Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

What Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle does

Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1930 and affiliated with the National Urban League, that delivers social and economic programs to Black and historically underserved communities across King County. Its portfolio spans five verticals — advocacy and civic engagement, education, housing, public health, and workforce development — and includes both direct service programs (Career Bridge, InfoTech, Construction Trades/PriorityHire, Youth Maritime, Summer University, Black Business Directory, Incubator Program, Capital Readiness Initiative, Homeownership and Eviction Prevention, Healthy Black Minds) and signature events (Annual Breakfast, Summer Resource Festival, Entrepreneurship Summit). Services are delivered free to community members through three physical offices (Main Office on 14th Ave, Resource Center on Rainier Ave S, and the Entrepreneurship Community & Cultural Office on S Alaska St), community pop-up events, partner referrals, and online intake forms.

ULMS has no proprietary technology product or platform; its core operating layer is human-led case management, counseling, training, and event programming. Its revenue model is a diversified nonprofit stack: (1) recurring and one-time individual donations, anchored by the $75+/year Friends of the League membership, (2) tiered corporate sponsorships (Presenting, Champion, Advocate, Partner) for signature events, (3) federal, state, and local government grants plus foundation funding — notably Amazon's Housing Equity Fund and the City of Seattle Office of Housing for affordable housing preservation, and (4) program service fees from homebuyer education, small business support, and workforce training. Customer segments are individual community beneficiaries (housing-insecure families, job seekers, youth, Black-owned small businesses, public health participants, and justice-involved individuals) rather than paying enterprise customers; institutional counterparties include SRM Development, Microsoft (pro-bono legal services), United Way King County, and Fannie Mae. Strategic emphasis has shifted toward directly owning and stewarding affordable housing — most notably the 2022 $97M deal preserving 354 apartment units across six Seattle buildings for renters at 50–80% AMI for 99 years.

Name

Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

Legal name

Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

Website

https://urbanleague.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE), Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC), State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Affordable housing assistance
• Workforce development training
• Small business support
• Youth education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Recurring and one-time donations from individuals through Friends of the League membership program ($75+ annually) and general giving campaigns. Includes monthly giving options.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Tiered corporate sponsorship packages for signature events including the Annual Breakfast, Summer Resource Festival, and other agency events. Sponsorship tiers include Presenting, Merriweather Legacy, Woodhouse Legacy, Jackson Legacy, Team Urban League, and Friends of the League levels.
3. Government Grants: Federal, state, and local government grants for specific programs including housing assistance, workforce development, and public health initiatives. Includes funding from City of Seattle Office of Housing and Amazon Housing Equity Fund.
4. Program Service Fees: Revenue from programs and services including homebuyer education, small business support, and workforce development training programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle is a nonprofit social services organization that delivers direct programs in housing assistance (eviction prevention, homeownership education, financial empowerment, and affordable housing ownership), workforce development (Career Bridge, InfoTech, Construction Trades/PriorityHire), youth education (Youth Maritime, Summer University, Connections, Youth Web Design), entrepreneurship support (Black Business Directory, Incubator Program, Capital Readiness Initiative, Small Business Roundtable), public health initiatives (Healthy Black Minds, Black Health Matters, lead education), and advocacy and civic engagement. Programs are delivered free of charge to community members through three Seattle offices, community pop-up events, and partner referrals across King County.

Product overview

Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle is a non-profit organization providing comprehensive social and economic programs across five focus areas: advocacy and civic engagement, education, housing, public health, and workforce development. The organization operates a portfolio of service programs including the Black Business Directory, Career Bridge job readiness training, InfoTech and Construction Trades workforce development programs, Summer Resource Festival and Annual Breakfast signature events, various youth education programs, small business support services (Incubator Program, Capital Readiness Initiative), and housing assistance programs. These programs collectively work toward the mission of empowering Black and historically underserved communities through social and economic justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Friends of the League: A giving program and movement of dedicated changemakers committed to building a stronger, more equitable community through annual donations of $75 or more.
• Young Professionals
• ULMS Guild

Products and services

• Black Business Directory An online directory of 150+ Black-owned businesses in King County connecting community members to Black businesses across food, retail, media, beauty, entertainment, and other industries.
• Career Bridge A job readiness program helping young adults overcome barriers by connecting them to education, employment, and career pathway opportunities for lasting economic mobility.
• InfoTech A workforce development program focused on technology career pathways for community members seeking employment in the tech sector.
• Construction Trades Program (PriorityHire) A workforce training program preparing community members for careers in the construction industry and connecting them with employment opportunities.
• Youth Maritime Program An education program engaging youth in maritime industry career pathways and opportunities.
• Incubator Program A small business support program providing resources and guidance for entrepreneurs starting and growing their businesses.
• Capital Readiness Initiative A program helping entrepreneurs prepare for accessing capital and funding for their businesses.
• Homeownership Programs Services and resources to help community members achieve homeownership, including homebuyer education workshops and financial counseling.
• Eviction Prevention Housing support services aimed at preventing homelessness through rental assistance and eviction prevention efforts.
• Healthy Black Minds A public health initiative focused on mental health and wellness within the Black community.
• Entrepreneurship Community & Cultural Office (ECCO) A physical entrepreneurship resource center located in Seattle providing small business support services to Black entrepreneurs and the broader community.
• Criminal Record Assistance (Record Expungement) A program connecting justice-involved individuals with pro-bono attorneys for criminal record vacating, enabling access to employment, housing, and educational opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 354 affordable apartment units preserved for renters at 50-80% AMI for 99 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SRM DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 October 2022Vertical integration real estate development partner co-owning 354 affordable apartment units across six Seattle properties. SRM and ULMS are equal owners responsible for overseeing affordability over 20-year loan period. SRM will donate ownership share to ULMS after loan repayment for perpetual ownership. Managing partner: Conor Hansen.
• Redside Partners LLCminorOthers · 24 October 2022Seattle-based property management firm continuing to manage the six apartment buildings acquired through the SRM-ULMS partnership.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnects ULMS clients facing criminal record barriers with Microsoft pro-bono attorneys who assist with record vacating process. Helps previously justice-involved individuals gain employment, housing, and educational opportunities.
• United Way King CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiaison between United Way and community for eviction prevention and rental assistance during COVID-19 pandemic. Families at 80% AMI or below selected via lottery and assigned to ULMS for processing. ULMS processed 1,700+ families totaling over $15M.
• The Plate FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide expedited access codes worth $500 each to 25 local restaurant industry workers whose pay or employment status was severely impacted by COVID-19.
• Byrd Barr PlaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for emergency food package delivery service to 50 families weekly from May-July 2020 during COVID-19 response.
• World VisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Family Emergency Kits distribution program providing groceries and supplies to 50 families with children weekly April-June 2020.
• Together WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Family Emergency Kits drive-thru distribution program providing groceries and supplies to families during COVID-19 pandemic.
• City of Seattle Parks & RecreationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Family Emergency Kits distribution locations at four community centers rotating weekly April-June 2020.
• C. Davis BBQminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for hot meal distributions providing free BBQ meals and access to resources including COVID-19 testing, vaccine clinics, health screenings, and employment assistance.
• GrandRYZE ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm and editing production partner for 'From the Desk Of' staff video series showcasing ULMS team members and organizational impact.
• Seattle National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Greek Picnic collaboration at Summer Resource Festival, celebrating Divine Nine Black Greek Letter Organizations and introducing community to Black Greek life and culture.
• National Urban LeaguecoreOthersAffiliated with the National Urban League network, a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment, equality, and social rights for African Americans.
• King County Executive Office / Public HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Diversion Program (CDP) public safety strategy addressing root causes of low-level, non-violent, first-time felony cases through holistic support services.
• SRM DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroundbreaking partnership for Altaire at Queen Anne development delivering 114 affordable rental homes, continuing the SRM-ULMS affordable housing collaboration.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Byrd Barr Place: Seattle-based social services nonprofit providing food, housing, and energy assistance. Directly partnered with ULMS on the COVID-19 Family Emergency Kits program, serving overlapping low-income and BIPOC populations with similar service delivery model in the same geography.
• United Way of King County: Direct local funder and operational partner of ULMS — jointly administered the eviction prevention / rental assistance lottery that processed 1,700+ families and $15M+. Both serve overlapping King County vulnerable populations with comparable funding, partnership, and grantmaking models.
• YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish: Regional social services nonprofit providing housing, domestic violence support, and workforce development. Comparable service mix (housing + workforce + advocacy) and shared focus on serving women and BIPOC communities in the same King County footprint.
• Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties: Regional affordable housing nonprofit serving the same King County market. Comparable in homeownership pathways, financial empowerment, and affordable housing development for low-to-moderate income households — direct overlap with ULMS Homeownership and Housing programs.
• Urban League of Portland: Sister Urban League affiliate in the Pacific Northwest providing housing, workforce, and entrepreneurship services to Black communities. Closest programmatic peer — same National Urban League framework, similar five-pillar service model (housing, workforce, education, health, entrepreneurship), comparable scale.

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit that invests capital and provides expertise for affordable housing and community development. Comparable in large-scale affordable housing preservation finance, partnerships with public and corporate funders, and mission-aligned deployment of below-market capital into underserved communities.
• National Urban League: National civil rights and economic empowerment network of which ULMS is an affiliate. Directly comparable mission (racial equity, workforce, housing, education) but operates at national scale across 90+ affiliates, providing shared programming, policy advocacy, and brand framework that ULMS executes locally.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National CDFI that finances affordable housing, small businesses, and community development in underserved neighborhoods. Comparable in deploying below-market capital for affordable housing preservation (akin to ULMS $97M deal) and supporting Black-owned businesses through capital readiness programs.
• NAACP: National civil rights organization with overlapping mission around racial equity, advocacy, civic engagement, and economic empowerment. Comparable in advocacy/legislative framework work (ULMS publishes a 2025 Legislative Framework) and grassroots community mobilization but operates as a membership-based advocacy org rather than direct service provider.

Emerging players

• Black-owned business support: Tabor 100: Pacific Northwest Black business organization providing networking, advocacy, and economic development. Comparable in Black Business Directory, entrepreneurship support, and corporate partnership cultivation, focused specifically on Black-owned business ecosystem development in the same region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/seaurbanleague
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCe3AEbhRZ3bVFUpn2SaHm0g
• Facebookfacebook.com/seaurbanleague
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-league-of-metropolitan-seattle
• Instagraminstagram.com/seaurbanleague
• TikToktiktok.com/@seaurbanleague

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle