Resources & Research
Working in South King County
As one of our former Board Members used to say, “South King County is complicated…but worth it!” For those who are new to South King County, or who have not had the pleasure of learning about our myriad of local communities and cultures, working here can be daunting at first. We have written this document as a shorthand guide for those wishing to better understand South County and how it is different from neighboring regions.
The Geography of Opportunity study (Apr 2010) by the Northwest Justice Project and the Poverty & Race Research Action Council (through the Kirwan Institute) maps access to opportunity in King County. The evidence in this study underscores the challenge of addressing human services needs in South County, and gives us a useful tool for describing the interplay of race and poverty South County.
South County is growing and enriched by diverse communities. Our March 2011 monthly meeting sparked a discussion around the newly arrived refugee communities. The below links are cultural profiles that provide short introductions to the history and background of refugee populations and are a valuable resource for service providers, employers, educators, and others interested in learning more about other cultures.
| Refugees from Burma | Bhutanese |
| Somali | Somali Bantu |
| Latino Communities | Iraqi |
Collaboration
The Foundation Center operates a search-able database on different types of non-profit collaborations. From mergers to co-purchasing arrangements to shared back office functions, you can get details on what other nonprofits have tried, what worked, and what didn’t.
The Stanford Social Innovation Review published an article by Kania & Kramer on Collective Impact that looks at how organizations from across sectors can achieve meaningful social change by coming together to align their efforts, agendas, and funding.
United Way of King County and Imago Organizational Design produced a guide to Working Together across organizational size. The case studies are local, and it is a great tool for planning and supporting collaborative work.
Place-Building
At SKCHS we define place-building as “The interdisciplinary work to develop places and institutions that connect with residents, and hold them long enough to build social support.”
Here are materials that are guiding our discussion of place-building in South County.
- 2012 King County Equity & Social Justice report
- Equity, Opportunity, and Sustainability in the Central Puget Sound Region (2012)