'Advocate Catherine Carlile, wife of Grammy-winning rock musician Brandi Carlile, was awarded the Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service on Tuesday at the King County Courthouse for her work supporting social justice efforts in Washington and across the globe.  King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer, whose district includes Federal Way, Auburn and Algona, led the annual ceremony, which recognizes residents whose acts of community service honor King’s legacy. Catherine Carlile is the executive director of the Looking Out Foundation, a humanitarian nonprofit that aims to highlight “the impact of music by empowering those without a voice.” She is one of nine people awarded with the 2023 MLK Medal of Distinguished Service. Additional awardees include former state representative and former King County councilmember Louise Miller and Robert De Los Angeles, chairman of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe. The remaining six recipients’ names will be announced next week. Catherine Carlile, who attended the event with her wife and their daughters, Evangeline and Elijah, said she often shies away from the limelight but is proud to be the county’s 2023 awardee.  “It’s so humbling,” Catherine Carlile told The Seattle Times. “It’s Pride month, so it means even more that I would be honored in June.”  Brandi Carlile echoed that Catherine Carlile doesn’t like attention, but she said the award is a testament to her wife’s hard work.  “As an artist living in rock ‘n’ roll time zones, she lives a different lifestyle than I do,” Brandi Carlile said. “This is her passion, and this is the direction that her heart takes her in.”  “It’s both funny and just that she should be forced to be proud of herself on Pride month,” she added while laughing alongside her wife after the ceremony.  The Looking Out Foundation has raised more than $6 million for social justice and humanitarian causes locally and across the globe. Some of the foundation’s most recent campaigns include raising $300,000 in one week for Syrian and Turkish earthquake survivors and $500,000 for LGBTQ+ communities as part of Nashville’s Love Rising benefit.  Catherine Carlile, who is originally from the United Kingdom, and Brandi Carlile have been married since 2012 and live in South King County.'

The musician and her wife are honored amongst PEOPLE's 2023 Women Changing the World for their work with their Looking Out Foundation

Brandi Carlile’s Fight for Peace and Love:  Click to watch the Rolling Stone interview with Catherine and Brandi Carlile    

  You might wonder how a critically acclaimed but relatively unknown singer-songwriter recruited Adele, Pearl Jam and Dolly Parton to cover her songs for a benefit album. 

Pearl Jam, Adele, Dolly Parton, Jim James and more have put their stamp on songs from Brandi Carlile's 'The Story' for an all-star charity tribute album. 

  To our beloved Looking Out Foundation Community, It is with a great sense of pride and, in some ways, a bit of a heavy heart that I’m announcing my decision to step down from my role as Executive Director of the Looking Out Foundation. While this decision was extremely difficult to make, it also marks an exciting new chapter for both myself and the Foundation! I have been fortunate enough to serve as the ED of LOF since 2012 and it’s been one of the greatest honours of my life. We started out as a very small grassroots non-profit - working out of a 200 square foot log cabin in Washington State, focusing our efforts on environmental causes. But with the help and fierce determination of our supporters, LOF galvanised, amplified the voices of the marginalised and broadened our reach to the Arts, Community Development, Education, Health, Human Rights and the empowerment of women and LGBTQIA and BIPOC communities. Driven by a community of powerful activists and fuelled by volunteers and the undeniable power of music, LOF has grown exponentially over the last 12 years. Incredibly, we have raised over $6 million to support social justice and humanitarian causes across the US and globally, and we achieved this while always staying true to our grassroots ethos. With an average donation of $35, we have proved beyond doubt that grassroots fundraising translates to soulful global impact! Over the course of my 22 year career in the music industry and non-profit sector, I have carved out a role for myself that has allowed me to devote my time and work to the intersection of music and activism. But as I transition into an exciting new role in management for Brandi and the twins, I need someone to be as hands on and solely focused on delivering our promise to make music mean more moving forward. For this reason I feel it is my duty to step aside from the daily operations of the Looking Out Foundation and allocate this role to a full time and dedicated Executive Director who can lead LOF into an inspiring new era. It is my absolute pleasure to announce that Gloria Goeres will be stepping into this position, as she transitions from her previous role as the ED at Together Rising. I know many of you are familiar with Glennon, Amanda and Abby’s activism through this incredible organisation already. So as the sun sets on that wonderful foundation, it will rise for Looking Out in a profound way. Brandi and I are truly inspired by Gloria’s wealth of experience and her passion and dedication as she prepares to lead LOF into this new chapter. I hope you will join me in welcoming Gloria to the LOF family! As Chair of the Looking Out Foundation, I will work closely with Gloria and will remain deeply focused on the causes we care about, while continuing to inspire and lead our board with Brandi, Tim and Phil. I want to reassure our donors and support base that I am profoundly committed to staying in community with the people we serve and that I will continue to uphold our values and guiding principles as a foundation. I want to take this opportunity to thank my wonderful volunteers-turned colleagues Yvonne Murray, Jason Anderson and Kellye Serna. We are a small but formidable team! I’d also like to thank Brandi, Tim and Phil for giving me the opportunity to take the reins on LOF. For their belief and trust that I would honour their legacy and the beautiful music they put out into the world, by helping those less fortunate than us. But most of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for donating, volunteering and amplifying our campaigns and causes over the last 12 years. None of this would have been possible without you. You will never know how many people you have helped… and there is still so much more work to do together! I truly believe that the greatest gift you can be given in this life is the ability to take care of others - it is an absolute privilege. And I hope we can continue to band together and look out for one another for many years to come! With immense gratitude, Catherine Carlile

This International Women's Day, we are supporting our friend Annie Lennox and The Circle's campaign to #MakeAStandfor1in3. 1 in 3 women experience violence in their lifetime, yet funding for women's rights remains dismally low. The Looking Out Foundation is contributing $10,000 to The Circle's vital campaign - funds will be distributed to grassroots organizations that support and empower women globally.   📸 Hanna Hanseroth Photography

  For the first time, LOF attended Brandi Carlile's Girls Just Wanna Weekend. We partnered with PSYDEH - an incredible Mexican organization that champions and supports rural and indigenous women in Hidalgo, Central Mexico. They attended the event to showcase and sell their textiles, tell guests more about their co-operative work and led a cacao tasting. In addition to PSYDEH's presence, we hosted a mini program of events, including: Keep Sharing the Mic panel discussion - featuring influential voices, including Allison Russell, Annie Lennox, Celisse and Glennon Doyle. It was moderated by our board member, Xiomara Padamsee. This dynamic conversation was about fostering racial justice in our respective circles and wider communities. Land acknowledgement - a poignant and significant land acknowledgement opened the festival, a custom dating back centuries among Indigenous cultures. Led by Veronica Ocampo, whose Indigenous name is Ocelocihuatl. Enneagram workshop - a dive into self discovery to give insights into your personality and relationships for a transformative experience. Journal workshop - a morning exploring the art of journaling to embrace the power of words and embrace the therapeutic power of writing. Indigenous gratitude ceremony - a sacred gathering to honor the land, ancestors and community through a heartfelt expression of gratitude. Day of service - in collaboration with Keeping Kids in School, volunteers sorted through school supply donations to ensure children in Mexico have the tools they need to succeed. Mini soccer tournament - a language exchange in collaboration with PSYDEH We also commissioned Mexican artist Juan Nares to design a limited edition poster to celebrate Mexico and Brandi Carlile; Headcount supported our efforts by hosting an auction and we held a competition with our friends at Propeller to give away two tickets, plus flights and accommodation to Girls Just Wanna Weekend 2024.  The outpouring of generosity throughout the weekend and across the various initiatives we had meant we were able to donate $50,000 to PSYDEH's funds, underscoring the collective impact of everyone's input. Together, we are Making Music Mean More!  

  No child should be a part of war. Ever. Together, through your donations and LOF's matching pledge, we raised $100,000 for Children in Conflict in our New Year appeal! This is incredible - the collective power of our community coming together once again, to help Make Music Mean More, is the best way to start 2024. Thank you.

Israel-Gaza Attacks: Our Response DONATIONS The escalation of abhorrent violence across Israel and Gaza in recent days has resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries. After careful vetting, we have selected two organizations that need our support. We will be sending $100,000 to the New Israel Fund and the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA). NEW ISRAEL FUND The US-based New Israel Fund (NIF) supports organizations in Israel advocating for the advancement of democracy, gender equality, anti-racism, religious freedom, human rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and more. They are providing emergency assistance in Israel now through basic care for the most vulnerable groups, combating violent speech and incitement online, preventing inter-communal violence in mixed cities and trauma support. MIDDLE EAST CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE (MECA) MECA, a Palestinian refugee-led nonprofit, supports children and families in Palestine, Iraq, and Lebanon with humanitarian aid like clean water, trauma therapy, food and medical supplies. With a focus on empowering women and helping children and refugees during conflicts, MECA, along with local partners, is in Gaza now providing urgent support. The Looking Out Foundation was founded in 2008 by Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth. Since then, LOF has donated over $6 million to social justice and humanitarian causes across the US and globally. Catherine Carlile is our Executive Director. OTHER RESOURCES Visit linktr.ee/lookingoutfoundation for other ways to support and to learn more. If you are feeling increased anxiety, grief and shock due to the recent devastation, text share to 741741 to connect to a live volunteer crisis counsellor @crisistextline  

  CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW Over the past year alone, the Looking Out Foundation has successfully allocated over $500,000 to disaster relief efforts, providing essential support to victims across various regions. As we continue to expand our efforts, we are launching a dedicated Disaster Relief Fund to better serve communities in crisis.   Why Support the Looking Out Foundation? Proven Impact: Our track record shows a dedicated focus on utilizing funds where they are needed most, with over half a million dollars already facilitating relief and recovery efforts in disaster-stricken areas and many millions more dedicated to national and international humanitarian issues. Efficient Resource Allocation: Our established networks and partnerships allow for swift and efficient resource allocation, ensuring help reaches those in need promptly. Your generous contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund will be channeled to: Emergency Response: Immediate provision of essential goods and services including food, water, and shelter to affected communities as well as recovery efforts. Infrastructure Rebuilding: Facilitating the rebuilding of critical infrastructure such as homes, schools, and healthcare facilities to help communities regain stability post-disaster. Community Empowerment: Supporting educational and skill development initiatives to help individuals rebuild their lives and foster community resilience. Mental Health Support: Providing necessary mental health services to individuals affected by disasters, including aid workers. Your support will enable us to continue our mission of providing timely and essential assistance to disaster victims and ultimately, helping to make music mean more.   CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW