Why I give to City Year Seattle

We have many amazing donors and champions who support our work in a variety of ways. One of those ways is through monthly giving, either through the City Year system or through their employer’s own matching system. Monthly giving provides City Year Seattle with a sustainable revenue stream that allows us to focus more on our service and less on raising money. Hear from two of our donors that give monthly, and consider signing up yourself through our website to join our Shoulders of Giants giving program!

Stephen Chaney

Engineer, Microsoft

What are you passionate about?

 
My passions are broad, personally, I have a strong passion for making sure individuals all have a fair chance to succeed in life regardless of their situation. Professionally, I’m passionate about growing great engineers to meet their full potential.

Why do you support City Year’s mission?

 
City Year’s mission directly and indirectly aligns with my passions. The statistics around how they are able to completely change the odds for individuals in high need schools is staggering. The AmeriCorps members also have amazing experiences and stories that, in my opinion, will propel them to meet potential they never realized. Lastly, getting more diversity into technology is another passion of mine, data shows over and over that we produce high quality and better technology when we have diverse teams. City Year does a great job of making sure both diverse and non-diverse individuals in high need schools have access to strong education.

Why do you give through monthly?

 
As with any company, profit or nonprofit, and ongoing revenue stream is a critical factor in success. Making sure City Year is receiving a strong flow of donations throughout the year makes me believe they will continue the great work they are doing.

How does it feel to know that you have made a huge contribution to City Year over the years?

 
AMAZING. Every time I go to the annual event, hear the kids speak, the AmeriCorps members and the stories they have, I know I’ve made a profound difference in something I care deeply about.

Why do you think others should support City Year in a sustainable way through monthly giving?

 
Find an organization you are passionate about and give in a way that gives them the best chance to succeed, grow and help the community. For me, that means giving monthly.

Abby Njuguna

Quality Improvement Specialist, Neighborcare Health

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about social justice. This phrase, as cliché as it may be, encompasses how I have lived my life, how I am currently living my life and how I plan on always living my life. I believe that a world where in every area there is equal distribution of wealth, health, opportunities and privileges is a world that I’m willing to fight for. I am empowered when I am part of organizations whose missions are centered on this belief.

Why do you support City Year’s mission?

City Year’s mission, to build democracy by way of partnering with public schools, tugs at the core of my being. I grew up thinking that all the students in America had access to great education which means bright futures. As naive as this thought might be, it is the reason that I believe in City Year’s mission; every student should have access to great education and a bright future.

It is when barriers like, zip code hindering our students’ future, that we have to impact the system and disrupt the notion that where someone is born affects how successful they will be. City Year does just that, by deploying near-peer mentors into schools where this barrier is a reality, they are focusing energy and effort into ensuring that the supplemental support a student needs to succeed, they have. City Year produces results, having worked with this organization and with the communities, I believe that City Year is truly fighting for social justice.

Why do you give monthly?

I give because I have seen the work that City Year does and I know how crucial it is for me to support them. Because I had the opportunity to work with people in City Year who give themselves wholeheartedly, I continue to give to play a small part in ensuring that this work continues to happen.

How does it feel to know that you have made a sustainable contribution to City Year over the years?

I am honored that I get to contribute to the amazing work that City Year does. Although my contribution is not big, it feels good to know that even my small part can make a difference. It’s good to know that the work I am doing is helping to support an amazing cause.

Why do you think others should support City Year in a sustainable way through monthly giving?

I think more individuals should support City Year through monthly giving because in this day and age, our voices in social justice have to be amplified with financial support. Monthly giving has helped me continue to be part of uplifting my community in a profound way; through education of our future leaders.