FareStart Receives $450,000 Grant From KeyBank Foundation
Grant will help FareStart provide critical training to serve 60% more students, most of whom come from underrepresented communities, increasing the completion rate by 60%, job placement by 90% and job retention by 80% by 2026
SEATTLE, February 12, 2025 /3BL/ — The KeyBank Foundation has announced a grant of $450,000 to FareStart as the nonprofit seeks to extend the breadth and depth of its job training programs, with a goal of increasing overall program impact by 60% over three years.
Funds from the KeyBank grant will be used to train more of FareStart’s students—adults and young adults over 15 ½ experiencing homelessness, justice-involvement, substance use recovery and other barriers. They will gain a wider breadth of skills and opportunities in more diverse training environments, with expanded employer partners and enhanced curriculum.
FareStart, known for its focus on transforming lives, disrupting poverty and nourishing communities through food, life skills and job training, continues to rebuild after the extended temporary closure of many of its public-facing social enterprises. Training capacity had been limited while the organization has simultaneously been navigating a changing social service and employment landscape, and this grant will play a vital role in supporting continued expansion.
“At KeyBank, our mission is to help our community thrive, and we know that an important building block is helping underserved populations realize their full potential and develop the skills that will lead to successful and fulfilling careers,” said Brian Marlow, KeyBank’s Washington State Market President. “A secure job is the gateway to a solid financial future, and we are delighted to support FareStart’s programs designed to create a foundation that will help build long-term stability for those furthest from opportunity.”
“We are deeply grateful to KeyBank for their generous gift,” said Patrick D’Amelio, CEO of FareStart. “Their support will enable us to continue to expand our job training programs, equipping more individuals with the job skills and support they need to gain stability and economic mobility. KeyBank has been a longtime supporter, but this three-year investment is coming at a critical time as we deepen our impact in the post-pandemic landscape.”
About FareStart
FareStart is a social enterprise nonprofit that transforms lives, disrupts poverty and nourishes communities through food, life skills and job training so that people furthest from opportunity can realize their full potential. FareStart provides on-the-job training to students through its food-based social enterprise businesses, including cafés, box lunches and a community meals program. Since 1992, FareStart has provided opportunities for over 7,000 adults and youth, while serving 19 million meals to Seattle area schools and nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit farestart.org.
About KeyCorp
In 2025, KeyCorp celebrates its bicentennial, marking 200 years of service to clients and communities from Maine to Alaska. To learn more, visit KeyBank Heritage Center. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $187 billion at December 31, 2024. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.
