Our Continued Commitment to Downtown Seattle
Nordstrom supports our hometown with donations to Friends of Seattle Waterfront and Challenge Seattle's coalition to aid the unhoused
Over the past 120 years, our company has grown along with the city and employed thousands of Seattleites. It's no secret the past few years have been challenging cities across the country, including Seattle, but we remain optimistic about the future of our hometown.
That's why we're continuing to do our part to uplift our community where help is needed most. And today, we're pleased to announce two new commitments to our hometown.
We will donate $1 million to Friends of Seattle Waterfront over the next five years to contribute to the growth of the future Waterfront Park in Seattle, a development that will offer open space and free community events along 20 acres of urban shoreline.
"As long-time corporate citizens in downtown Seattle, we know it's our responsibility to invest in our local community. It's one of our key values and the right thing to do," said Erik Nordstrom, chief executive officer at Nordstrom. "We look forward to continuing to enjoy our vibrant city along with our employees, customers and neighbors."
Waterfront Park is a short walk from Nordstrom's flagship store and corporate offices. With the development, customers and employees can access and enjoy the waterfront from Nordstrom through green streets and a walking park. From dynamic open spaces with free, rotating activities and events, to coastline habitats for learning and exploration, to peaceful landscaped seating areas for a natural respite from the urban hustle and bustle, Waterfront Park has something for everyone. Stretching from the Pioneer Square to Belltown neighborhoods, Waterfront Park reactivates Seattle's exceptional urban shoreline, creating a new public place that reconnects the city to its surrounding natural environment.
"Nordstrom brings heart to everything they do. Over generations, their abiding love for this place has set the bar in Seattle for corporate citizenship. Their giving has inspired so many other hometown companies to step up and help our city become — in all sorts of ways — a better version of itself," said Thatcher Bailey executive director of Friends of Waterfront Seattle. "We are deeply grateful for Nordstrom's very generous support of Waterfront Park and for its continued philanthropic leadership throughout the community."
Additionally, Nordstrom also recently joined Challenge Seattle's coalition of local businesses to aid the unhoused. As part of this commitment, Nordstrom will join other businesses in committing vital resources to "Project Zero" in a collective effort to combat chronic homelessness. Partnership for Zero is a community commitment to ensure none of our Downtown Seattle neighbors are left behind. Nordstrom holds the steadfast belief that all residents of King County deserve a safe, stable place to call home. Partnership for Zero is approaching the effort to dramatically reduce unsheltered homelessness in King County in a different way than what has been done before in the region.
Through these investments of our own and partnerships with organizations like Friends of Seattle Waterfront, Challenge Seattle and the Downtown Seattle Association, we're committed to helping Seattle recover from the impacts of the pandemic and helping our community thrive. Additionally, each year we donate to several local organizations that support the basic needs of families including the United Way of King County, YouthCare, the YMCA of Greater Seattle and the Seattle Children's Hospital Foundation.
Last year, through Treasure & Bond, our give-back brand that donates 2.5% of net sales, we gave more than $400,000 to YouthCare, a Seattle-based organization that works to end youth homelessness and to ensure that young people are valued for who they are and empowered to achieve their potential.
Nordstrom provides an annual $1 million donation to the United Way of King County, investing in their Bridge to Finish program which provides underserved college students with the resources they need to stay in college and graduate. This year, Nordstrom expanded our partnership with United Way of King County to include a multi-year college scholarships program in honor of Blake Nordstrom.