What Building Changes does

Building Changes is a Washington State 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Seattle, founded in 2004 (Tax ID #91-1410450), with 51-100 employees. Its mission is to advance equitable responses to homelessness among children, youth, and families in Washington State through three pillars: Centering Communities (convening cross-sector partners), Shaping Systems (advocating for equitable policies), and Preventing Homelessness (building community-informed prevention strategies).

The organization operates a portfolio of grantmaking, peer-learning, and policy programs. Core offerings include the Washington Youth & Families Fund (WYFF), the state's primary public-private resource for innovative solutions to youth and family homelessness; the Homeless Student Stability Program (HSSP), a competitive grant program co-administered with the Washington State Department of Commerce and OSPI; the School/Housing Network peer-learning group; the Centralized Diversion Fund in King County; the Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project (YDIP) with A Way Home Washington; and The Upstream Project for prevention. It also produces research, policy briefs, evaluation frameworks, and public data dashboards on K-12 student homelessness.

Building Changes' revenue model rests on three streams: state government allocations routed through WYFF and HSSP, private foundation grants (most prominently the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the 10-year, $29.8 million Family Homelessness Initiative and the Raikes Foundation for the $4.1 million COVID-19 Response Fund), and individual donations. The organization does not sell products or services; rather, it distributes funds and capacity-building support via competitive RFPs to nonprofit community organizations, tribes, housing authorities, public development authorities, and school districts across Washington's 39 counties. Customer segments include students experiencing homelessness (K-12), youth and young adults (12-24), families experiencing homelessness, school districts/McKinney-Vento liaisons, and community-based nonprofit grantees.

Name

Building Changes

Legal name

Building Changes

Website

https://buildingchanges.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Building Changes is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that administers the Washington Youth & Families Fund and Homeless Student Stability Program, providing grants, technical assistance, and policy advocacy to address youth and family homelessness across Washington State.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness and Housing Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization Housing Programs (FSALAKAO), Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

Keywords

• Homelessness prevention services
• Youth and family homelessness
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Housing stability advocacy
• Community capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Private Donations: Building Changes receives funding from private foundations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (for the Family Homelessness Initiative) and Raikes Foundation (for COVID-19 Response Fund), as well as individual donations. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with Tax ID #91-1410450.
2. State Government Allocations: Building Changes administers state-funded programs including the Washington Youth & Families Fund (WYFF), which receives state allocations, and advocates for continued funding for programs like the Homeless Student Stability Program ($2.6 million ongoing funding requests).
3. COVID-19 Response Fundraising: Between April 24, 2020 and March 30, 2021, the Washington State Student and Youth Homelessness COVID-19 Response Fund raised $4.1 million in private donations and awarded $4.1 million in grants to 199 organizations, schools, school districts, and tribes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Building Changes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advances equitable responses to homelessness in Washington State by administering grant programs (Washington Youth & Families Fund, Homeless Student Stability Program), providing technical assistance and capacity-building support to community organizations, schools, and tribes, and conducting state-level policy advocacy. Its core deliverables include flexible grant funding, peer-learning networks (School/Housing Network), diversion programming (Centralized Diversion Fund, YDIP), research and policy briefs, and toolkits (ABC Tool, Coordinated Entry Toolkit).

Product overview

Building Changes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a social services and advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. Its portfolio consists of grantmaking programs, peer-learning networks, and resource toolkits focused on advancing equitable responses to homelessness. The core offerings include the Washington Youth & Families Fund (WYFF) for funding youth and family homelessness initiatives, the Homeless Student Stability Program (HSSP) for student-focused grants, the School/Housing Network for peer learning, the Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project (YDIP) for diversion-first approaches, the Centralized Diversion Fund for flexible funding, and The Upstream Project for prevention work. These programs are complemented by resource toolkits including the ABC Tool for capacity building and the Coordinated Entry Toolkit. Building Changes does not offer a unified software platform but rather delivers services through grant programs, advocacy, and educational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Schoolhouse Washington: A project of Building Changes focused on improving academic and housing outcomes for students experiencing homelessness in Washington State
• Washington Youth & Families Fund (WYFF)
• Washington Families Fund

Products and services

• Washington Youth & Families Fund (WYFF) A public-private partnership administered by Building Changes that awards grants (~$250,000-$500,000 per RFP cycle) and provides technical assistance to nonprofit organizations and tribes implementing Diversion-first approaches and equitable family homelessness services across Washington State.
• Homeless Student Stability Program (HSSP) A statewide competitive grant program administered through the Washington State Department of Commerce and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction that funds school districts and nonprofit partners to address academic and housing needs of K-12 students experiencing homelessness.
• School/Housing Network A monthly peer-learning group (August-May via Zoom) for McKinney-Vento liaisons, advocates, and community-based partners across Washington State to share resources and strategies for supporting students experiencing homelessness.
• Centralized Diversion Fund A flexible funding mechanism in King County that brings the Diversion model to scale, supporting families, individuals, and young adults to exit homelessness quickly through flexible funds addressing deposits, transportation, and documentation barriers. Has helped over 800 families successfully exit homelessness.
• Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project (YDIP) A joint initiative with A Way Home Washington that uses Diversion-first approaches and flexible funding to prevent homelessness for young people ages 12-24 exiting systems of care.
• The Upstream Project A prevention-focused initiative that works with schools to identify and support students experiencing homelessness before crises occur through early intervention strategies.
• Homelessness Prevention & Diversion Fund A statewide funding initiative providing flexible, diversion-first resources to prevent homelessness across Washington communities.
• Assessment & Building Capacity Tool (ABC Tool) A framework and toolkit developed by Building Changes to help school districts strategize and improve support systems for students experiencing homelessness.
• Coordinated Entry Toolkit A 2013 toolkit published by Building Changes to help counties implement Coordinated Entry systems for equitable access to housing resources.
• Schoolhouse Washington A first-of-its-kind project of Building Changes focused on improving academic and housing outcomes for K-12 students experiencing homelessness in Washington State.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 800 families successfully exited homelessness through Centralized Diversion Fund
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• A Way Home WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2023Joint project - Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project (YDIP) - designed to prevent homelessness for young people exiting systems of care. Launched in January 2023 with program evaluation reports published in 2024 and 2026.
• Education Leads HomeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Building Changes received an Education Leads Home State Partnerships Grant to partner with Governor Inslee's Office, Child Care Resources, and Washington State Association of Head Start & ECEAP to better understand barriers to early learning access for children experiencing homelessness.
• Governor Inslee's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Education Leads Home State Partnerships Grant focused on early learning and student homelessness.
• Child Care Resources (CCR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly learning partner in Education Leads Home grant, focusing on child care access for families experiencing homelessness.
• Washington State Association of Head Start & ECEAP (WSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly learning partner in Education Leads Home grant, representing Head Start and ECEAP programs serving young children experiencing homelessness.
• Washington State LegislaturecoreOthersBuilding Changes advocates for state policies and funding including the Homeless Student Stability Program (SSB 5324 passed unanimously), Washington Youth & Families Fund, and Maternity Support Services. The legislature provides ongoing funding for WYFF and HSSP.
• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)coreOthersState agency partner administering Homeless Student Stability Program grants alongside Department of Commerce, responsible for McKinney-Vento liaison support and student homelessness data collection.
• Washington State Department of CommercecoreOthersState agency partner administering HSSP grants alongside OSPI, responsible for housing and homeless services coordination.
• King, Pierce, and Snohomish CountiescoreOthersThree-county partnership through Family Homelessness Initiative, working with county homeless systems and community-based providers to improve family outcomes.
• Africatown InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFHI partner organization led by Black community leaders, operating the Centralized Diversion Fund and helping address racial disproportionality.
• Mother NationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFHI partner organization led by Indigenous community members, helping address inequities in homeless services.
• Chief Seattle ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFHI partner organization serving Native American community members experiencing homelessness.
• Pamoja PlaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWYFF grantee organization fostering belonging for BIPOC individuals on Whidbey Island, hosting learning circles for other grantees.
• Triumph Teen Life CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWYFF grantee empowering teens in Mount Vernon area, part of latest cohort addressing family wellbeing and long-term stability.
• New Americans Alliance for Policy and Research (NAAPR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWYFF grantee focused on building prosperity for immigrant and refugee communities.
• Mujeres in ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWYFF grantee in Spokane advocating for survivors and creating safe spaces for those in need.
• REACH Center (Integrated with Tacoma Community House)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSSP grantee providing education, employment, housing, and support services for young people ages 16-24 in Tacoma and Pierce County, with partnerships in Bethel, Sumner/Bonney-Lake, Franklin-Pierce, and Puyallup school districts.
• South Sound 211minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Pierce County 211 and Diversion Grant Project, integrating Diversion into existing phone-based health and human services referral system, serving 323 households with 43.2% successful exits to stable housing.
• The Mockingbird Society's Youth Advocates Ending Homelessness (YAEH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy partner that taught Building Changes why all schools need building points of contacts to better identify students experiencing homelessness, contributing to SSB 5324 legislative improvements.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• A Way Home Washington: Washington State nonprofit focused on preventing and ending youth homelessness; Building Changes' direct co-development partner on the Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project (YDIP), making it the closest operating peer with overlapping programs, advocacy, and statewide convening roles.
• SchoolHouse Connection: National nonprofit supporting the educational success and well-being of children and youth experiencing homelessness; directly comparable to Building Changes' Schoolhouse Washington project and HSSP work, with parallel federal advocacy and McKinney-Vento focus.
• The Mockingbird Society: Washington State nonprofit focused on improving outcomes for youth and families involved in foster care and homelessness; directly comparable in advocacy, youth-voice programming, and Washington State operating geography, and a current advocacy partner of Building Changes.

Broad incumbents

• National Alliance to End Homelessness: Leading national advocacy and research organization on homelessness; comparable in research, policy, and convening function to Building Changes but operates at the federal/national level rather than the state-level grantmaking Building Changes performs.
• Funders Together to End Homelessness: National membership network of funders committed to strategic philanthropy on homelessness; comparable as a sector-coordinating entity with similar philanthropic-intermediary and advocacy functions, but operates at the funder-network level nationally.
• The Annie E. Casey Foundation: Major national foundation focused on child and family well-being, including homelessness and foster care; comparable as a private-foundation funder and convener for youth and family homelessness initiatives at far larger scale.
• Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH): National nonprofit that advances supportive housing through financing, policy, and capacity building; comparable as a homelessness-focused intermediary, though CSH emphasizes housing development financing whereas Building Changes emphasizes grantmaking and advocacy.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit developer and investor in affordable housing and community development; comparable in mission around affordable housing and systems change, but operates at much larger scale with a capital-deployment model rather than grantmaking.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution supporting affordable housing and economic development; comparable as a community-development intermediary, though LISC operates through CDFI-style capital deployment rather than grantmaking.

Regional players

• Building Futures (Washington State): Washington-based nonprofit working to end homelessness through advocacy and direct services in Pierce County and statewide; comparable in advocacy role and cross-sector convening, though with a stronger direct-service orientation than Building Changes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BuildingChanges
• Facebookfacebook.com/BuildingChanges
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/building-changes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Building Changes