United Way of King County’s mission is fueled by partnerships, and one of the most enduring and impactful alliances has been with Nordstrom, the global fashion retailer headquartered right here in Seattle. This April—which is National Volunteer Month—Nordstrom and United Way teamed up to build 1,000 food kits to support students in United Way’s Benefits Hub program.

John Bailey, Nordstrom’s Senior Manager of Community Engagement, emphasized the ease to which the corporate and nonprofit sectors can come together to create a postive impact—in the community and within ourselves.

“When we were looking at hosting an event for our employees, we immediately thought of United Way of King County, primarily due to our long, long standing relationship with one another,” Bailey said. “[After our last volunteer event with United Way] an employee sent me a note saying how much he appreciated being a part of the event, how thankful it was that we set up the event, and how good it made him feel about where he worked—to me, that’s a sign we’re doing the right thing.”

Nordstrom has partnered with United Way of King County for decades, focusing on issues such as education access, homelessness, and financial stability. Since 2018, the company has supported the Bridge to Finish program, which helps remove non-academic barriers for community college students, offering resources like food assistance, emergency grants, and financial coaching.

The retailer also honors its late co-president Blake Nordstrom through the Blake Nordstrom Scholarship, awarding $5,000 annually to 20 college students nationwide. Samantha Anderson, United Way of King County’s Corporate Stewardship Manager, spoke to the kind of power corporations have to step in and actualize positive chnage in their communities.

“Corporations have influence,” Anderson said. “They’re able to use their kind of power and standing and brand reputation in the community to raise awareness of certain issues that they care about, identify where their employees serve, and use their resources to make that difference, that impact.”

Beyond financial contributions, Nordstrom encourages employee engagement through a workplace giving program that doubles employee donations and matches volunteer hours. The company also plans 25 volunteer activities across its major markets during Global Volunteer Month.

Corporate partnerships like Nordstrom’s play a critical role in United Way’s work, Anderson said. Anderson emphasized that financial contributions, volunteer hours, and advocacy efforts from partners help drive long-term community change.

Challenges such as the current administartions stance on federal funding, general uncertainty, and shifting workplace dynamics following the COVID-19 pandemic have made nonprofit work more complex. Yet both organizations have maintained strong partnerships to help navigate these obstacles.

“Seattle has been our home since 1901 and as a company, we have been committed to doing our part to make sure our city, our community and our people thrive,” Bailey said. “We know that homelessness and access to affordable housing are among the most critical issues impacting our community, and we’re focused on partnering with organizations to prevent homelessness and support youth and families by providing those basic needs, food, shelter and clothing.”

United Way of King County continues to offer individuals and companies a range of ways to engage, from organizing corporate volunteer days to participating in workplace giving campaigns. Anderson highlighted the nuance that each corporate relationship brings to the table—maybe they want to wear matching t-shirts at a kit build, get their hands dirty at a volunteer event, or support virtually through a drive. All giving is good.

“Having a strong relationship between a nonprofit and a corporate partner is reliant on centering the humanness of the relationship,” Anderson said. “I think that’s really beautiful.”

You can learn more about our corporate social partnership here, or support United Way of King County’s work via our Give site.