School's Out Washington

What School's Out Washington does

School's Out Washington (SOWA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit intermediary organization founded in 1993 (with firmographic data indicating 1987) and headquartered in Tukwila, Washington. SOWA strengthens Washington's youth development ecosystem by serving as a fiscal agent, capacity builder, and policy advocate for afterschool, summer, and expanded-learning programs serving BIPOC, refugee, LGBTQ, and low-income youth across the state. Its operations run on no proprietary technology platform beyond a Salesforce-based training calendar and a WordPress website; the organization's core capability is field expertise, equity-centered program design, and trusted relationships with public funders.

SOWA's core offerings fall into four program lines: (1) Grants Management — distributing pass-through funds such as the King County Best Starts for Kids Expanded Learning Initiative ($16M+ to 65 awardees in the 2022-2025 cohort, up from $8.3M to 38 organizations in 2018-2021), the $9.4M CARES Act Washington Youth Development Nonprofit Relief Fund (2020), the $4.575M OSPI Summer Program Fund (2022), the Refugee School Impact Program, and Feed Your Brain (175+ literacy programs since 2001); (2) Professional Learning — workshops, School-Age Basics certification, customized training, and the annual Bridge Conference; (3) Quality Improvement — quality cohorts and assessment frameworks for partner organizations such as Hilltop Children's Center; and (4) Policy & Advocacy — the 100+ program Youth Development Strategy Table (YDST) coalition, the Youth Advocacy Subcommittee (YAS), and legislative advocacy for a state Youth Development Fund.

The business model is a managed-services nonprofit model with no fees charged to grantees. Revenue comes from government grants (King County, OSPI, Washington State Department of Commerce, federal HHS), private foundation funding, and individual/corporate donations, with major funders concentrated in a small set of public agencies. Leadership is led by CEO Elizabeth Whitford, with David Beard as Policy and Advocacy Director; headcount is in the 11-50 range.

Name

School's Out Washington

Legal name

School's Out Washington

Website

https://schoolsoutwashington.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

School's Out Washington is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit intermediary that distributes government and foundation grants, delivers professional learning, and advocates for expanded-learning programs serving Washington's BIPOC, refugee, LGBTQ, and low-income youth across afterschool and summer programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

Keywords

• Youth development services
• Professional learning programs
• Grants management services
• Policy advocacy coalitions
• Quality improvement support

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: SOWA receives federal and state grants to distribute to youth development organizations. Examples include Refugee School Impact Program (federal grant), King County Best Starts for Kids funding, and CARES Act Washington Youth Development Nonprofit Relief Fund ($9.4 million distributed to 421 organizations).
2. Foundation & Philanthropic Funding: Partnerships with private foundations for grant-making and quality improvement support to youth programs, including the Best Starts for Kids initiative.
3. Individual & Corporate Donations: Accepts donations from individuals and organizations to support their mission of strengthening youth development programs. Multiple donation methods available including online, phone, and mail.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

School's Out Washington is a nonprofit intermediary that strengthens Washington's youth development sector by administering public and philanthropic grants, delivering professional learning and quality improvement coaching to afterschool and summer programs, and convening a statewide advocacy coalition for sustained public investment in expanded learning. Services are provided free of charge to youth-serving organizations and are funded through government grants, foundation philanthropy, and donations.

Product overview

School's Out Washington (SOWA) is a nonprofit intermediary organization that does not sell a commercial product but rather delivers a portfolio of service programs for Washington's youth development ecosystem. The core offerings consist of: (1) Professional Learning — trainings, workshops, and the annual Bridge Conference for youth development professionals; (2) Quality Improvement Pathways — coaching, quality cohorts, and assessment tools for program quality improvement; (3) Grants Management — facilitation of multiple grant programs including the King County Best Starts for Kids Expanded Learning Initiative, Summer Program Fund, Feed Your Brain, Refugee School Impact Program, and the Washington Youth Development Nonprofit Relief Fund; and (4) Policy & Advocacy — the Youth Development Strategy Table (YDST) coalition, Youth Advocacy Subcommittee (YAS), and the Youth Development Fund legislative initiative. SOWA also maintains a public Resources Library of downloadable tools for the field. All programs are offered free or subsidized to youth-serving organizations and are delivered through direct service, partnerships with public agencies, and online platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Learning Trainings and Workshops Workshops, webinars, and the School-Age Basics certification for youth development professionals working in afterschool, summer, and expanded learning programs across Washington State.
• Bridge Conference Annual flagship conference that brings together the expanded learning field for keynotes, workshops, networking, and professional development; the 2025 conference carried the theme "Together We Rise."
• Grants Management and Facilitation Fiscal agent and administrative services that channel government and foundation funding to youth development programs serving BIPOC, LGBTQ, migrant/immigrant, and low-income youth across Washington State.
• Summer Program Fund State-funded grant program administered with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) that distributes funding to summer learning programs across Washington State.
• Feed Your Brain Funding and training initiative for summer literacy programs at schools, community-based organizations, and tribes, linking literacy programming to federal summer meals funding.
• King County Best Starts for Kids Expanded Learning Initiative Multi-year grant initiative with King County Best Starts for Kids that funds and supports culturally responsive afterschool and summer programming for BIPOC and low-income youth.
• Washington Youth Development Nonprofit Relief Fund One-time COVID-19 relief fund of $9.4 million made possible by the CARES Act and administered by SOWA in partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce.
• Refugee School Impact Program (RSIP) Federal grant administered by SOWA that provides funding and support to school districts serving refugee populations and fosters partnerships between community organizations and schools.
• Quality Improvement Pathways Program quality improvement support for youth-serving organizations, including quality cohorts, assessment tools, and continuous improvement frameworks.
• School-Age Basics Certification Foundational certification within SOWA's Professional Learning portfolio for staff working in school-age and youth development settings.
• Youth Development Strategy Table (YDST) Coalition Coalition of 100+ youth development programs across Washington State advocating for equitable state funding and policy for the youth development sector.
• Youth Advocacy Subcommittee (YAS) Subcommittee of approximately 10 young people who work with SOWA and the YDST coalition on policy projects and youth advocacy initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributed $9.4 million in CARES Act funding to 441 youth development organizations in 2020
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Washington State Department of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020SOWA was chosen by the Washington State Department of Commerce to administer the $9.4 million Washington Youth Development Nonprofit Relief Fund made possible by the CARES Act. SOWA's field expertise, equity lens, and grant-making experience enabled rapid deployment to 441 youth development organizations.
• Youth Development Strategy Table (YDST)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019YDST is a coalition of 100+ youth development programs across Washington state that SOWA helps lead and facilitate. Since 2019, the coalition has been advocating for the establishment of a state Youth Development Fund. SOWA hosts YDST coalition meetings and supports the coalition's advocacy efforts.
• King County Best Starts for KidscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOWA partners with King County Best Starts for Kids as the administrator for the Expanded Learning Initiative, distributing resources to providers across King County working to improve practices and provide afterschool/summer programming for BIPOC youth and youth in poverty. The partnership has funded dozens of organizations through multiple funding cycles (2018-2021 cohort and 2022-2025 cohort).
• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOWA partnered with OSPI for the 2022 Summer Program Fund, selecting 139 organizations to receive $4,575,000 in funding. SOWA also works with OSPI on youth development policy and the proposed Youth Development Fund would be administered through OSPI.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (via Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOWA administers the Refugee School Impact Program (RSIP), a federal grant that provides funding and support to school districts serving refugee populations in Washington. SOWA fosters partnerships between community organizations and school districts to better serve refugee students.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Refugee School Impact Program - IRC Seattle created the Parent Handbook for Tukwila School District to welcome refugee families, and IRC Spokane delivers services to refugee youth under RSIP.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Afterschool Alliance: National nonprofit advocacy organization working to ensure all children have access to quality afterschool programs. Highly comparable to SOWA's YDST coalition and Youth Development Fund advocacy work, particularly around public funding for expanded learning.
• National AfterSchool Association (NAA): National membership organization providing professional development, training, and advocacy for afterschool and youth development professionals. Directly comparable to SOWA in mission (strengthening out-of-school time programs) and service mix (training, advocacy, quality standards), though NAA operates nationally while SOWA is Washington-focused.
• National Summer Learning Association: National nonprofit exclusively focused on closing the achievement gap by increasing access to high-quality summer learning. Directly comparable to SOWA's Summer Program Fund and Feed Your Brain summer literacy programs.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national youth development organization operating clubs serving youth. Comparable in mission and target population (underserved youth, afterschool programming), though BGCA operates direct service sites rather than an intermediary model.
• American Camp Association: National organization providing accreditation, professional development, and advocacy for camp and youth development programs. Comparable to SOWA's quality improvement, training, and advocacy functions in the youth development space.
• Grantmakers for Education: National membership organization of education funders. Comparable to SOWA in serving as an intermediary between funders and education programs, though operating at the funder side of the relationship.
• Philanthropy Northwest: Regional association of philanthropic foundations in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable as a regional intermediary that convenes funders and nonprofits, with a similar membership/coalition model to SOWA's YDST coalition.

Regional players

• Washington STEM: Washington-state nonprofit intermediary focused on STEM education equity, working with schools, industry, and communities. Comparable as a state-level education intermediary with similar partnership, advocacy, and equity-focused programming model.

Others

• King County Best Starts for Kids: King County levy-funded initiative that is SOWA's largest funder and most important partnership. Relevant as the upstream counterparty that determines the size and shape of SOWA's largest grant administration business.
• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI): Washington state education agency that partners with SOWA on the Summer Program Fund and policy work. Relevant as a key state-level counterpart that SOWA depends on for large-scale grant administration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SchoolsOutWA
• Facebookfacebook.com/SchoolsOutWA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 School's Out Washington