• Communities Count is committed to improving community health and well-being through information advocacy—providing accurate and timely reports on conditions that matter to King County residents. (http://www.communitiescount.org/)

• The Seattle Foundation’s 2009 Healthy Community Report: The 2009 report, A Healthy Community: Strategies for Effective Giving, presents The Seattle Foundation's comprehensive recommendations for improving the well-being of our community through strategic giving. (http://www.seattlefoundation.org/page10004386.cfm)

• Washington State Budget and Policy Center uses research and analysis to advance the well-being of Washington communities, improve the economic security and social opportunity of all Washingtonians, and support the essential role of government in promoting a just and prosperous society. (http://www.budgetandpolicy.org/)

General Education

• Alliance for Education helps every child in Seattle Public Schools achieve academic success through accountability, collaboration, equity, innovation, and transparency. (http://www.alliance4ed.org/)

• Children's Alliance improves the well being of children by effecting positive changes in public policies, priorities, and programs. (http://www.childrensalliance.org/)

• Communities in Schools of Washington champions the connection of needed community resources with schools to help young people successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life. (http://www.cisnet.org/)

• Facing the Future believes in the transformative power of widespread, systemic education to improve lives and communities, both locally and globally. (http://www.facingthefuture.org/)

• Foundation for Early Learning supports parents and caregivers as they guide their children through critical developmental years. (http://earlylearning.org/)

• Puget Sound SAGE brings together labor, faith and community to build an economy based on shared prosperity.  We ensure all families benefit from economic growth, all workers are free from discrimination in the workplace and all development meets the needs of our communities. (http://www.pugetsoundsage.org/ )

Economic Opportunity

• BURRST for Prosperity believes the best long-term solutions to stop the cycle of poverty are strategies that lead to an individual's financial independence. BuRSST is currently expanding its work to impact a greater number of people living in poverty and continue to positively affect change in the regional and statewide systems that directly impact low-income individuals and families. (http://www.bursst.org/)

• Hands on Banking is a program that offers all the basic money tools, skills, and information you need for financial matters. http://www.handsonbanking.org/en/index.html

• Impact Capital  provides early bridge financing for strategic real estate investments. We take the riskiest part of the financing package, thereby attracting other investors to the table. (http://www.impactcapital.org/)

• King County Work Training Program collaborates with many dedicated community partners to help create a customer-focused workforce development system throughout Seattle-King County. A major priority is providing regional leadership with our partners to coordinate employment services for those experiencing homelessness and people involved in the criminal justice system. (http://www.kingcounty.gov/socialservices/WorkTraining.aspx)

• Seattle Jobs Initiative is a nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for people to support themselves and their families through living wage careers. (http://www.seattlejobsinitiative.com/)

• United Way of King County mobilizes our community in ways that no single agency, individual, or government can to enhance the ability of people to care for one another. (http://www.uwkc.org/)

• Workforce Development Council serves as a research and development center for workforce issues, sharing our expertise with the community and leading partnerships. We invest and participate in strategic initiatives to strengthen our economy and ensure that all residents have the opportunity to achieve success.(http://www.seakingwdc.org/)

• WorkSource Seattle King County provides the Job Seekers’ Update packet via mail, which lists local agencies providing academic, employment, life skills services, trainings. (http://www.worksourceskc.org/seekers/resources.asp)

• Comments from our CityClub blog, CityBlog (http://www.seattlecityclub.org/node/246)

• Crosscut articles on education and economic opportunity: click here to browse a list of relevant articles. Also see: http://crosscut.com/education/

• The Seattle Foundation Healthy Community Report Commentators
• • Interviews with Kate Joncas on economic opportunity (page 39) and John Stanton on education (page 49) (http://www.seattlefoundation.org/page10004386.cfm)

Candidate Guides:

• Meet the candidates at an upcoming CityClub forum:
• • Election Debate - Seattle Mayor
  • Election Debate - Seattle City Council
  • Speed Candi-dating and Seattle Trivia - Explore your Ballot Top to Bottom

• Seattle Works Candidate Guide: (http://www.seattleworks.org/AboutUs/index.php/candidateguide.html )

• The Municipal League of King County Candidate Ratings: (http://www.munileague.org/candidate-evaluations/previous-ratings/2009/20... )

• Candidate Positions on education and economic opportunity: See what the candidates have to say about the issues. All candidates for King County Executive, Seattle Mayor, Port of Seattle and Seattle School District were invited to respond. Click here to view (PDF, 153 kb).

• Governmental Resources:
• • Washington Secretary of State: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/
  • King County: http://www.kingcounty.gov/
  • Seattle City Council: http://www.seattle.gov/Council/

Mentorship programs in King County related to economic opportunity and education:

• Alliance for Education: At the Alliance for Education, our mission is to help every child in Seattle Public Schools achieve academic success through accountability, collaboration, equity, innovation, and transparency. (http://www.alliance4ed.org/)

• United Way of King County: UWKC mobilizes our community in ways that no single agency, individual, or government can to enhance the ability of people to care for one another. (http://www.uwkc.org/)

• YMCA: Building a community where all people, especially the young, are encouraged to develop their fullest potential in spirit, mind and body. (http://www.seattleymca.org/page.cfm)

• City Year: City Year unites young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time service, giving them skills and opportunities to change the world. (http://www.cityyear.org/default_ektid13307.aspx)