Seattle awards BIPOC non-profit's leaders $1.37 million for vacations 'to heal from multigenerational trauma'
“BIPOC leaders need rest and restoration in order to heal from multigenerational trauma and years of nonstop working on behalf of their communities to recharge for the work ahead.”

An organization that has been the beneficiary of Seattle taxpayer funds will be spending $1.37 million for vacations and sabbaticals for 32 local BIPOC nonprofit leaders. The BIPOC ED (Executive Directors) Coalition, “a multicultural collaborative of 240-plus nonprofit executive directors across Washington State,” announced the funding earlier this month.

According to a press release, 20 leaders and their organizations will receive $60,000 for three-month sabbaticals to cover salary and benefits, individual sabbatical expenses, and organizational development support. In addition, 12 applicants will receive one-month respite awards to cover salary, benefits, and individual sabbatical expenses.

BIPOC ED is part of Byrd Barr Place. Following the riots that rocked the city in 2020, then-Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and the Seattle City Council transferred ownership of a former fire station to be a permanent home for Byrd Barr Place. Additionally, the organization has received millions of dollars in grants to renovate the property. The organization has also been the beneficiary of many other city grants totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.