Safeco Insurance Foundation Notes $1.1M in Grants

The Safeco Insurance Foundation announced a $500,000 signature grant to Seattle’s Asian Counseling and Referral Service, part of a series of new grants to nonprofits whose work contributes to making Puget Sound communities healthy and inclusive.

In all, the grants total $1.1 million. They were announced on the diamond at Safeco Field on Saturday, April 26 before the Seattle Mariners game. The crowd included an estimated 6,000 Safeco employees and their families for Safeco’s Employee Appreciation Night.

The grant to the Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) will support the campaign to build a new facility in Seattle’s Rainier Valley, allowing the agency to better serve its growing number of Asian-Pacific American clients with human services and behavioral health programs.

“Asian Counseling and Referral Service is extremely grateful to Safeco for its belief in our abilities to save and improve lives through the holistic range of safety net services we provide to more than 22,000 clients a year,” said Diane Narasaki. “Safeco’s grant gets us very close to the finish line in our $19.1 million capital campaign, and allows us to complete construction on our new home in the Rainier Valley.”

Virginia Anderson, president of the Safeco Insurance Foundation added, “The Asian Counseling and Referral service has an amazing track record in serving the needs of our immigrant, refugee and American-born Asian-Pacific populations. The agency’s 35 years of success merit our entire community’s support for its mission.”

Last week, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group announced plans to purchase Safeco. In light of that announcement, Anderson reaffirmed that the Safeco Insurance Foundation is committed to continuing its philanthropic activities in the Northwest. “We look forward to supporting our partner organizations and continuing the work of the Foundation for years to come,” said Anderson.

The Foundation also announced four additional grants to Seattle-area agencies that contribute to a diverse Puget Sound community through programming in such areas as education, the arts, human services and financial stability:

• A $150,000 grant to the 5^th Avenue Theatre in downtown Seattle in support of its “Downstairs at the 5^th” capital campaign.
• A grant of $110,000 to Islandwood, based on Bainbridge Island which seeks to provide exceptional learning experiences and inspire lifelong environmental and community stewardship.
• A grant of $100,000 to the King County Low Income Credit Union. The credit union provides affordable financial services to low- and moderate-income people in King County, helping them build assets and achieve financial stability.
• A $200,000 grant to Seattle’s Technology Access Foundation, which prepares underserved children of color for higher education and professional success.