The City of Seattle has awarded $1,123,111 to support 27 community-initiated projects through the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF). Twenty-seven community groups received awards averaging $41,597 and have pledged $1,034,436 to match their award through local cash donations, volunteer hours, donated materials, and in-kind professional services.
Beginning in 2024, the Department of Neighborhoods re-instituted a community review process. The five community review team members reviewed, evaluated, and provided recommendations for this round of Community Partnership grants. The Department of Neighborhoods is grateful for their commitment to Seattle and all of our communities.
The Neighborhood Matching Fund offers grants to organizations committed to fostering and building our community. It has two funds: the Community Partnership Fund, which is currently offered twice a year with awards of up to $50,000; and the Small Sparks Fund, which is offered on a rolling basis throughout most of the year with awards of up to $5,000.
Over its 35-year history, more than 5,000 projects have been funded in partnership with the NMF Program, and its investment in neighborhoods can be seen across the city. For information about NMF, click here.
“Our vision for One Seattle is about fostering unity and celebrating our diverse communities. These investments are crucial in turning that vision into reality by backing local projects, programs, and improvements,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “The organizations receiving these funds are pivotal in identifying and addressing the needs of Seattle communities, and I’m thrilled we can collaborate to create a more equitable, inclusive, and vibrant Seattle.”
What Grantees are Saying
“Our organization is incredibly grateful for our recent Neighborhood Matching Fund award. It will help our organization improve our heavily used Community Center by addressing pressing issues like sorely needed interior and exterior painting, floor maintenance, and purchasing an air conditioner for our main office area. This funding will keep our unique community space safe and in working order for community events, civic engagement activities, our Senior nutrition program and our youth programs.”
Isaac Araya
Executive Director, Eritrean Association in Greater Seattle
“The SODO community wants and deserves a greener industrial district. The SODO Green Space Plan envisions green infrastructure integrated into industrial spaces without disrupting freight or business operations for the benefit of the 50,000 people who come and work in SODO each day. Thanks to the Neighborhood Matching Fund, we will finally be able to put this plan into action and bring our community together to take the first steps towards building a park in SODO. We are excited to set the stage for a vibrant, more resilient future for the SODO neighborhood. ”
Erin Goodman
Executive Director, SODO
2024 Community Partnership Fund Awards – Round One
$49,984 to Festival Sundiata 2024 for Sundiata African American Cultural Association’s to host Festival Sundiata, a celebration of African and African American culture and Black arts on August 23-25, 2024 at the Seattle Center, located at 305 Harrison Street. The event will include performances by nationally recognized entertainers, dance, history, food, local musicians, and the much-anticipated vendor marketplace. The event is free and open to the public. (Community Match: $86,350)
$50,000 to Somali Independent Business Alliance for Building Blocks to Success – Empowering BIPOC Businesses in Seattle to host Building Blocks to Success is a capacity-building project to empower 50 BIPOC businesses in Seattle by enhancing knowledge, skills, and tools through tailored technical assistance, marketing support, and comprehensive services. (Community Match: $27,300)
$35,276 to Kids and Paper for Pickle & Prosper – Using Pickleball to Inspire Physical Activity and Academic Achievement to introduce Pickleball, Washington’s Official State Sport, to low-income, BIPOC kids aged 5 to 12 in Seattle. Playing both indoors and outdoors year-round, we will work with community partners to reduce health disparities and strengthen our participants’ academic and social/emotional skills. (Community Match: $43,675)
$30,000 to Northwest SHARE for Diwali – Lights of India festival, 2024 to host the Diwali Lights of India Festival on November 2, 2024, located at the Armory at Seattle Center, 305, Harrison St from 12pm to 6pm. The festival showcases Arts and culture of India through live music, dance performances, workshops, and various arts and crafts. This family friendly event is free and open to the public. (Community Match: $30,000)
$8,630 to West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails for the West Duwamish Greenbelt to conduct community outreach to promote awareness of the West Duwamish Greenbelt. We will present a free visual exhibit at the Log House Museum, update and print new trail maps, update, and continue to maintain our website, social media, and create other promotional materials such as stickers and information cards for events. (Community Match: $6,090)
$50,000 to Duwamish Tribal Services / Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center for Ceder Building Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center to will with this project make improvements to the exterior of the facility. The improvements are vital to the community as it will keep a unique community space safe in working order for community events, and civic engagement activities. The project will be complete in the Fall of 2024. (Community Match: $25,000)
$16,302 to Hillman City P-Patch for Pathways Plus to refurbish gravel pathways to ADA specifications, weed and spread more chips on the non-gravel paths, purchase vegetable garden mix dirt to fill troughs, refinish the signs marking the Memory Garden, and replace the wood posts that support the vertical water pipe at the water stations, and purchase high quality hose nozzles for each water station. (Community Match: $8,190)
$50,000 to Capoeira Life fiscally sponsored by Shunpike for Capoeira Life Youth Programs to provide BIPOC, LGBTQ+, people w/disabilities, community-led groups with 1 year of free weekly and monthly capoeira programs, and free capoeira participatory events to all members of public, especially underserved, at local recreational facilities, Seattle Parks, community centers, schools, and other partner sites. (Community Match: $101,826)
$50,000 to MALACARNE for The sky is the same color everywhere – Dance Performance 2024 along with Path with Art to host `the sky is the same color everywhere or on rapture of being alive` A five-hour dance performance. The performance will take place on June 27, 2024, at +U Urban Village located at 1201 2nd Ave. There will also be two 8-week dance and movement classes. This project is free and open to the public. (Community Match: $25,000)
$50,000 to Highland Park Improvement Club for Highland Park Improvement Phase 2 for demolition of the existing fire-damaged building, including site clearance, secure storage for salvaged materials, and preparation for interim occupancy. Purpose: provide a secure and safe outdoor gathering place for the community as we continue to raise funds to construct the new building. (Community Match: $61,700)
$49,700 to Seattle Flying Dragon Boat Club to host the 2024 Seattle Dragon Boat Festival scheduled for Saturday, June 8, 2024 as a celebration of Asian culture! This will coincide with the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, held annually on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which commemorates the ancient poet Qu Yuan and typically includes dragon boat races, food, and folk entertainment. The dragon boat races will occur at the southern end of Lake Union, located at 860 Terry Ave N. with cultural performances, food trucks, vendors, and music planned in Lake Union Park. The event is free and open to the public. (Community Match: $56,385)
$24,970 to Estelita’s Library for the Black Panther Party Newspaper Community Archive, Estelita’s Library holds one of the world’s largest collections of Black Panther Newspapers, with more than 300 papers spanning the duration of the existence of the newspaper. Currently, the collection is in paper form making it difficult to share broadly with the community. Through this project, Estelita’s Library will engage community members in a series of 6 free workshops from July 2024-May 2025 teaching them the fundamentals of digital archiving. The community will build out an archive featuring their own resistance stories, as well as archiving our collection of Black Panther Newspapers. The archive will be available, free-of-cost, by community request either by emailing or dropping in to the Library’s public hours. This work will culminate in a free Community Archive Launch Party in April 2025. Community Match: $30,050)
$50,000 to Amigos De Seattle for Cultures & Traditions of Guatemala to host and lead a series of family-oriented, free and interactive educational workshops about the culture and history of the Guatemalan people. The workshops will feature folklore performances, cultural exchange, and food. Workshop events will be held at South Park & Duwamish Valley locations in 2024. (Community Match: $26,800)
$50,000 to Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (Langston) for Seattle Black Nerd Fest to produce the first annual Seattle Black Nerd Fest, on September 21 and 22: a free 2-day convention centering Black and brown community members interested in Afrofuturism, comic books, video games, STEM, science fiction, fantasy, and more. Our convention will feature workshops, film screenings, panel discussions, meet and greets, mentoring sessions, vendors, interactive exhibits, and more. (Community Match: $46,265)
$21,924 to Juneau St Resilience Hub for Juneau Street Resilience Hub – Block Party to engage neighbors by increasing awareness around resources for building a resilience hub, providing an opportunity to strengthen relationships and celebrate the neighborhood, learn from neighbors about their priorities for the Juneau Street Resilience Hub and empower the community. (Community Match: $13,300)
$50,000 to SODO BIA for SODO Greenspace Plan In Action: Building a Pilot Park tolead implementation of the Green Space Plan which includes planting, cleaning and other physical improvements as well as provide opportunities for volunteer work and donation. (Community Match: $27,835)
$48,406 to Friends of Discovery Park for Community Signage for Discovery Park to mark the 80th Anniversary Fort Lawton civil rights events, and also marks the 50th Anniversary of Discovery Park. To mark both occasions the Friends of Discovery Park will install four new signs located at 3801 Discovery Park Blvd to commemorate both events. The event is Free and open to the public. (Community Match: $25,195)
$49,740 to Eritrean Association of Greater Seattle for Eritrean Association Community Center Improvements to make facility improvements to the Eritrean Association Community Center. facility. The improvements are vital to the community as it will keep a unique community space safe in working order for community events, civic engagement activities, and food and nutrition programs. The project will be complete by Spring of 2025. (Community Match: $30,287)
$50,000 to Lake City Pioneer Days Parade Association to host the Lake City Summer Festival-2024 on Saturday August 3 from 10:30am to 6:30pm. The festival is one of the oldest Seafair sanctioned community events, and one of the few free family-friendly events. It is counterprogramming to the Hydro races that happen the same weekend. For those who don’t enjoy or can’t afford the boat races, The Lake City Summer Festival is a perfect alternative. The festival includes food, music, and entertainment from a spectrum of world cultures. (Community Match: $86,045)
$50,000 to Tasveer to host Yonix Speaks – 2024 in August 2024 at the Seattle Opera Center’s Tagney Jones Hall, located at 363 Mercer Street, Tasveer will present Yonix Speaks, a storytelling event centering the South Asian LGBTQI+ community in Seattle. This inclusive platform welcomes LGBTQI+ and non-binary individuals of South Asian heritage, aged 21 and above, to courageously share their personal narratives. Through this event, members of Seattle’s South Asian LGBTQI+ community will be provided with a transformative space to articulate their hopes, dreams, breakdowns, breakthroughs, and aspirations for change. (Community Match: $29,405)
$50,000 to Artist Coalition for Equitable Development to host CommuniTEAS On The Block: A Free, Community-Powered Creative Workshop Series providing creative respite, skill-sharing, and incubation space for community members from all over the city. Hosted by a cohort of volunteer BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and neurodivergent artist-in-residents at Blue Cone Studios, So Below Studios, The Study at Cry Baby Studios, and Vermillion Art Bar & Gallery, CommuniTEAS will provide a series of 12 free drop-in workshops per month from July – December of 2024. (Community Match: $65,075)
$34,050 to Hillman City Neighborhood Association to the Hillman City Business District Improvement Project to engage in the beautification of the Hillman City main commercial center located at the intersection of Rainier Ave S and Orcas St. This project entails the creation of 3 murals and in collaboration with other community groups, seeks to develop a donated parcel of land into a community space. The event is free and open to the public to participate. (Community Match: $28,334)
$50,000 to Totem Star to Totem Star Youth Artist Booking for Live Performance and Neighborhood Activations to create opportunities for youth through the Youth Artist Booking for Live Performance and Neighborhood Activations project in our new home at King Street Station. These activities will include Totem Star First Thursday events to welcome new youth artists into our community, build deeper community, and activate arts and cultural space while simultaneously increasing the Youth Artist Booking activities to provide valuable live performance opportunities while paying young people fair wages. (Community Match: $25,000)
$50,000 to Friends of Little Saigon to Saigon to Seattle – 50th Year Commemoration of the End of the Vietnam War to commemorate the 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War, April 30 2025, FLS is dedicating our arts and culture program efforts towards collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories of Vietnamese refugees and their families through an oral history project titled “Saigon to Seattle.” (Community Match: $73,100)
$6,839 to UpGarden P-Patch to UpGarden P-Patch 2024 to address the ADA accessibility issues at the UpGarden. The UpGarden sits atop the Seattle Center parking garage and has ADA issues due to its unique location related to the irrigation system pipes and spigots. Community Match: $4,550)
$50,000 to Shunpike to host the Artist of Color Expo and Symposium 2024, a BIPOC-led, community-curated program featuring art exhibits, live performances, presentations, workshops, film screenings, artist talks. The Symposium will take place August 16-18 at KEXP venue Seattle Center, 472 1at Ave North. This 2-day family event is free and open to the public. Community Match: $25,000)
$47,560 to U District Advocates for U District Green Street Summer Activation to build out the neighborhoods proposed Green Street as a prototype to test public responses to the improvement strategies from the completed conceptual plan to make NE 42nd Street safer and more pedestrian friendly. This ‘tactical urbanism’ project will set the stage with outdoor seating, temporary trees in planters, traffic calming, play structures, and pavement painting, phased in over a series of weeks. (Community Match: $26,679)
