Top global development employers in Seattle

The international development community in Seattle is home to some of the world’s biggest foundations and nonprofits operating in the global health sector, such as PATH and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Emerald City also hosts the headquarters of Health Alliance International and Sightlife, while Malaria No More just recently moved in from New York City. Seattle’s thriving community of global development professionals also benefits from a number of satellite offices and subchapters of leading global development organizations, such as Mercy Corps, CARE, International Rescue Committee, American Red Cross, Peace Corps and the United Nations Association of the United States of America. While the city’s scene has a clear health sector skew, Seattle foundations also focus on education, land rights, disaster relief, economic development, poverty eradication and microfinance. Devex took a closer look at some of the biggest global development employers headquartered in Seattle, as well as in nearby Federal Way. Be sure to check out the Devex jobs board as well for the latest openings in the city. Climate Solutions Type: Nonprofit Founded: 1998 Executive director: Gregg Small Sectors: Environment, clean energy A nonprofit working to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to a clean energy, Climate Solutions focuses on helping shape public policy, grow investment, support innovation and build partnerships and coalitions around the clean energy economy. The organization’s New Energy Cities program partners with cities and communities in the United States to set and adopt quantifiable carbon reduction targets, while its Business Partnerships program seeks to mobilize private sector support for pro-clean energy public policy. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Type: Grant-making foundation Founded: 2000 CEO: Susan Desmond-Hellmann Sectors: Health, education The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was launched in 2000, after the William H. Gates Foundation, centered on global health, merged with the Gates Learning Foundation, which focused on preparing low-income minority students for college. Considered the largest private foundation in the world, it employs almost 1,400 people, and tackles problems in four program areas. The global development division works on helping eradicate world hunger and poverty; the global health division supports science and health innovation to save lives and improve standards of living in developing countries; the United States division focuses primarily on education, ensuring poor and vulnerable youth graduate from high school and are prepared for college and employment; and the global policy and advocacy division promotes public policies, strategies and alliances that aim to advance the foundation’s work in poverty eradication, health and education. The Gates Foundation is co-chaired by Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and William H. Gates Sr. Global Partnerships Type: Nonprofit impact investor Founded: 1994 President and CEO: Rick Beckett Sectors: Economic development, social enterprises, microfinance Global Partnerships, a nonprofit impact investor, uses social investment funds to provide its portfolio of partners with loan capital to finance both early-stage and proven solutions to poverty, while investors reap both financial and social returns. The organization also makes grants to support social enterprises, microfinance institutions and cooperatives working in four impact areas – health services, rural livelihoods, green technology and micro-entrepreneurship. After years of focusing primarily on Latin America and the Caribbean, Global Partnerships is now looking into opportunities in East Africa as well. Health Alliance International Type: Nonprofit Founded: 1987 Executive director: James Pfeiffer Sector: Health Formerly the Mozambique Health Committee, Health Alliance International was first established to support and build the primary health care system in Mozambique following the country’s independence from Portugal. Renaming itself in 1994, the organization has since expanded its focus to cover other countries as well, working with the public sector and ministries of health in East Timor and Ivory Coast. Since its foundation, HAI has been affiliated with the University of Washington, whose global health experts help design, implement and evaluate HAI’s health programs, as well as train health professionals in the countries where the organization operates. In addition to strengthening health systems, HAI prioritizes efforts to improve mental, maternal and child health, and address HIV and AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in the developing world. Landesa Type: Nonprofit Founded: 1981 President and CEO: Tim Hanstad Sector: Law, land rights, economic development Landesa aims to tackle global poverty by addressing one of its root causes: landlessness among the world’s poorest – a majority of whom, despite not having the secure rights to the land they till, rely on agriculture to survive. The organization’s work is by invitation, and ranges from short-term assignments to long-term programs. It focuses on India, China and sub-Saharan Africa, where its land tenure experts cooperate with governments and local organizations from the initial assessment stage all the way to the implementation of new laws and evaluation of impact. Through the Landesa Center for Women’s Land Rights, the organization also prioritizes the protection of land rights for women and inheritance rights for girls. Landesa has helped secure land rights for an estimated 115 million families since its establishment. Malaria No More Type: Nonprofit Founded: 2006 CEO: Martin Edlund Sector: Health The U.S., Malaria No More’s Malaria Policy Center rallies political leaders and engages the public in order to keep malaria at the top of the world’s global health agenda. Its champions include celebrities, business leaders and media and mobile partners, all dedicated to raising funds and awareness, as well as supporting innovation and technology, for an effective and efficient global malaria response. Malaria No More has affiliate organizations in Japan, Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. PATH Type: Nonprofit Founded: 1977 President and CEO: Steve Davis Sector: Health and nutrition PATH is one of the world’s largest global health organizations, employing over 1,200 staff members across 43 cities in 19 countries around the world. Collaborating extensively with national and local governments, civil society groups and nonprofits, the private sector and U.N. agencies, PATH’s focus covers emerging and epidemic disease, maternal and child health, reproductive health and vaccines and immunization. The organization also works to bring appropriate, affordable technologies to low-resource settings. Known for its entrepreneurial approach to global health, PATH’s Global Health Innovation Hub supports local innovators in India and South Africa, helping them overcome hurdles and supporting them in terms of product design, clinical validation, commercialization or market development. Sightlife Type: Nonprofit Founded: 1969 President and CEO: Monty Montoya| Sector: Health Sightlife is an eye bank and nonprofit organization working to eliminate corneal blindness all over the world by providing the infrastructure, expertise — and corneas — needed for corneal transplants. The organization works closely with donor families, eye banks, surgeons and recipients in about 25 countries, and is involved in each stage of the process, from donation to evaluation to transplant. Through its Global Partner Program, Sightlife provides a comprehensive set of tools, best practices, training and resources at no charge to build the capacity of local eye banks to serve the needs of the corneal blind in the developing world. World Concern Type: Nonprofit Founded: 1955 President: Jacinta Tegman Sector: Development and relief A Christian nonprofit working in both global development and emergency relief, World Concern works to protect children, fight hunger, improve quality and access to education, health services and water supply and provide microloans and vocational training opportunities to the poorest and most vulnerable people in the developing world. Today, the 60-year-old organization is also focused on empowering target communities and villages to determine and implement their own development projects. World Vision Type: Nonprofit Founded: 1950 Leader: Richard Stearns Sector: Health, development and relief, education and livelihood support This Christian humanitarian organization is best known for its child sponsorship program, through which donors make monthly donations to address challenges in the child’s immediate community — helping provide access to clean, safe water, improving nutrition and basic health care and improving quality and access to education. In addition to these, World Vision’s areas of impact also include economic development, gender equality, food security and agriculture and emergency disaster relief. With 46,000 staff members working in almost 100 countries, World Vision has assisted 10.7 million disaster survivors, refugees and displaced people in 2014 alone. The World Vision headquarters is located in Federal Way, but the organization has another sub-office in Seattle. Other notable development organizations in Seattle and its neighboring cities: ● Agros International ● Associates in Cultural Exchange ● Camber Collective ● Heifer International ● Pilgrim Africa ● Seattle International Foundation ● Social Venture Partners International ● Solar Nexus International ● Vittana ● World Affairs Council Do you know any other companies or organizations working in Seattle’s development sector? Let us know in the comments section below. Looking to make a career move? Visit our career center for expert advice on how to navigate your job search - all you need is a Devex Career Account to get started.