The City of Seattle is awarding $467,562 in matching funds to support neighborhood-initiated projects across Seattle. Twenty-eight community groups received awards from the Neighborhood Matching Fund for a variety of events, cultural festivals and projects.

“These projects are the result of neighbors working together to better their community,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “The entire city benefits from their volunteerism and talent as they create, plan and implement these projects. The Neighborhood Matching Fund is there to support their efforts, whether it is an exhibit, a documentary or a playground.”

These awards are part of the Small and Simple Projects Fund, one of three funds offered by Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. It provides cash awards of up to $25,000 in matching funds to community organizations committed to fostering and building a better community. The 2015 June awards range from $4,000 to $25,000, and the organizations pledge to match the City of Seattle’s $467,562 investment with $600,132 of locally raised money, donated materials and volunteer labor.

“There is a reason the Neighborhood Matching Fund has existed for 27 years. It’s been a valuable resource for communities to turn their visions into reality,” said Kathy Nyland, director of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. “Plus for every dollar awarded, the community leverages the funds by matching the award. And this round of projects shows the diversity of ideas and creativity, proving once again how resourceful communities are throughout this city.”

In addition to the Small and Simple Projects Fund, the Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) has two other programs: the Large Projects Fund which provides matching funds of up to $100,000, and the Small Sparks Fund which provides funds of up to $1,000. Since 1988 more than 5,000 projects have been completed by neighborhoods and communities with the help of NMF, and its investment in neighborhoods can be seen across the city. For more information about all of the funds visit seattle.gov/neighborhoods/nmf/.

The Small and Simple Projects Fund opens again for applications in September with a deadline of October 5. To learn more, visit seattle.gov/neighborhoods/nmf/smallandsimple.htm.

2015 June Small and Simple Projects Fund Awardees

Citywide Projects

• $8,927 to Seattle-Sihanoukville Sister City Association to produce an event to provide education and share stories of Cambodian refugees during the Khmer Rouge Genocide and their resettlement in the United States. (Community match: $13,365)
• $25,000 to Center for Linguistic and Cultural Democracy to produce a Seattle Caribbean Festival sharing cultural performances and cultural exchange to unite members of the diverse Caribbean community. (Community match: $20,480)
• $10,000 to Gay City Health Project to solicit public input to create a database of health care providers to ensure the LGBTQ community has access to high quality, competent healthcare. (Community match: $7,220)

South Seattle Projects

• $11,830 to Cheasty Greenspace at MountainView to finish elements to the Valley View Trail’s trailhead connection, install wayfinding, and host a celebration. (Community match: $12,000)
• $23,500 to Colman Park Restoration Project to develop a vegetation plan with community input for the west slope of Colman Park. (Community match: $12,260)
• $5,110 to Othello Park Alliance to plant a hillside at Othello Park with 100% low native plants and involve the community in the selection and process. (Community match: $5,150)

West Seattle Projects

• $24,400 to Chief Sealth Indoor Tennis to conduct a feasibility study and develop a conceptual plan for an indoor tennis center at the former Denny Middle School site. (Community match: $14,720)
• $25,000 to South Park Area Redevelopment Committee to create a design with public input, construction documents, and cost estimates to improve Duwamish Waterway Park. (Community match: $45,575)
• $21,395 to the West Seattle Time Bank to host 20 community events and workshops to promote timebanking and increase participation in West Seattle. (Community match: $22,840)
• $15,000 to Circulo de Mamas Seattle to convene 20 Latina mothers and community members to further develop their community leadership through culturally relevant training. (Community match: $25,550)

North Seattle Projects (north of Ship Canal)

• $12,000 to Low Income Housing Institute to produce a free event series that features the people and topics relating to the Ballard neighborhood. (Community match: $6,320)
• $24,400 to Ballard Historical Society to conduct a historic inventory of the Ballard community and utilize a visual and interactive GIS mapping component to engage volunteers and the public. (Community match: $32,400)
• $15,000 to Ballard Partnership for Smart Growth to perform outreach within Ballard to garner interest in a proposed Business Improvement Area (BIA) to serve the needs of the neighborhood. (Community match: $17,820)
• $11,500 to Troll’s Knoll P-Patch community garden to build and outfit a tool shed, create pathways, purchase equipment, and build accessible raised beds. (Community match: $12,550)
• $4,000 to Friends of the Lake City Fred Meyer Garden Project to lead a community design process to beautify and activate a parcel of land owned by Fred Meyer. (Community match: $2,240)
• $25,000 to Freedom Project to organize a series of free workshops to address racial inequity by engaging in collective learning, dialogue, and action. (Community match: $21,730)
• $12,000 to Lake City Future First to improve a website and use it as a place to post volunteer opportunities and projects needing support, connect Lake City to resources, and encourage posts by community members for broad community engagement. (Community match: $13,260)

Central Seattle Projects

• $25,000 to Leschi Community Council to install Fitness Zone equipment in Powell Barnett Park to increase the neighborhood’s access to health and fitness. (Community match: $39,500)
• $25,000 to Friends of Cayton Corner Park to prepare construction documents for a neighborhood pocket park on Capitol Hill. (Community match: $12,630)
• $11,500 to 23^rd Avenue ACT (Action Core Team) to produce the Central Area Block Party in September to highlight the history and culture of the community. (Community match: $10,712)
• $12,000 to the MLK Family Arts Mentoring Enrichment Community Center to conduct a planning study and prepare a master plan to renovate the facility’s kitchen. (Community match: $23,400)
• $15,000 to Friends of Cathay Post Oral History Project to produce a documentary and publication of the stories of Chinese American WWII and Korean War veterans. (Community match: $33,700)
• $12,000 to The Art of Alzheimer’s to organize a free art exhibition featuring paintings by people living with dementia to deepen community understanding of the disease. (Community match: $25,280)
• $25,000 to Friends of Alley Gallery to develop recommendations to transform the Bell Street Park alleys into assets for ongoing creativity. (Community match: $14,100)
• $15,000 to Growing Vine Street to increase capacity and engage the community in a dialogue about green space needs, neighborhood history, and other topics through two events. (Community match: $23,100)
• $12,000 to Capitol Hill Housing Foundation to engage renters living in the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict in voter registration and a 2016 Renters Summit. (Community match: $30,980)
• $16,000 to Sustainable Capitol Hill to create a community tool library and fixers’ collective to provide items to check out or use in the workshop. (Community match: $42,100)
• $25,000 to Lawton Elementary School PTA to complete construction-ready documents to modernize the playground and redesign the surrounding space for the neighborhood. (Community match: $59,150)