Supplemental funding awards
Supplemental funding awards more Technology Matching Fund (TMF) grants to 14 additional projects
Work to close the digital divide continues during these challenging times
SEATTLE - Today, the City of Seattle announced the recipients of 14 additional Technology Matching Fund grants. The funding for this supplemental round of grants comes from the Seattle Rescue Plan, which was adopted in June and funded an additional $330,000 for the Technology Matching Fund program. This plan prioritizes $128.4 million of federal recovery funds designated to aid communities hardest hit by the health and economic impacts of the pandemic.
“It’s a very important time to consider digital equity and devote as many resources as we can to trim the vast disparities in access to technology,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. “The Seattle Rescue Plan has worked to help Seattle residents most affected by these hard times and these technology projects are exactly what this funding seeks to support.”
Several programs applied for a TMF grant earlier this year. After careful review, the Community Technology Advisory Board (CTAB) TMF Review Panel made recommendations to fund these 14 projects. Recipients were chosen based on their application scores and their ability to meet digital equity priorities.
“Thanks to the groundwork of community and Seattle’s IT Department, we were able to use the supplemental funding from the Seattle Rescue Plan to support additional projects through the Technology Matching Fund, which continues as a cornerstone of our efforts to connect our city’s residents to education, jobs, and other vital services,” said Councilmember Alex Pedersen, who chairs the City’s Transportation and Utilities Committee, which includes technology. “We will continue to address the disparities the COVID crisis laid bare in our communities and strive to bridge the digital divide as called for by our City’s bold Internet for All Action Plan.”
The TMF program was established in 1997 to support the community's efforts to close the digital divide and encourage a technology-healthy city. It provides grants where the community's contribution of volunteer labor, materials, professional services, or cash is matched by the TMF. In April, 15 organizations received a Technology Matching Fund grant for their community-led projects.
“Providing fair and consistent access to technology and the internet is a fundamental purpose of the work done by this program since it was established 24 years ago,” said Interim Chief Technology Officer Jim Loter. “The training and skill-development these grants help build will have a significant impact on our community, and will help reduce some of the barriers people have in fully utilizing technology to perform critical life tasks.”
Projects recommended for funding:
Computing for All: IT Pre-Apprenticeship Program, Award: $24,500 Match: $35,300
Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association: Adolescentes Animados, Award: $24,700 Match: $13,350
El Centro de la Raza: Community Digital Literacy Lab, Award: $25,000 Match: $25,000
Filipino Community of Seattle: ILC Cyber Security, Scholarships & Infrastructure, Award: $25,000 Match: $13,764
Organizacion Centro Americano: Computer Basic Skills Workshop, Award: $25,000 Match: $14,500
Real Change Homeless Empowerment Project: Real Access, Award: $15,000 Match: $10,600
Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation & Development Authority: Digital Access for Residents of the Chinatown-ID, Award: $17,000 Match: $14,400
Somali Community Services of Seattle: Parent Digital Capacity Building, Award: $24,800 Match: $12,500
The Breakfast Group: Project MISTER Online, Award: $24,500 Match: $24,500
Totem Star: Totem Star Mobile Studio Check Out Program, Award: $24,000 Match: $16,467
Tribal Technology Training Organization: Tribal Technology Training Program, Award: $25,000 Match: $15,000
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle: Digital Literacy Project, Award: $25,000 Match: $36,413
Villa Comunitaria: Aula Digital en Accion – ADA, Award: $25,000 Match: $12,500
YMCA of Greater Seattle: Y-Tech, Award: $25,000 Match: $12,500
Technology Matching Fund grants align with the Internet for All Seattle initiative, launched in the summer 2020 to move the City toward enabling universal broadband adoption.
To learn more about the City of Seattle’s commitment to digital equity and the Technology Matching Fund, visit our website.
