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Category: Charities

Spotlight Charity: Summit Assistance Dogs

Spotlight Charity: Summit Assistance Dogs

Photo courtesy of Summit Assistance Dogs Opening a door. Turning on a light. Picking up a dropped dish towel. Most of us complete these daily activities without a second thought. But for those living with disabilities, these tasks can be difficult and sometimes even impossible without additional assistance. There are currently over 55 million people in the United States living with disabilities, some requiring help from a caregiver. However, there is an empowering alternative for those who live with disabilities…

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Reed, McKenna team up to urge wise giving

Reed, McKenna team up to urge wise giving

Besides giving presents to family and friends during the holiday season, many show their generosity by giving money to charities. Unfortunately, there are some Grinch-like groups that aim to take advantage of donors. So how do you avoid being a victim? Give wisely by doing your homework before you open your wallet or checkbook. That was the message imparted by Secretary Reed and Attorney General Rob McKenna as they teamed up to unveil this year’s Commercial Fundraiser Activity Report at…

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Spotlight Charity: Redeeming Soles

Spotlight Charity: Redeeming Soles

Photo Courtesy of “Redeeming Soles” Scott Sowle was homeless. And in need of shoes. Or more particularly, a good pair of work boots. He had procured a temporary job in day labor, but without suitable footwear he was unable to take it. The scarcity of shoes among the homeless was a trend Scott witnessed regularly during his time living on the streets in four major cities across the United States. And lack of footwear, Scott quickly realized, is also a…

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Spotlight Charity: Ready to get GRuBby?

Spotlight Charity: Ready to get GRuBby?

If you love to dig in the garden and eat local fruits and veggies, you will love this week’s much anticipated Spotlight Charity: GRuB! www.goodgrub.org GRuB, which stands for Garden-Raised Bounty, has been contributing to the community since 2001 when Richard Doss and Blue Peetz teamed up to help the disadvantaged through their mutual passion for food and community development. GRuB’s mission is to “inspire positive personal and community change by bringing people together around food and agriculture.” To make…

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Spotlight Charities and Motorcycles!

Spotlight Charities and Motorcycles!

Photo Courtesy of FTE Magazine, Thurston County Steering Committee The people of Washington State have a reputation for being friendly, hospitable, and generous, so it is no surprise that our state is a leader in the country for charitable giving. Currently, Washington proudly ranks fourth in the United States for charitable giving by public employees. That is pretty remarkable, given our status as the twelfth most populated state in the nation! Washington’s impressive rank is largely due to the Washington…

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Charities and nonprofits, check this out!

Charities and nonprofits, check this out!

If you help run a charity or nonprofit, or if you’re serving on a charity or nonprofit board (or at least thinking about it), there is an upcoming event in Everett especially for you. Our office’s Corporations and Charities Division is holding its next Charities and Nonprofit Education Symposium on July 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Comcast Arena’s Edward D. Hansen Conference Center (2900 Hewitt Ave.). The symposium will provide lots of helpful info to help organizations…

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Sign here, please

Sign here, please

Photo courtesy Washington House of Representatives Washington’s Charitable Solicitations Act is getting some helpful updates. Secretary Reed stood by Governor Gregoire as she recently signed into law SHB 1485, a bill requested by our office that makes changes to the state’s Charitable Solicitations Act. The House and Senate unanimously passed it. Standing on the left side of the photo are Charities Program Manager Rebecca Sherrell (far left) and Corporations and Charities Division Director Pam Floyd. The governor also signed into…

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Avoid scams if you want to help Japan tsunami victims

Avoid scams if you want to help Japan tsunami victims

With last night’s news that a 23-foot tsunami caused by Japan’s largest recorded earthquake struck the east coast of Japan, many people will want to help victims and their families by making a donation. But don’t take out your checkbook or credit card to donate to the tsunami relief effort without first doing some research on who will receive your money, the Charities Division of the Office of Secretary of State cautioned Friday. While many of the groups responding to…

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Charities and Nonprofit news: resource updates, Facebook and Spokane event

Charities and Nonprofit news: resource updates, Facebook and Spokane event

Our office’s Corporations and Charities Division has been even busier than usual, updating some helpful resources, adding a Facebook page, and scheduling an educational event in Spokane in May. The division recently published its new Charities and Nonprofit Board Service Handbook. If you go to either our Corporations or Charities homepage after going to our mainpage,  you can find the new handbook in the reading pane on the right. Folks in the nonprofit and charities community also will be interested…

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Listen to Reed’s 2011 legislative package

Listen to Reed’s 2011 legislative package

Listen to Secretary of State Sam Reed describe in-depth his 2011 legislative package. It covers four elections-related bills: Moving the state’s Primary date to early August to help military and overseas voters, and allowing such voters to use fax or e-mail to return their ballots (SB 5171 and HB 1080) Requiring ballots to be in by Election Day (SB 5125 and HB 1185) Suspending Washington’s 2012 Presidential Primary (SB 5119 and HB 1324) Making entire state vote by mail (SB…

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