Annual Report — Department of Commerce, Outreach for Historically Underserved Communities (June 30, 2023)
Summary
This June 30, 2023 report to the Legislature from the Community Services Division of the Department of Commerce is the 2022 annual report on the Outreach for Historically Underserved Communities grant program, pursuant to section 129(94) of the 2021-2023 biennial operating budget. It states that Commerce received 63 applications and $36 million in requests for the $10 million available, and awarded $10,026,868 to 25 organizations across the state. These organizations reached 51,373 individuals and assisted them in applying for state and federal assistance programs. The report lists lessons learned for future grant funding, including improving data collection and reducing contracting complexity.
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“Annual Report — Department of Commerce, Outreach for Historically Underserved Communities (June 30, 2023).”
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2022 annual report pursuant to Sec. 129(94) of the 2021-2023
biennial operating budget and Sec. 128(87) of the 2022
supplemental operating budget
June 30, 2023
COMMUNITY SERVICES
DIVISION Report to the Legislature
Director Mike Fong
V3.2
Acknowledgments
Washington State Department of Commerce
Cindy Guertin-Anderson, Assistant Director
Community Services Division
Cary Retlin, Special Initiatives Manager
Michelle Griffin, Commerce Specialist 2
COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION
POLICY AND SPECIAL INITIATIVES UNIT
1011 Plum St. SE
P.O. Box 42525
Olympia, WA 98504-2525
www.commerce.wa.gov
For people with disabilities, this report is available on
request in other formats. To submit a request, please
call 360-725-4000 (TTY 360-586-0772)
OUTREACH FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
Table of Contents
Executive summary...................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 4
Program activities ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Grantee recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 9
Commerce's next steps .............................................................................................................................. 12
OUTREACH FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES 1
Executive summary
Legislative mandate and amendments
The Legislature created the Outreach for Historically Underserved Communities grant program in the 2021
operating budget (Sec. 129(94)) to contract with nonprofit organizations that deliver services targeted to
historically disadvantaged populations to assist eligible people in accessing various state and federal social
services:
$7,500,000 of the general fund-state appropriation for fiscal year 2022 and $2,500,000 of the general-fund state
appropriation for fiscal year 2023 are provided solely for grants to community organizations that serve historically
disadvantaged populations to conduct outreach and assist community members in applying for state and federal
assistance programs, including but not limited to those administered by the departments of social and health
services; commerce; and children, youth, and families.
The Legislature amended the proviso in the 2022 supplemental operating budget (Sec. 128(94)) to shift funds
and add reporting requirements. This report satisfies the reporting requirements:
(($7,500,000)) $4,000,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for fiscal year 2022 and (($2,500,000)) $6,000,000
of the general fund—state appropriation for fiscal year 2023 are provided solely for grants to community
organizations that serve historically disadvantaged populations to conduct outreach and assist community members
in applying for state and federal assistance programs, including but not limited to those administered by the
departments of social and health services; commerce; and children, youth, and families. By June 31, 2023, the
department must provide to the appropriate committees of the legislature a detailed report of the activities funded in
this subsection. The report must include, but is not limited to:
(a) A list of grant recipients, their location, and the grant amount each received;
(b) Input from grantees on best practices for engagement with populations experiencing systemic inequities;
(c) Suggestions from the department and grant recipients on how to engage populations experiencing systemic
inequities with future programming; and
(d) Other information and recommendations on need for this type of outreach work in future grant programs.
Note on changes in the 2022 supplemental budget: Text in double parentheses was removed from statute; underlined text was added.
Key findings
High demand for this type of funding
There is a substantial need for outreach funding for marginalized communities seeking social services:
Commerce received 63 applications and $36 million in requests for the $10 million available.
Commerce awarded $10,026,868 to 25 organizations across the state.
Combined, these organizations reached 51,373 individuals and assisted them in applying for state and
federal assistance programs.
Using a variety of languages and outreach methods, these organizations helped people apply for and enroll
in state and federal service programs for poverty reduction.
According to applications from these organizations, needs like housing, health care, employment and food
assistance were the most common types of services needed.
Partner organizations also used the funding to add or enhance services and increase training and
coordination with other agencies and contractors.
OUTREACH FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES 2
Lessons learned to apply to future Commerce grant funding processes
Through listening sessions with individual grantees and monthly cohort meetings, Commerce identified five
steps imperative to ensuring equitable outcomes and mitigating barriers experienced by marginalized
communities. These steps to dismantle discriminatory barriers include:
1) Improve data collection and reduce contracting complexity.
2) Establish ongoing communication with BIPOC and marginalized communities.
3) Identify and recommend improvements to Commerce's application processes and data systems.
4) Build capacity for training and technical assistance.
By implementing these steps, outreach efforts can become more inclusive and help marginalized communities
overcome barriers. Inclusive engagement involves enhancing relationships with underserved communities and
increasing accessibility to services. By discovering the issues and barriers, such as language barriers,
transportation issues, childcare needs, food incentives, location and time, we can increase the level of
community input.
Offering multiple ways to contribute feedback provides opportunities to understand critical needs better.
Through racially and culturally appropriate engagement, program staff become more well informed, services
become more readily available and better outcomes are achieved.
Conclusion
The Outreach for Historically Underserved Communities program was very successful, helping 51,373 people
connect to social services, enter employment programs, get medical care, housing placements and other vital
services. Lessons learned are that policymakers and government programs can reduce barriers to accessing
vital services to these communities, making transformational change in the lives of those with the greatest
need. Commerce's Outreach for Historically Underserved Communities grant-funded providers were able to
reach and support historically marginalized households, utilizing multiple languages to connect with them to
strengthen their families and communities.
OUTREACH FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES 3
Introduction
The need for outreach to marginalized communities
According to Governor Inslee’s Poverty Reduction Work Group (PRWG), created via Directive in November
2017, 10-Year Plan to Dismantle Poverty in Washington, 1.75 million Washingtonians — one in four (25%) — live
below the official poverty measure of 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). However, the experience of
poverty is not equally shared across communities. Indigenous people, Black and Brown Washingtonians,
women, families with young children, youth, rural residents, immigrants and refugees, seniors, LGBTQIA+, and
people with disabilities have poverty rates above the state average.
Meanwhile, programs serving people experiencing poverty are spread across agencies and sectors that partner
to deliver cash, food and housing assistance; health care and services; early care and child education; and
education, training, and employment opportunities. It can feel like a full-time job to navigate these programs,
and targeted outreach and assistance are necessary to ensure families and individuals who need access to
programs the most have the help they need to apply for and retain benefits.
How the program reached marginalized communities
The Outreach for Historically Underserved Communities grant provided major service themes: health care and
food access, housing, and employment. State and federal programs most frequently identified for referral by
grantees included Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP), Coordinated Entry (homeless housing placement) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
Partner agencies provided services utilizing Community Health Workers who speak native languages used by
those served and provided marketing outreach in their native languages.
Table 1: Languages used to market to and communicate with clients
Amharic Arabic Cambodian Cantonese Chinese Cantonese
Chinese Mandarin Chuukese English Farsi Japanese
Korean Mam Mixteco Mixteco Alto Mixteco Bajo
Marshallese Nahuatl Purepecha Russian Somali
Spanish Tigringa Triqui Ukrainian Vietnamese
Zapoteco
Funding and challenges
In 2021, the Legislature provided the program with $7.5 million for state fiscal year 2022 and $2.5 million for
state fiscal year 2023. Commerce requested to shift most funds to the second fiscal year to allow grantees
time to staff their programs. Unfortunately, the startup delay and a lower-than-desired budget in 2023 resulted
in amendments to all budgets and reductions for some 2023 grantees. In some cases, those changes resulted
in lower 2023 staffing levels for grantees, which reduced program activities and created challenges for smaller
organizations.
OUTREACH FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES 4
Program activities
Commerce funded 25 organizations around the state after a competitive request for proposals. Seven awarded
contractors had never previously contracted with the State of Washington. Most contractors identified as
members of the BIPOC or LGBTQIA+ community with lived experience or acted as fiscal sponsors for
organizations.
Table 1: Recipients, locations and grants received
Organization name, website and Grant
County subcontractors (if any) Purpose of grant award
Youth/young adult services, behavioral
Yakima Rod’s House $683,870
health housing, outreach
Snohomish,
Lutheran Community Services Coordinated navigation for access to
King, Pierce, $630,000
Subs: Korean Women’s Association health services
Clark
Clark Columbia River Mental Health Behavioral health, outreach $600,000
Grant Opportunities Industrialization Center Health services, food security $600,000
Connect immigrant/refugee families to
King Voices of Tomorrow $650,000
TANF and support services, outreach
Pacific County
Subs: Pacific County Voices Uniting, Quality, affordable health care, outreach
Pacific $600,000
Peninsula Poverty Response, Pacific services, immigrant support services
County Immigrant Support
Better Health Together
Subs: American Indian Community Center;
Spokane, Ferry, Carl Maxey Center/Black Business and Behavioral health substance abuse
Pend Oreille, Professional Alliance; Health and Justice treatment for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+
$600,000
Stevens, Recovery Alliance; Hispanic Business and communities, outreach for support
Lincoln, Adams Professional Assoc.; Latinos in Spokane; services
MLK Center; Peer Spokane and Rural
Resources
Outreach and application for social
Yakima Yakima Neighborhood Service Center $600,000
services
King, Pierce,
Trac Associates Vocational assistance, outreach $590,917
Snohomish
Benton Franklin Workforce Development Workforce Development/ Workforce
Benton $530,000
Council Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
OUTREACH FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES 5
Organization name, website and Grant
County subcontractors (if any) Purpose of grant award
Chinese Information and Service Center
King Advocacy, social and support services $445,724
(CISC)
Clark, Cowlitz The Noble Foundation BIPOC advocacy, support services $600,450
LGBTQ2SA advocacy, support
Pierce Rainbow Center $388,087
resources
Spokane SNAP Homeless outreach, support services $358,277
Pierce Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center Homeless prevention, social services $349,000
Snohomish Citrine Health Social and health care, food assistance $286,297
Education, employment, vital services
Grant Hopesource $224,999
assistance
Social justice, preventing evictions,
King FW Black Collective $223,200
mental health support
Counseling, therapy, case management,
Spokane Catholic Charities Eastern WA $197,151
food assistance
Launch and Live Stories (Community Day
Supporting families, targeted data-
School)
King based outreach for underserved $150,000
Subs: LiveStories’ Washington FORWARD
communities
Platform
Empower Next Generations
Whatcom Immigrant services, support, outreach $213,654
Subs: Geocko, Inc. dba LiveStories
Skagit Legal Aid
Access to the civil justice system for
Skagit Subs: IRS Acceptance Agent, Silvia $112,500
marginalized people
Guzman
Gather Grow/Gather Together Grow Low-income services, food services, job
Kitsap $102,450
Together (G2) readiness, mentorship, outreach
Connecting and serving historically
Clark Bridgeview Housing Services underserved populations, Ukrainian $211,722
refugee support, move-in assistance
Northwest Coop Development Center
Coordination and access to state and
Thurston Subs: ROC Property Management $78,570
federal assistance benefits
Contractors
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Demographics
Data reporting from all 25 outreach grantees reflected the following number of people served during the grant
period.
Table 2: Clients served by demographic
Demographic People served
American Indian/Alaska Native 1,119
Asian 9,581
Black/African American 3,454
Hispanic or Latino 12,150
Immigrant/Refugee 4,052
Homeless 4,537
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 564
Middle Eastern/Arab 258
White 12,266
Multi-racial 1,680
Race unknown 1,000
LGBTQIA+ 712
Total number served 51,373
Source: Department of Commerce May 2023 Outreach Quarterly Report Data
Monthly outreach cohort meetings
Commerce convened virtual meetings, on the third Thursday of each month, for the outreach cohort
throughout the duration of the grant. We held these meetings to discuss invoicing, data reporting, budget
updates and answer any questions from the cohort. Guest speakers were invited to discuss topics of interest
to the grantees, such as the Public Charge Rule and the Working Families Tax Credit. Other state agencies and
programs were included in the meetings to discuss their services and answer questions. There were also
opportunities for grantees to collaborate and share what was going well with their work and what challenges
they faced. Grantees shared feedback that these cohort meetings were valuable to them, and they were able to
share ideas and gain knowledge from each other.
OUTREACH FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES 7
Guests included representatives from the following entities:
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I)
Washington State Broadband Office
Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
Social Security Administration
Washington State Department of Health (DOH)
Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD)
Commerce outreach team regarding the 2022 Capital Equity Report
There was also a special meeting on 2023-25 state funding opportunities for marginalized communities.
Issues for awareness
Building trust within communities is critical for outreach programs designed to reach BIPOC and other
marginalized communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The isolation experienced by these
communities was increased by language barriers, which made the services provided by the outreach grant and
the trust-building even more valuable. Trust between communities, organizations and public systems creates
linkages to important resources for marginalized community members. Lessons learned are to proactively
invest in community capacity and to increase transparency and collaboration with communities experiencing
barriers to access.
Some grassroots nonprofit organizations lack the staff and grant management experience to manage
applications and tracking required for state and federal grants. Commerce is listening to clients and
responding in ways that will help to reduce staff hours in managing grants. We are working with grantees on
innovative ways to make it less difficult for organizations to receive assistance and reduce their administrative
load while balancing the potential for waste, fraud and abuse.
OUTREACH FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES 8
Grantee recommendations
Grantees were encouraged to collaborate with Commerce to provide feedback utilizing multiple mechanisms
such as confidential surveys, virtual one-on-one meetings with grantees, quarterly data reporting and monthly
cohort meetings. Commerce collected the following feedback, per the Outreach for Historically Underserved
Communities Proviso requirement of a detailed report of the funded activities from grantees.
The following comments are unedited/verbatim from the 25 grantees submitted through quarterly data
reporting.
The best way to engage populations experiencing systemic inequities is to have someone who reflects
and can relate to that community. Allow communities facing that issue to have a platform to express
what they are experiencing and listen to their needs. Building trust and relationships is very important
when serving a community.
We have found that Community-based strategies can bridge access gaps and deliver equitable services
by accounting for community assets such as established partnerships, community events, and local
gathering spaces. Often, these strategies extend services beyond our doors. Actively including
community-based leaders in decision-making and cross-sector partnerships with local service agencies
has also been helpful.
We need to start showing up for families in person, and we, as organizations, need to make the space to
have families come in and feel welcomed. That includes having materials in their target language or at
least the resources to communicate. I think this is the #1 issue, being able to communicate with the
people.
Our partners are finding success by hosting low-barrier events and then doing individual outreach at
those events. They are finding that providing food and some incentive tends to make participants more
comfortable and building rapport easier.
Having staff with lived cultural experience helps in our program, specifically to connect with Pacific
Islander populations.
Hire a Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) trainer. The JEDI trainer provides a 2-3 day training
curriculum for administrators, managers, supervisors, and front-line staff to be given on site or virtually.
Training on trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, ACES, and other evidence-based practices
which assist in providing equitable, inclusive care and reducing health disparities are of particular
importance.
Meet them where they are at. It’s important to be trauma-informed. This includes having an
understanding of the current systemic issues that are affecting clients. It’s also important to be person-
centered and an active listener when working with clients because the outcomes/solutions may be the
same for some, but their overall experiences are different.
Citrine Health has found success in engaging populations experiencing systemic inequalities by
connecting with agencies within those areas and creating lasting partnerships: These connections led to
event and workshop invitations and created both trust within the community and a community presence.
OUTREACH FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES 9
Supporting our clients through linguistically and culturally appropriate approaches
Engagement has been initiated via other in-house giving programs such as diaper distribution, food
pantry or personal care pantry.
Best practice is street level and handing out cards, flyers, and outreach materials in migrant camps and
homeless camps as well as agencies and community resources these populations may have regular
contact with, including other migrant services.
Being able to provide immediate assistance with a bus pass or help purchasing identification, birth
certificates, a state ID, or a social security card is an effective way to build trust quickly with clients that
have very few resources at their disposal. Transportation costs and fees for obtaining IDs are two of the
more prolific barriers that low-income communities face. By eliminating these barriers, we are able to
level the playing field a little more for our clients and get them heading down the path to financial
stability.
Relationship building is a must. Being able to hear out our clients and point them to the appropriate
resource is crucial within this work. Clients are often overwhelmed by the impact of Covid-19. Having
someone who can assist in finding resources assists in alleviating some of those pressures.
Many residents do not have the necessary skills to use technology. The resource coordinator will usually
provide additional assistance in setting up emails, zoom accounts or technical assistance with phones.
Attend events where low-income families seek other services.
Culturally specific, 'by and for' are hands down the best practice in engagement.
Engaging populations in future programming
Work collaboratively with other organizations to provide trainings or workshops on how to serve
community members. It would be very effective, especially if the collaboration is with organizations that
work with specific communities and already have relationships. We would all bring our networks to the
table and be able to introduce each other to new resources.
We have started holding monthly BBQs in communities to bring people out to meet each other and
engage, helps to break down those walls. In some communities where we have done this, we have seen
them continue the conversations even after we have gone.
Continuing to meet them where they're at, hosting centralized events and targeted individualized
outreach to local congregate areas
Lived cultural experience is helpful; however, lived experiences of those being served are overall helpful;
homelessness, and child welfare, these experiences are very helpful in engaging clients.
Connect with local partners who are experts in the field of engaging eligible underserved BIPOC
populations.
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Continue to use a peer and CHW service delivery model is crucial to create safe spaces for individuals to
access services. Having representatives from the populations they’re serving helps provide culturally
adept and relevant services for clients. A barrier and inequity that one organization has observed among
people experiencing homelessness are not having access to reliable devices or internet connections.
This piece is crucial for clients to access other resources such as group meetings, online applications,
and communication for employment. Having technology access incorporated with future programming
is necessary for the clients these organizations work with.
The initial contact needs to be as hassle-free as possible and avoid too much internal referrals by using
updated demographic information of the clients and the families. A single yet comprehensive data-
collecting system is recommended.
Have a regular and consistent presence to gain trust and rapport with target populations who typically
shy away from service providers due to varying reasons, including fear of deportation/being detained.
Transportation-related needs in the community. Provide transportation for children to get to school when
their parents don't live within the bus service area and providing transportation for people to job
interviews and for the first few weeks of work until they receive their first paycheck. There is a great need
in our community.
Providing flexible funding opportunities for 'by and for' organizations that are deeply rooted in and
trusted by the communities they serve is crucial.
Visit migrant seasonal farm workers at their campsites; since they cannot access resources outside of
work, we must bring resources to them onsite, including food, clothing, diapers, and toiletries, and help
them connect with state and local resources onsite in their native languages.
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Commerce's next steps
Commerce will implement five actionable steps to better manage and streamline the contracting process,
lower the burden incurred by smaller, primarily BIPOC-led nonprofits, and encourage a diverse applicant pool.
These steps reflect feedback received from grantees.
1) Dismantle discriminatory barriers.
Following guidance from Commerce's Equity in Funding: Final Review of Commerce Capital Programs
Report.
2) Improve data collection and reduce contracting complexity.
Based on grantee feedback, Commerce relaxed data reporting from monthly to quarterly. Commerce
also observed challenges related to invoicing and submitted requests to improve the electronic
invoicing system (Contract Management System or CMS).
3) Establish ongoing communication with BIPOC and marginalized communities.
Commerce has regular check-ins with grantees to inform them of additional funding opportunities and
holds listening sessions to learn more about community needs and to build trust.
4) Identify and recommend improvements to Commerce's application processes and data systems.
Commerce can reduce inefficiencies and simplify data collection for grantees by improving CMS and
other technical systems. Commerce collaborates with statewide groups like the Subcabinet on
Intergenerational Poverty Reduction to improve systems like Work First.
5) Build capacity for grantees through training and technical assistance.
Commerce is committed to assisting and strengthening the most vulnerable communities with
capacity building through additional technical assistance and training.
The challenges for smaller BIPOC and marginalized communities to find, apply and acquire critical grants are
real, and win-win solutions are possible. By implementing these five steps, Commerce will ensure that small,
grassroots organizations can apply for grants as easily as established, larger organizations. Through these
efforts, Commerce intends to mitigate barriers to contracting with potential grantees that disproportionately
affect nonprofits focusing on BIPOC, rural and other marginalized communities to ensure equitable distribution
of funds. If unnecessary complexity can be eliminated, more funding, time, and energy can go toward
addressing the needs of marginalized groups and improving the lives of historically underserved populations.
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