Alesha Washington on the Seattle Foundation and the Courage to Lead
Photos by Susan Fried
In honor of Women's History Month, Alesha Washington, President and CEO of the Seattle Foundation, recently joined host Trae Holiday on The Day With Trae. Established in 1946, The Seattle Foundation is one of the largest community foundations in the United States. With an extensive range of work, from connecting donors with nonprofits and community organizations to supplying grants to address various social and economic issues in the Pacific Northwest, the foundation is focused on providing equitable opportunities in Seattle.
"Essentially, we harness resources for our collective good. Folks with resources that want to give back to this community pool their resources with us, and then we make grants to nonprofits across this region," Washington said. "But the center of our work for me since I've come on almost two years ago really is about joy. In the giving that we do, how do we center our racial equity? How do we center justice? How do we center those whose voices have not been heard or who have been marginalized from this work that allows us to go further?"
During this segment, Washington and Holiday explored her journey with the foundation, underscoring her initial involvement and her current role as President and CEO. They also explored the unique approach taken by the Seattle Foundation compared to other community foundations across the United States.
"One of the things that attracted me to Seattle Foundation is that it was really practicing how to [do] philanthropy at its best, which is centered in trust, which is centered [in] building relationships," Washington said, crediting previous leaders for its emphasis on trust-based values. "If you have solutions to the problems and opportunities that we see, I trust you and want to give you the resources to do that well. Then, I want to learn with you on the journey as you are doing the work and how I can be an ally and partner and doing the work with you. I think that was present when I came here, and we want to deepen that."
For Washington, fostering deeper trust involves developing a more unified Seattle and prioritizing overall growth over leaders and wealthier residents focusing on their neighborhoods.
"I think the next part of deepening that is for those with wealth, who also care about this place, is that we start to see the world bigger than just our own interests, our own families, our own neighborhoods. But how do I, with resources, also give trust in ways, learn and be in relationship and allyship with others," Washington said. "So we go from a place of being a broad community in our own interests to a much tighter circle that understands for us to get better as a place, we have to be linked to each other's success."
Washington later stressed the importance of prioritizing self-care as the head of her organization, recognizing its role in maintaining balance and well-being amidst the role of leadership.
"I've taken my licks in leadership, adjusting to this role, but what I've learned and what is grounding for me is really about how do I rest? How do I find joy? How do I find grounding," Washington said. "Whether it's through my faith, whether it's through my community, but being just as intentional about how I care for me and love myself first as I care about community and try to love community."
As the leader of one of the largest community foundations, Washington discussed her approach to outreach, a practice she has upheld since she arrived in Seattle. Supported by Donna Moodie, the proprietor of Marjorie's restaurant (soon to be reopening) and Vice Chair of the Seattle Foundation's Board, their meetings were intentionally held in dynamic settings like Seattle Arts and Lectures or Moodie's restaurant, Marjorie.
"It was in that time of building a relationship with her that I met other people within her community [who] embraced me, and I think had that not happened for me so early on, I'd be struggling right now," Washington said. "So I'm indebted to her for the way she built [a] community for me because it's helped me find a group of people I can always come back to when things are hard or when I need to celebrate something that cares about me for me and not a title."
In reflecting on her career journey, Washington reiterated the significance of self-care in a demanding role.
"I didn't understand the importance of self-care until I broke down. In my early 20s, I can vividly remember having a nervous breakdown in the bathroom of the place where I worked because things had got that bad," Washington revealed. "Several months later, I'm in the emergency room because of a severe panic attack, and so when I say I had to hit rock bottom th,en start to appreciate that I needed to care for myself and love myself first. That's the journey I had to take."
Finally, Washington shared two invaluable pieces of guidance for those pursuing their career aspirations, drawing from her experiences before joining the Seattle Foundation.
"I have a very firm belief that what is for you is for you. It's not going to pass you," Washington said, highlighting that a missed opportunity in Cleveland led to her role in the Seattle Foundation. " I went after it, and I didn't get it and I was devastated. A week later, a recruiter started calling me about something called Seattle Foundation and would I consider it. It was nothing I was looking for, but I think it is one of the best decisions I've made in my career, and that moment came at the right time."
Furthermore, Washington stressed the importance of recognizing one's self-worth.
"The other thing, and especially for women and especially for black women, is that knowing your worth and adding a tax of what that is," Washington said, highlighting her time as an entry-level fundraiser at the Cleveland Orchestra as an example. "I was out for drinks with my counterparts within the organization, and someone mentioned what they were making, and I realized I was making significantly less, but I was called on to do the most work within that office. That was my first learning moment: "You're underselling yourself when you're going for these salary negotiations." And so whatever it is that they're offering, you go up because the reality is they got it."
To connect with the Seattle Foundation and learn more about their work in the community, click here!
To hear more stories of inspirational women making a difference in Seattle and beyond, tune in to Trae every weekday at 11 am on all Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae YouTube Channel.
