Kshama Sawant Solidarity Fund

Image courtest of Reuters
Image courtesy of Reuters

“I only take an average worker’s wage and donate the rest of my salary to help build social justice movements.” – Councilmember Kshama Sawant

Every Councilmember faces a choice of who they represent and which world they inhabit. My place is with working people and their struggles. I was elected to give a voice to working people, union members, women, people of color, and immigrants. In line with the principles of the political party I represent, Socialist Alternative, I pledge to stay accountable to working people by taking only the average worker’s wage.

Seattle City Councilmembers receive over $140,000 a year – the second highest of any city council in the country. Inevitably, such a salary removes Councilmembers from the realities of life for poor and working people.

I take home just $50,000 per year after taxes. The remainder of my salary goes to a Solidarity Fund to help build social justice movements.

Towards the end of each calendar year, and more regularly as needed, I will give a full account of my income and how my Solidarity Fund is being used.


2014 Donations:
15 Now $15,000
Transit Riders Union $700
Seattle People’s Climate March $1,845
Puget Sound Sage $500
Socialist Alternative $14,500
Jess Spear for State House $1,900
Casa Latina $500
Howie Hawkins for Governor $200

Remaining balance going into 2015: $14,250

2015 Donations:

MLK Celebration Committee $300
15 Now $8,750
Community Activist Geov Parish $750
Standing Against Foreclosure and Eviction $200
United Steelworkers Striking Assistance Fund $500
15 Now – Minimum Wage Rollout Campaign $10,000
Shell No Kayak Flotilla Direct Action $250
Greenpeace Actions Against Shell Arctic Drilling $250
May 1st Action Coalition $250
Gender Justice League $500
Trans* Pride 2015 $300
LGBTQ Allyship $300
Committee for a Workers’ International – Chile $750
Socialist Alternative $10,500
Climate Solutions $300
Housing Alliance Action Fund $250
Backbone Campaign $300
Ogaden Youth Student Union Summit $100
Cascadia Climate Collaborative $200
Honest Elections $150
Seattle Educators Association Strike Fund $500
Planned Parenthood – Arson Recovery $250
Plymouth Housing Group $100
Refugee Women’s Alliance $200
Solidarity with ChinaWorker.info $500
Tenants Union – Organizing Haglund Buildings $100
SHARE $500
Low Income Housing Institute $250
Amor Spiritual Center – Graffiti Removal $100
Women of Color Speak Out $200
Remaining balance going into 2016: $18,650

2016 Donations:

Standing Against Foreclosure and Eviction $300
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle $250
Economic Opportunity Institute $2,500
Paid Family Leave movement $8,000
Solidarity with ChinaWorker.info $545
Solidarity with Democratic Socialist Movement of Nigeria $1,045
Socialist Alternative $13,800
Transit Riders Union $250
Jill Stein for President $200
Indigenous Peoples Day $500
15 Now $11,525
Not This Time/DeEscalate Washington Initiative 940 $250
Social Justice Iftar $300
Paid Family Leave rally $100
Seattle Protects Women (UNITE HERE/Yes on 124) $500
Washington Community Action Network $360
350 Seattle $250

Remaining balance going into 2017: $19,975

2017 Donations:

May 1st Action Coalition $2,500
Washington Community Action Network $300
Socialist Alternative $13,800
Economic Opportunity Institute $250
Transit Riders Union $250
Stop the Sweeps movement $94
International Socialism School Scholarship $1,640
15 Now $11,525
Not This Time/DeEscalate Washington Initiative 940 $250
Social Justice Iftar $300
Paid Family Leave rally $100
Seattle Protects Women (UNITE HERE/Yes on 124) $500
350 Seattle $250 

2018 Donations:

MLK County Labor Council $300
15 Now $18,000
Gender Justice League $950
National Lawyers Guild $900
Economic Opportunity Institute $200
Casa Latina $145
Human Rights Campaign $157.25
Fair Work Center $50
NW Immigrant Rights Project $130
CANOES $250
WA CAN     $200
Washington Fair Trade Coalition $100
Amina Ahmed memorial flowers $47.28
TRU $350
Somali Health Board $215.44
Socialist Alternative $15,000
Colective Legal Del Pueblo $150

2019 Donations:

Tenants Union $250
Oakland Educators Association Strike Fund $500
API Chaya $350
Somali Arts and Culture $22.85
One America $300
Economic Opportunity Institute $200
Capitol Hill Housing $200
Juneteenth Festival $500
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project $135
Ironworker Solidarity Fund $500
Solidarity legal defense fund $500
May Day Immigrant Rights March – El Comite $250
15 Now $10,800
Evergreen Treatment Services $103
LGBTQ Allyship $390
PFLAG $22.02
GenPride $400
Gender Justice League $1,315
Socialist Alternative $21,120
Be:Seattle $250
Chief Seattle Club $300
Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center $316.98
Chile Solidarity – Medical Supplies for injured protestors $250

2020 Donations:

Tax Amazon $10,000
15 Now $7,200
SEIU 1199NW Solidarity Strike Fund $1,000
Wildcat Strike Fund at UCSC $1,000
Flowers for Imogene Williams, longtime Seattle activist $58.30
Diaz Love gofundme $500
Summer Taylor gofundme $500
Rent Strike 2020 $4,000
Funeral cost for Lusis Eduardo activist on homelessness, and immigrants rights issues $100
Sherae Lascelles campaign $100.00
Byron Sigcho campaign $60.00

 2021 Donations

Be: Seattle $500
Amazon Unionization in Bessemer Alabama fundraiser $3,007
Support activist traveling Bessemer Alabama to help with Amazon unionization  $400
Duante Wright Family’s gofundme $500
Flowers to Edmund Witter of Housing Justice Project $66
Nickelsville Fundraiser donation $1,000
Pete J. McGuire Group Legal Aid GoFundMe $1,000
Pizza for Rainier Court tenant organizing meeting from Castello’s $197
Bahn mi sandwiches for Rainier Court tenant organizing meeting $275
John Deere Strike Fund on Gofundme $5,000
Pizza for Rainier Court tenant organizing meeting from Castello’s $98
Drinks and supplies for Rainier Court tenant organizing meeting $51
Pizza for Rainier Court tenant organizing meeting from Castello’s $280
Drinks and supplies for Rainier Court tenant organizing meeting $57
Donation to 15 Now $4,800
Donation to Socialist Alternative $10,000

 2022 Donations

Donation to Starbucks Workers United Strike & Support Fund $1,000
Donation to Socialist Alternative $2,000
Donuts and coffee for Rainier Court tenant event $80
Flights/hotel rooms for unionizing Starbucks workers for press conference and rally $1,670
Flights to Seattle for press conference and rally for unjustly fired Memphis 7 workers $1,720
Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and Education Support Professionals, Local 59 Strike Fund $2,020
Donuts and coffee for Rainier Court tenant meeting before public comment $47
Strike Fund for PNW Starbucks Workers United $5,000
Food for striking Marysville Starbucks workers $20
Flights for unionizing Starbucks workers to Seattle for April rally $6,647
Accommodation for Starbucks workers in Seattle for April rally $3,310
Reimbursement for Starbucks workers’ transportation (gas/rideshares) $432
IRS Tax Payment $5,264
Banh mi sandwiches for Starbucks worker organizing meeting $110
Pizza and other food for Starbucks worker organizing meeting $144
Unionize Starbucks & Amazon vinyl banner from Trade Printery $264
Donation to Amazon Labor Union $10,000
Donation to Amazon Labor Union $10,000
Donation to Seattle Art Museum VSO Union $1,000
Food for organizing meeting with unionizing MightyKidz workers $200
Donation to MightyKidz worker organizing fund (Magnolia Childcare Union) $2,000
Donation to CAUSE South Carolina unionizing Amazon workers $1,000
Donation to IAMAW Strike Fund $1,000
Donation to Unionize Amazon Northern Kentucky KCVG $5,000
Donation to Socialist Alternative $40,000