Sound Outreach

What Sound Outreach does

Sound Outreach is a Tacoma, Washington-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 (originally as Senior Outreach Services, rebranded in 2001) that delivers free financial coaching, employment coaching, and benefits access to low and fixed-income Pierce County residents. Its core delivery platform is the Center for Strong Families (CSF) initiative, funded by United Way of Pierce County, which integrates employment coaching, financial coaching, and public benefits navigation under a single coach relationship. Sound Outreach operates three physical Financial Opportunity Centers: Hilltop (Tacoma, co-located with Tacoma Housing Authority staff and a street-facing ATM), Bethel (Spanaway, inside the Bethel Family Center; named UWPC Site of the Year), and Sumner-Bonney Lake (opened spring 2022 inside Sumner Middle School). Complementary programs include SHIBA Medicare counseling (delivered on behalf of the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner), the new Virtual Class Series on Zoom/Google Meet, monthly two-day Homebuyer Seminars, the Credit Up program (a Credit-Builder Loan partnership with Harborstone Credit Union), the Bank On Pierce County coalition (CFE Fund / Wells Fargo), and the annual Sound of Progress Luncheon fundraiser at Hotel Murano.

The underlying technology stack is a service-delivery platform rather than a software product: case management via the CSF framework, scheduling through Calendly, virtual delivery via Zoom and Google Meet, and partner-provided career assessment tools (O*NET and Traitify). All services are free to Pierce County residents; the operating model is fully funded by a mix of government grants (federal, state, and local, including WA Department of Commerce Community Reinvestment Account and WA Department of Financial Institutions), foundation grants (15+ foundations including Bamford, Medina, Norcliffe, BECU, KeyBank, US Bank), corporate sponsorships, the annual Sound of Progress Luncheon, and individual donations including planned giving via Leave 10 South Sound. The organization earned the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency in both 2022 and 2024 and is governed by a Board with representatives from Laird Norton Wetherby, Americas Credit Union, Washington Trust Bank, and Sound Credit Union. Jennifer Morrison was appointed permanent Executive Director effective September 19, 2025, following an interim period under William Towey after Bryan Flint's end-of-2024 departure.

Name

Sound Outreach

Legal name

Sound Outreach

Website

https://soundoutreach.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sound Outreach is a Tacoma-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that delivers free financial coaching, employment coaching, and benefits access to low-income Pierce County, Washington residents through three Financial Opportunity Centers and a new Virtual Class Series.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Financial Counseling Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Financial counseling services
• Employment coaching programs
• Financial literacy education
• Community development services
• Credit building programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Federal, state, and local government grants, including Washington State Department of Commerce Community Reinvestment Account funding and Washington State Department of Financial Institutions support. As of 2015, 87% of funding came from government grants.
2. Foundation Grants: Grants from private and corporate foundations including Bamford Foundation, BECU, Forest Foundation, Florence Kilworth Foundation, Gottfried & Mary Fuchs Foundation, KeyBank Foundation, Medina Foundation, Norcliffe Foundation, Sequoia Foundation, Windows of Hope Foundation, Woodworth Family Foundation, US Bank Foundation, and others.
3. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, including one-time, recurring, and planned giving options such as Donor-Advised Funds (DAF) and the Leave 10 estate-giving initiative.
4. Corporate Sponsorships & Luncheon Fundraising: Annual Sound of Progress Luncheon corporate sponsorships (e.g., Presenting Sponsor Senescal) and Table Captain-driven fundraising at Hotel Murano in Tacoma. 2023 Dreams Reached Luncheon goal of $75,000 exceeded by 101%.
5. Bank On Fellowship Grant: Two-year fellowship from the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) supported by Wells Fargo, with matching funding from Washington Department of Financial Institutions, to staff Bank On Pierce County coalition work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Sound Outreach delivers free one-on-one financial coaching, employment coaching, and integrated case management to Pierce County, Washington residents with low or fixed incomes, delivered through three Center for Strong Families Financial Opportunity Centers (Hilltop, Bethel, Sumner-Bonney Lake), a Virtual Class Series, and partner-hosted group presentations. The organization also operates the SHIBA Medicare counseling program, the Credit Up financial empowerment partnership with Harborstone Credit Union, and the Bank On Pierce County coalition connecting unbanked residents to mainstream banking.

Product overview

Sound Outreach is a Pierce County, Washington-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers its offering through an integrated service platform of named programs rather than a single software product. Its core service portfolio is anchored by Financial Coaching (one-on-one and Group Presentations) and Employment Coaching, delivered through the Center for Strong Families (CSF) initiative across three Financial Opportunity Centers — Hilltop (Tacoma), Bethel (Spanaway), and Sumner-Bonney Lake — funded by the United Way of Pierce County. Complementary programs include the SHIBA Medicare counseling service, the new Virtual Class Series (delivered via Zoom and Google Meet), monthly Homebuyer Seminars, the Credit Up Financial Empowerment Program (with Harborstone Credit Union), the Bank On Pierce County coalition, and the annual Sound of Progress Luncheon. All programs are delivered free to Pierce County residents and are interconnected through case management that bundles coaching, credit building, and benefits access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center for Strong Families: United Way of Pierce County-funded initiative in which Sound Outreach participates, bundling employment coaching, financial coaching, and access to public benefits through comprehensive case management for economically vulnerable households in Pierce County.
• Credit Up
• Bank On Pierce County

Products and services

• Financial Coaching One-on-one, one-hour financial coaching sessions covering budgeting, credit reports and scores, financial health assessment, and short- and long-term goal setting, delivered by Sound Outreach's Financial Coaches to Pierce County residents at no cost.
• Employment Coaching One-on-one job-readiness and career-advancement coaching delivered by Sound Outreach's Lead Employment Coach and other staff, covering résumé building, mock interviews, employment navigation, and connection to high-wage job pathways through employer partners such as MultiCare, Korsmo Construction, WorkSource, and The REACH Center.
• Group Presentations Tailored financial-education workshops delivered to community organizations, schools, and workplaces (including partners such as University of Washington Tacoma and Tacoma Screw), designed as an on-ramp to one-on-one financial coaching.
• Center for Strong Families (CSF) United Way of Pierce County-funded initiative bundling employment coaching, financial coaching, and access to public benefits through comprehensive case management for economically vulnerable Pierce County households. Sound Outreach operates three Financial Opportunity Centers under CSF: Hilltop (Tacoma), Bethel (Spanaway), and Sumner-Bonney Lake.
• SHIBA Medicare Counseling Free, unbiased, confidential Medicare counseling delivered by trained Sound Outreach volunteers on behalf of the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, covering Medigap/Medicare Advantage, Medicaid programs, long-term care options, fraud, and employment-related health benefits.
• Virtual Class Series

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ clients served per Center for Strong Families location (Sumner-Bonney Lake and Bethel) by July 2024; Hilltop at 85 clients.
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Washington State Office of the Insurance CommissionercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates the SHIBA (Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors) program that Sound Outreach delivers locally for free Medicare counseling and education.
• BankOn WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level banking access coalition that Sound Outreach supports through its Financial Capacity Building / BankOn Pierce County work.
• Tacoma Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient Referral Partner, Funding Partner, and co-locator at Hilltop location; 4-5 THA staff are hosted at Sound Outreach's Hilltop office. Sound Outreach Financial Coaches also work at THA locations.
• Bethel School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Bethel Financial Opportunity Center at the Bethel Family Center; refers clients for financial coaching and assistance.
• Sumner Bonney Lake School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Sumner-Bonney Lake Center for Strong Families at Sumner Middle School; refers clients for financial coaching and assistance.
• MultiCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer Partner providing job training and pathways to living-wage jobs; Group Presentation Partner for financial workshops.
• WorkSourcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer Partner providing workforce development connections via workforce-central.org.
• The REACH CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer Partner providing job training and pathways to living-wage jobs.
• Korean Women's AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer Partner providing job training and pathways to living-wage jobs.
• Korsmo ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer Partner providing job training and pathways to living-wage jobs.
• University of Washington – TacomacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup Presentation Partner that hosts Sound Outreach financial education workshops and helped develop tailored, interactive financial education content.
• Tacoma ScrewcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate Group Presentation client and partner developing tailored financial education content for employees.
• Tacoma Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup Presentation Partner that hosts Sound Outreach financial education workshops.
• Palmer PathwaysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup Presentation Partner suggesting topics and co-developing financial education content.
• Renter Readiness CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup Presentation Partner co-developing renter-focused financial content.
• Pierce County Library SystemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup Presentation Partner hosting financial education workshops at library locations.
• Tacoma Ministerial AllianceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClient Referral Partner referring clients to Sound Outreach for financial coaching and assistance.
• Tacoma Rescue MissionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClient Referral Partner referring clients to Sound Outreach for financial coaching and assistance.
• Greater Lakes Mental HealthminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClient Referral Partner referring clients to Sound Outreach for financial coaching and assistance.
• Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit that awarded Sound Outreach the Bank On Fellowship in 2021 (two-year term, $52M+ disbursed across 100+ cities/counties); supports Bank On Pierce County coalition work to expand banking access for unbanked residents.
• Community Credit LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Sound Outreach during COVID-19 to provide no-fee, no-interest loans to clients; 19 families received $35,900 total to pay for groceries, rent, and car repairs.
• Washington Trust BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Homebuyer Seminar presenter (Titus Davis, Community Lending Officer) and hosts Sarah Howard as Board Treasurer.
• Windermere Real EstateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the Homebuyer Seminars series for first-time homebuyers.
• Washington State Housing Finance CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the Homebuyer Seminars series for first-time homebuyers.
• ArchbrightminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExecutive search firm engaged by the Sound Outreach Board in 2024-2025 to identify the next Executive Director through discovery, planning, and recruitment phases.
• SenescalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Sponsor of the 2026 Sound of Progress Luncheon at Hotel Murano in Tacoma.
• Leave 10 South SoundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMovement of local donors, nonprofits, and professional advisors encouraging residents of the South Puget Sound region to leave at least 10% of their estates to charity; Sound Outreach is a Leave 10 Champion.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pierce County Asset Building Coalition: Local coalition supported by Sound Outreach's Financial Capacity Building work to expand financial institution access for underbanked Pierce County residents; shares the same beneficiary base and Bank On mission.
• Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund): National nonprofit that awarded Sound Outreach the Bank On Fellowship; comparable in mission of expanding banking access for unbanked households and operating through local coalitions like Bank On Pierce County.
• Tacoma Housing Authority: Co-locator at the Hilltop FOC and referral partner; comparable as a Pierce County housing/social services agency serving low-income residents and frequently partnering with financial coaching programs.
• United Way of Pierce County: Direct funder and operational partner running the Center for Strong Families initiative in which Sound Outreach operates three Financial Opportunity Centers; comparable in mission (financial stability, poverty reduction across Pierce County) and target beneficiary base.
• Harborstone Credit Union: Co-developer of the Credit Up program and first Credit-Builder Loan partner; comparable as a Pierce County-based financial institution building tailored products for unbanked and underbanked residents.
• Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region: Regional Goodwill that bundles workforce development with financial coaching and benefits navigation for low-income job seekers — directly comparable integrated employment + financial services model serving similar populations in western Washington.

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: National nonprofit combining employment training, career coaching, and financial capability services for young adults from low-income communities; overlaps with Sound Outreach's employment coaching + financial coaching bundle, but at much larger scale.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution and intermediary funder; listed as a Sound Outreach funder and addresses many of the same financial resiliency and asset-building outcomes across U.S. communities.

Regional players

• Renter Readiness Coalition: Pierce County-based partner collaborating on renter-focused financial content; overlaps with Sound Outreach's housing/financial literacy work and serves adjacent low-income renter segments.

Emerging players

• Community Credit Lab: Partnered with Sound Outreach during COVID-19 to deliver no-fee, no-interest loans ($35,900 to 19 families); comparable as a small nonprofit lending initiative serving financially vulnerable households with alternative credit-building products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SoundOutreach
• Facebookfacebook.com/soundoutreach
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-sound-outreach

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Sound Outreach