Big Seattle Charities Give $1.9M to Help Homeless Students

SEATTLE (AP) — Some big names in philanthropy are chipping in nearly $1.9 million to help homeless students in Washington state.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Raikes Foundation, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and the Campion Foundation — all based in Seattle — are teaming up on an effort they call Schoolhouse Washington.

Officials estimate that there are about 35,000 homeless students in Washington — or roughly one for every classroom, as the organizations put it. They say the homeless students are disproportionately black and American Indian.

Some of the money will go to the nonprofit Building Changes, which works to improve the way services are provided to homeless people. The money will initially be used to focus on schools and service providers in King County.

The partnership also includes Columbia Legal Services, which will advocate for effective policies on student homelessness throughout the state.