Uplift Northwest

What Uplift Northwest does

Uplift Northwest is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise, founded in 1921 as the Millionair Club Charity and rebranded to its current name in 2021, that provides temporary staffing, job training, and wraparound support services to people experiencing poverty and homelessness in the Puget Sound Region. Its core offerings are a full-service temporary staffing agency (Staffing Solutions) that places workers across hospitality, warehouse, landscaping, custodial, and labor/construction roles at 165+ employer partners in 25 industries, and the RISE (Roadmap to Independent and Sustainable Employment) four-week workforce readiness program. A portfolio of complementary service lines — Graffiti Removal Services, Public Works (street cleaning, litter removal, mobile hygiene units), and Support Services (housing assistance, eye care, meals, showers, case management) — is delivered in partnership with the City of Seattle, King County, and Seattle Public Utilities.

Name

Uplift Northwest

Legal name

Uplift Northwest

Website

https://upliftnw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Uplift Northwest is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise providing temporary staffing, job training, and support services to people experiencing poverty and homelessness across the Puget Sound Region, partnering with 165+ employers and government entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Dislocated Worker & Rapid Response / Reemployment Programs (EDAAAOAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employee Onboarding & Offboarding Administration (BPAAAIAA), Early Recovery & Rapid Rehabilitation (Debris Removal, Repairs, Livelihood Restart) (BPADADAJ)

Keywords

• Temporary staffing services
• Workforce development programs
• Nonprofit social enterprise
• Job readiness training
• Graffiti abatement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Staffing Services Revenue: Earned revenue from their staffing operation providing temporary workers to commercial and residential employers across the Puget Sound Region. The organization places workers in various industries including hospitality, warehouse, landscaping, and construction.
2. Government Contracts: Contracts with City of Seattle and King County for public works services including graffiti abatement, litter removal, and mobile hygiene units. Funding sourced from Seattle Public Utilities Clean Cities fund and city budget savings.
3. Donations and Grants: Philanthropic contributions from individuals, corporations, and grant providers. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID: 91-0607513) relying on community support to fund support services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Uplift Northwest is a nonprofit social enterprise that operates a full-service temporary staffing agency providing workers to commercial and residential employers across hospitality, warehouse, landscaping, custodial, and construction industries in the Puget Sound Region. It complements the staffing operation with the RISE four-week job-readiness training program, graffiti abatement and public works services delivered under government contracts, and comprehensive support services including housing assistance, case management, meals, showers, and hygiene facilities for people experiencing poverty and homelessness.

Product overview

Uplift Northwest operates as a nonprofit social enterprise providing a coordinated portfolio of employment and support services. The core offerings include a full-service temporary staffing agency (Staffing Solutions) that connects workers with employers across 25+ industries, and the RISE (Roadmap to Independent and Sustainable Employment) Program, a four-week job readiness training initiative. These are supported by specialized services including Graffiti Removal Services, Public Works (street cleaning and mobile hygiene), and comprehensive Support Services (housing assistance, eye care, meals, showers, case management). The organization also operates a Workforce Empowerment Collective that serves as a community hub for cross-sector collaboration. The portfolio is unified by a mission to provide dignified employment and job-readiness services to people experiencing poverty and homelessness in the Puget Sound Region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RISE Program: Roadmap to Independent and Sustainable Employment - a comprehensive four-week training initiative designed to equip individuals with the skills needed to succeed in today's workforce.
• Employment Social Enterprise (ESE)

Products and services

• Staffing Solutions
• RISE Program (Roadmap to Independent and Sustainable Employment)
• Graffiti Removal Services
• Public Works Services
• Support Services
• Employment Social Enterprise (ESE)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $3.7 million in wages generated for participants in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• City of Seattle (Mayor Harrell)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 August 2023Partnership with Mayor Harrell and King County to deploy graffiti abatement crews throughout Seattle. Part of One Seattle Graffiti Plan and Downtown Activation Plan. Uplift NW handles daily operations of the program with three crews of graffiti removal specialists.
• City University of Seattle (Enactus)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Student-led Enactus project that developed the initial graffiti abatement pilot program as a final academic project. Students applied classroom concepts to real-world business scenarios benefiting the community.
• Belltown UnitedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity coalition working to advocate for neighborhood residents, businesses, and property owners. Partners on graffiti identification and abatement efforts in Belltown area.
• Downtown Seattle Association / Metropolitan Improvement District (MID)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness association and improvement district collaborating on graffiti abatement and downtown cleanup initiatives. Uplift NW teams assist MID on abatement efforts.
• King CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKing County partnership for White Center clean-up pilot program and Roads Services Division collaboration. Executive Dow Constantine cited the partnership as a model for unincorporated King County.
• Seattle Public UtilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding source for graffiti abatement (Clean Cities fund) and partnership for mobile hygiene units providing showers and restrooms to unhoused individuals.
• Ballard AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness improvement organization partnering on street cleaning and litter removal services in the Ballard neighborhood.
• Walman OpticalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull-service eye clinic supporting Uplift NW workers with vision care services as part of the comprehensive support services network.
• BoeingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner that helped establish the digital literacy lab at Uplift NW's learning center, supporting technology training for participants.
• Celebrity Waiters LuncheonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual fundraiser event that has partnered with Uplift NW for years, generating millions in donations. Described as a signature annual event.
• AmazonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner and employer. Board member Benjamin Okeke represents Amazon on Uplift NW's Board of Trustees.
• Seattle MarinersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSports team employer partner through staffing solutions.
• MarriottminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHospitality employer partner through staffing solutions.
• SwedishminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare employer partner through staffing solutions.
• REDFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise funder and partner organization.
• Stand TogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilanthropy partner supporting the organization's mission.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Roca: Massachusetts-based nonprofit delivering workforce development, behavioral health, and ongoing support to high-risk young people and adults. Shares the intensive wraparound-services and long-term engagement model targeting populations facing barriers to employment.
• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit providing immediate paid work, job-readiness training, and career advancement support to people coming out of incarceration. Operates a transitional staffing model that closely parallels Uplift's Employment Social Enterprise.
• The Doe Fund: New York-based nonprofit providing workforce development, transitional housing, and supportive services to formerly homeless and incarcerated individuals, including a commercial staffing operation (Ready Willing and Able). Mirrors Uplift's earn-while-you-learn staffing and wraparound services model.
• Chrysalis: Los Angeles-based nonprofit social enterprise that provides temporary staffing, job training, and support services to people experiencing homelessness, reentry, and poverty. Operates the same earn-then-learn model with wraparound services, making it the closest analog to Uplift Northwest.
• Homeboy Industries: Los Angeles-based nonprofit social enterprise offering job training, employment placement, and wraparound services to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated individuals. Comparable mission of dignity-through-work for hard-to-employ populations.
• Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency (ACSS): Atlanta-based nonprofit providing workforce training and support services to individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty. Operates social enterprise ventures that employ participants, mirroring Uplift Northwest's social enterprise staffing arm.

Regional players

• St. Patrick Center: St. Louis-based nonprofit providing housing, employment training, and support services to people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Comparable population and integrated employment-services-plus-wraparound-support model, but anchored in a different metro.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit operating workforce development programs, staffing, and training across hundreds of local affiliates. Uplift Northwest shares the workforce-development-for-disadvantaged-populations mission but operates at much smaller, single-metro scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MillionairClubChar
• Facebookfacebook.com/UpliftNorthwest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upliftnorthwest
• Instagraminstagram.com/upliftnw
• Xx.com/upliftnorthwest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Uplift Northwest