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Walk Away City Collaborative

The (High On Purpose Experience) H.O.P.E. concert featuring spoken word, poetic expression, music and dance performances by youth, will be held on Thursday, October 5th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at The Rainier Arts Center, 3515 South Alaska Street. All performing art forms will be focused on the theme of sobriety. A team of youth interns will assist in the planning and outreach for the event.

Rainier Valley Historical Society

The Hillman City Heritage Bell Mural Installation and Celebration Project aims to permanently install the Hillman City Heritage Bell on the corner of Rainier Ave. S and S Findlay Street. This project involves compensating a landscape contractor for the installation, which will culminate in an unveiling and dedication at the Hillman City Block Party on August 10, 2024. The purpose of the Hillman City Heritage Bell is to educate the public about the diverse history of Hillman City through vibrant art. Mural artist Cathy Fields transformed a 115-year-old church bell into a visual narrative depicting the cultural diversity of Rainier Valley, highlighting indigenous peoples, early pioneers, a streetcar scene, and Mrs. Fumiko M. Noji, illustrating the area's unique history as a welcoming home for immigrant populations.

Hillman City Restorative Justice Committee

The Hillman City Restorative Justice Project will build community capacity by organizing twelve free monthly workshops about Restorative Justice. They will be held at the Hillman City Collaboratory located at 5623 Rainier Ave S. Neighbors, businesses, youth and others will learn Restorative Justice practices that will help them resolve conflict and strengthen community relationships. The project will transform the current tensions in our community to a spirit and practice of unity.

Magnolia Chamber of Commerce

This grant will fund Phase 2 of the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce mural project that was developed during 2017 with a 2017 NMF award. The mural project will enhance Magnolia Village's downtown core by painting a vibrant, interactive mural integrating art designs from neighbor school children, with a culminating community celebration event. The content of the mural is based on representing groups of three different species birds flocking together: A visual metaphor of innovative collaboration and interaction that many parts make a whole.

It Takes a Village

The Middle Passage Healing Project will foster unity among African American and East Africans communities through events such as Culture Fest, outreach sessions and cultural immersion healing circles. The community events will include digital storytelling, dance performances, visual art, musical entertainment, jewelry making, and sharing cultural recipes.

Center for Architecture and Design

The Neighborhood Exchange is a series of events that share the impact of community coalitions shaping Seattle through community-based design projects. The series will connect community members throughout Seattle to each other and to community advocates from design professions. The events create opportunities for participants to explore projects on-site and exchange strategies and resources for implementing projects to improve quality of life in their neighborhoods.

Seattle Architecture Foundation

The Neighborhood Exchange is a series of events that highlight and share the impact of community coalitions shaping Seattle through community based design projects. The series will connect community members throughout Seattle to each other and with community advocates from design professions. The events create opportunities for participants to explore projects onsite and exchange strategies and resources for planning and implementing projects to improve quality of life in their neighborhoods. This project will be completed by October 2018.

ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop

The ODUNDE Festival, hosted by ADEFUA in collaboration with the community group `Friends of ADEFUA,` is a vibrant celebration of African culture and heritage. This project encompasses a rich array of the social Odunde-Odunde Music and Dancical presented by local and special guest artists to celebrate in community with the hosted African music and dance inter-active showcases, and an African Marketplace featuring arts, crafts, and food from various West African countries. The festival includes a silent auction, an Artist Meet and Greet Reception, serving an array of Desserts and a Wine Corner that highlights local African-owned wineries and Bakeries. Through these activities, the festival aims to educate, inspire, and provide a space for meaningful cultural engagement. Odunde Festival 2024, Kicks off ADEFUA'S 40th year of being. Several cultural artists and groups are a part of the annual production, ''Evolution of Culture in Community''.

Power of Rage

A one-day event highlighting art, entertainment and food, including an indoor street fair will be held on Sunday March 8, 2020 at historic Washington Hall, 153 14th Avenue from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm. The program will feature local performers, visual artists, artisans, informational tabling from community organizations, and culinary delights provided by local pop-up restaurant chefs. This event is intended to promote acceptance of cultural, social, physical and racial differences while promoting civic participation.

Pritchard Beach Waterfront Center Project

Demand for water-dependent programming in SE Seattle is strong. This diverse community deserves safe ACCESS to the unique asset at its back door: Lake Washington. Current Pritchard Beach bathhouse facilities located at 8400 55th Ave S Seattle WA are little used but offer excellent potential as a site for a waterfront center like those at Green Lake or Mt. Baker. This project seeks to create a welcoming, inclusive, fully ADA accessible community boating center that will allow more people, but in particular youth, to experience the mental and physical benefits of recreating & competing in the outdoors, safe access for all, and a variety of programs with material health and academic benefits for youth. Phase I of the project will focus on a community engagement process to document the demand for repurposing the bathhouse and prepare proposals for Phase II. The anticipated project completion date is January 31, 2026.

Friends of MLK Civil Rights Memorial Park

The MLK Community Park Committee will host an event to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The event will take place at Mount Zion Baptist Church located at 1634 Rev. Dr. S. McKinney Ave. It will be held on August 28, 2018 from 5:30pm - 8:30pm. The event will feature speakers, food, and a public forum exploring civil rights in both historical and contemporary contexts.

Center for Linguistic and Cultural Democracy

Caribbean culture and arts will be celebrated throughout the summer with a series events including a four week costume making class, cultural workshops at local Caribbean restaurants and a cultural exchange workshop between Jamaica and Ghana highlighting their historic cultural and linguistic ties. The culminating event will be Caribbean Sea Fest on August 13th at Volunteer Park from noon until 8:00 pm. This project highlights the cultural expressions Cuba, Bahamas, Trinidad, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

Seattle Griot Project

The Seattle Griot Project (SGP) will offer training in multimedia highlighting: photo, film, audio, print and web contents. SGP will help share and affirm the lived Black history across generations as well as within the Black community which in turn will be transformational for the Black community and offer the opportunity to present their culture, history and their stories as well as those who will inherit this legacy. The anticipated project close-out date is October 31, 2023.

Seattle Griot Project

The Black Legacy Exhibit at the Washington State Black Legacy Institute (WSBLI) and the Call to Conscience Exhibit at Rainier Ave Radio both aim to celebrate and preserve the rich history of Washington State's Black communities. The Black Legacy Exhibit features immersive content, including interviews with artists, testimonies from community leaders, and iconic visual displays like Dionne Bonner's portraits of Black pioneers, providing a comprehensive narrative of Black heritage. Simultaneously, the Call to Conscience Exhibit honors the pioneering Black churches of Washington State, showcasing their critical role in fostering community, culture, and activism. Together, these exhibits offer a powerful tribute to Black resilience, leadership, and cultural contributions, enriching public understanding and appreciation through accessible, interactive formats.

Parkview Services

Vibrant Palette, a nonprofit arts program for adults with I/DDS, collaborates with Belltown Arts Walk, The Slide Gallery, and the City of Seattle for 'The Small Things,' an inclusive arts extravaganza. From 1/8/24 through 2/4/24, we will hold workshops and public art viewing. The Small Things provides 3x3 canvases to up to 150 community members, hosts two free in-person workshops, and features an opening event for the displayed art at the Slide Gallery. This project, rooted in accessibility and inclusion, enhances participation in the Seattle arts community for adults with I/DDs.

Soufend Arts Council

The Soufend Arts Council will host a free event to celebrate the creativity, community, and culture of South Seattle. The event will feature an art exhibit, performances, and interactive art activities. It will be held August 24, 2019 from 2 pm - 8 pm on S Holly St between Rainier Ave S and 49th Ave S.

The Friends of It's Never 2 Early 2 Create & Innovate

The Startup Lounge: A Place for Innovators & Entrepreneurs provides Black youth and young adults in Seattle with a culturally affirming space to connect, learn, and thrive as entrepreneurs. Through workshops, panel discussions with Black business leaders, social media strategy sessions, and a "Pitch Zone" for business ideas, participants gain valuable skills and mentorship. Rooted in music, creativity, and community, the program combats social isolation, fosters entrepreneurial growth, and promotes economic empowerment while celebrating Black excellence. By activating Seattle’s Spark Block, the Startup Lounge infuses energy and vibrancy into the area, transforming it into a hub for innovation, collaboration, and cultural expression, contributing to the city’s downtown revitalization efforts. The anticipated project completion date is June 30, 2026.

Sustainable Style Seattle

We have an ambitious vision for a "free store" that helps people find clothes they love and re-home clothes they no longer need, all for free. It will provide a much-needed way for people to keep things out of landfill and reform a harmful and exploitative system. The store will also provide a radically inclusive third place that helps people build skills, forge connections, be creative, and support art. We want to be an example of the future of Seattle, one that’s built on innovation, care, dignity, and abundance. This pilot is crucial in changing the narrative of what urban spaces can and should be. We will use the space for the free store and events, but we also want to uplift historically underserved artists by sharing our space. We plan to run for a total of 9 months. We’ll run an initial trial in January, a review and planning period from Feb-Apr, and an extended pilot from May-Sept. We plan to have 1 space, but we’ve had offers to create this concept in multiple spaces.

Belltown Butterflies

The Butterfly Effect—the idea that small actions can have profound impacts—the project invites individuals to tap into their creativity and reflect on how they engage with the world by including art made on small, individual butterflies. At the project's heart is an installation of hundreds of these butterflies made by different community members, symbolizing each person's significance in the fabric of society. Arranged in a flowing chromatic wave, the installation creates an immersive visual experience while fostering connection, self-awareness, and creative empowerment. The installation will be a part of a community art exhibition at Slip and Slide Galleries located at 2301 1st Ave Seattle WA for Belltown Artwalk on Sept 12, 2025, from 6-9 pm. The exhibition will run through Oct 5, 2025. Free and open to all, it enhances accessibility, equity, and public art awareness.

Somali Independent Business Alliance

Thrive Seattle will host 2 free business conferences and 2 focus groups to address a critical gap: many small business owners—especially immigrants, refugees, and people of color—lack access to resources, networks, and spaces to voice challenges. The conferences will connect local businesses with key partners such as the Seattle Office of Economic Development, Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs, Department of Commerce, ACCPNW, financial institutions, and community leaders through panels and Q&A. Business owners will share barriers directly with agencies and stakeholders. Focus groups will bring leaders and small business owners together to discuss needs and solutions. The first conference is tentatively scheduled for April 11,2026, 1-4pm at Rainier Beach Library, located at 9125 Rainier Ave S Seattle WA and is free and open to the public.

Hoi Tam Luc

TL Anniversary celebration will be held on December 15, 2024, at Alki Masonic Center located at 4736 40th Ave SW Seattle WA 98116. This is one-day event with entertainment and food. The event is free and open to the public to enjoy Vietnamese cultures, food, music, dance.

U District Advocates

The U District Advocates project Together on the Ave will have community engagement activities, coordination, planning, and implementation of a temporary initiative to create safe gathering spaces on the Ave to support community and local businesses in the U-District throughout the summer and early fall.

Emergency Communication Hubs - Seattle

Residents throughout Seattle have agreed to stand up and help their communities if/when communications are down after a significant event (earthquake, massive power outage, etc.). Groups of neighbors have organized into Emergency Communication Hubs and are located throughout Seattle. Seventy-one sites presently. We practice yearly to educate our neighbors about our existence, engage them in becoming better prepared to weather a disaster, and to identify (and share) best practices so we can hit the ground running, when needed. Goals of this grant... - Neighborhood maps for all active Hub sites - Medication safety (post-disaster) information translated into 13 languages - Paper copies of translations made for all Hubs Our City-Wide Disaster Exercise is June 11th. Twelve Hubs have agreed to activate and are eager to use these tools!

Whittier Heights Community Council

The Whittier Heights Community Council will replace a Haida totem pole and restore plants at Baker Park, 8347 14th NW. This project complements a planned park renovation by Seattle Parks and Recreation. Work will be completed by the end of 2018. A community celebration of the replacement pole will be held in October 2018 in cooperation with the Haida Community Dancers.