Right Now Needs Fund
When the basic needs of students are met, they are more likely to succeed within and beyond the classroom. Founded in 2018, the Right Now Needs Fund is an Alliance for Education program that works at the individual school level to support the immediate basic needs of Seattle students and families. The Fund covers the cost of warm clothing, meals, and housing for students at all Seattle Public Schools, addressing student needs that are not otherwise funded in a school budget. The Fund is designed to be efficient, flexible and impactful. Created in partnership with Amazon, the Right Now Needs Fund distributes more than $1M annually to address the basic needs of Seattle students and families.
Receive Support with Basic Needs
The Right Now Needs Fund supports immediate, basic needs like warm clothing, meals, and housing. If you or someone you know has an unmet basic need, please reach out to your Seattle Public Schools principal, family support worker or school counselor.
Help Spread the Word
It takes community support to make the program successful in reaching students and families. Help raise awareness and spread the word about the life-changing resources the Right Now Needs Fund provides by downloading, printing and sharing this flyer.
Translated marketing materials can be viewed and downloaded in Amharic, Chinese, Spanish, Somali, Tigrinya and Vietnamese here.
Testimonials
Family Support Worker, Gatewood Elementary School
“A family reached out for assistance when their landlord told them with a month’s notice that they would be selling the property. The family expressed the importance of staying at our school because they had already moved multiple times, and their child started feeling anxious about starting again at a new school mid-year. When the family found a new home near the school, they needed assistance making the deposit to secure the house. The Right Now Needs Fund provided the remaining balance of the rental deposit and they were able to move into the house. The relief on the student’s face to not have to move again was priceless!”
“The Right Now Needs Fund positively impacted my family when my employer reduced my hours by 40 hours a month. It gave me hope that I didn’t have for a while.”
Right Now Needs Fund Recipient
“As a school, we often hear about students’ needs and have a difficult time finding the necessary resources. But, the Right Now Needs Fund allows us some flexibility to be responsive to the needs in the way that students and families need RIGHT NOW! Families thank our staff daily for providing some support to create stability during this unpredictable time.”
School Social Worker, Robert Eagle Staff Middle School
FAQ
The funds can be spent on addressing the immediate basic needs of students. Examples of appropriate expenditures include warm clothing, food and housing. Funds cannot be spent on existing school budget expenses.
The Right Now Needs Fund can be accessed by contacting your child’s principal, family support worker or school counselor to request a disbursement.
Any staff or school community member can refer a student to the school principal, family support worker or school counselor to fulfill a request.
The Alliance for Education is responsible for managing the Right Now Needs Fund. The Alliance disburse the funds and track its usage for schools in Seattle Public Schools working to increase educational justice and racial equity.
Since 1995, the Alliance has addressed big challenges facing Seattle students and schools as the only local education fund working with all Seattle Public Schools. The Alliance team has the infrastructure and experience required to oversee school-based resources district wide. The Alliance currently manages over 150 school and PTA accounts, process check requests, and deliver timely reports that provide accountability and expertise to each school we support.