in the Pacific Northwest. The mission of the Foundation is to build healthy communities and advance social progress through four strategic programs that nurture arts and cultural endeavors, engage children more deeply in the learning process, respond to the needs of vulnerable populations, and advance scientific and technological discoveries that expand our understanding of the universe. The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation reviews and awards grants twice per year, and accepts applications from eligible organizations located in, or serving the populations of, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Visit the Foundation online at www.pgafamilyfoundation.com.

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