The Kingmakers program received a surprise donation of $100,000 from First Interstate Bank and the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation. The gift was made possible by the Member Impact Fund grant program, in which First Interstate received a 3-to-1 funding match from Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of Des Moines (Iowa).  

Kingmakers is an elective program for Black male middle school and high school students taught by Black male facilitators. The program supports the cultural, historical, social, and emotional needs of young Black boys and teens as it relates to their identity. The program is offered at six SPS schools: Aki Kurose, Asa Mercer, and Denny International middle schools, Interagency Academy, Franklin, and Cleveland high schools. 

“We are humbled by the generous donations of First Interstate Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank,” said William King, Kingmakers project-program coordinator. “Having Kingmakers as the recipient is an honor for our office, a win for our students, families, and facilitators. This empowers us to deepen the impact of our service.” 

King said it’s encouraging to witness the village around the program respond to the needs of its children. 

“It feels good to know our community partners are invested in the well-being of people living in the place we call home.” 

The Member Impact Fund is a matching grant program from FHLB Des Moines that was introduced in 2023 with the aim of supporting affordable housing and community development initiatives. As a result of this partnership, First Interstate provided more than $986,000 in philanthropic support this year alone to 34 eligible organizations across Washington. 

“Giving back to the places we call home is central to our values as a community bank,” said TJ Brill, First Interstate Bank’s Seattle market president. “We are grateful to FHLB Des Moines for partnering with us on this initiative and thrilled to have the opportunity to further support impactful organizations like Kingmakers of Seattle Public Schools.”