The City of Seattle has awarded $890,250 to support 16 community-initiated projects through Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ Neighborhood Matching Fund. Our Community Partnership Fund offers matching funds of up to $100,000 to community organizations committed to fostering and building community. These awards range from $17,000 to $100,000 with the 16 organizations pledging over $786,680 in community match involving volunteer hours, locally raised money, donated materials, and in-kind professional services.

“Seattle’s distinct and culturally rich neighborhoods are what make our city the best place to live in the country. The 16 organizations receiving matching funds have their fingers on the pulse of the needs of their community and are truly invested in making Seattle more inclusive and more accessible to everyone. We celebrate these organizations for the work they are doing, connecting our neighbors with resources that provide safety and cross-cultural understanding.”  

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan

Our Neighborhood Matching Fund has two funds: Community Partnership Fund, which is offered three times a year with cash awards up to $100,000; and Small Sparks Fund, which is offered on a rolling basis throughout the year with cash awards of up to $5,000.

“With this NMF funding, we are one step closer to revitalizing Maynard Alley – one of Seattle’s three historic alleys. Not only does this funding support our community engagement and outreach, it also allows us to work with design and engineering professionals to ensure the community’s ideas are carried out in a safe and sustainable manner.”

Jamie Lee, SCIDpda’s director of Community Initiatives and a partner with Friends of Little Saigon

The Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) provides more than $3 million each year to local organizations. Over its nearly 30-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 more information about NMF, visit seattle.gov/neighborhoods/nmf/.

2018 Community Partnership Fund Awards – Summer Cycle

Citywide (Across All Districts)

• $60,000 to Le Leo o Samoa: Voice of Samoa to create Saili Ao Malo: Samoan American Trilogy, a documentary to raise awareness of and celebrate Samoan American Culture. This project will actively engage college-aged youth leaders and culminate in public screenings of the film to share Fa’asamoa – the Samoan way of life. (Community match: $49,980)

District 1

• $41,450 to Friends of Delridge Triangle to engage a professional designer to create a conceptual redesign with community input for the Delridge Triangle at 9200 Delridge Way SW. Managed by Seattle Department of Transportation, this property is located on a busy travel corridor. (Community Match: $29,490)
• $45,764 to the South Park Retail Merchants Association to install a welcome sign and create additional green space at the intersection of 14th and Director St. This project is informed by the Duwamish Valley Vision Plan 2009 and community input. (Community match: $24,800)

District 2

• $69,000 to SouthEast Effective Development to educate and empower southeast residents to produce community radio programs for KVRU 105.7. This project includes the development of a training program, equipment purchases for community use, and broadcasting live, local programs. (Community match: $64,200)
• $28,160 to Community Arts Create to work with diverse local musicians and educators to design and deliver a weekly roots music class to 30 southeast Seattle youth. The project culminates in December with a free community concert. Students will be offered a stipend for participating in the program. (Community match: $28,960)
• $17,000 to Friends of Little Saigon to undertake a study to improve Maynard Alley. Once implemented, the changes will improve Maynard Alley’s safety and usability for community members and pedestrians. (Community match: $61,000)
• $48,250 to Friends of Maple Elementary School to work with a landscape architect/master plan designer and conduct extensive outreach to produce a master plan that improves access routes and outdoor usability of the school for students, neighbors, and community groups. (Community match: $32,000)
• $33,790 to East African Community Services to establish a year-long Parent Training Leadership Initiative Pilot for East African parents. This project seeks to engage, educate, and empower the East African community by covering issues like culture, citizenship and agency, racism, poverty, and diversity. (Community match: $32,700)
• $52,391 to hire a design firm to develop 60% design for improvements at the 8th Ave S Street End. This project will work with community members to develop a cohesive street end and shoreline design that includes a bioswale, ADA parking, benches, and accessible shoreline. (Community match: $28,800)

District 3

• $82,500 to Africatown – Central District Preservation & Development Association to create a temporary neighborhood hub called “Imagine Africatown Fall Winter Activation @ Midtown” that celebrates the African American/African Diaspora legacy and culture in the Central District through art, pop-up events, and other programming. (Community match: $83,940)
• $68,000 to 206 Zulu to host the Meeting of the Minds Community Arts Forum that brings local leaders, artists, youth, families, and pioneers in urban arts activism together. The free forum will include guest speakers, panels, presentations, art displays, and performances from both emerging and established artists, dancers, and musicians. (Community match: $50,380.48)

District 4

• $49,940 to Green Lake Elementary PTA to hire a design team to develop a master plan with the community for an active space area at the school. The redesigned space will be more inclusive and inviting to both students and the neighborhood. (Community match: $36,015)
• $100,000 to the University District Food Bank to install an anaerobic digester at the site to reduce waste and provide free compost to neighborhood P-Patch gardens. Community members will participate in its construction and direct its subsequent use as an educational tool. (Community match: $127,440)

District 7

• $80,000 to the Magnolia Historical Society to produce a 3rd volume of Magnolia neighborhood histories extending the record provided by previous volumes to the mid-20th century. More than 40 residents will participate in the creation of this book. (Community match: $54,755)
• $79,180 to Friends of Discovery Park to develop two trail design and viewpoint alternatives for the South Beach Trail in response to community meetings with Seattle Parks and Recreation and the public. The project will reopen the trail and improve trail safety. (Community match: $39,600)
• $34,825 to Belltown Community Council Parks and Arts to fund several events and programming in Belltown’s five parks throughout the year. This project seeks to foster a sense of community through these public events. (Community match: $42,500)