Project Connect: Civic Life & Belonging Grants

The Project Connect: Civic Life & Belonging Grants aim to foster community engagement and connection in Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties. This pilot program supports initiatives that encourage diverse interactions and strengthen civic life, ultimately creating a healthier community. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) organizations and tribal agencies, with projects focusing on public spaces, collaborative art, and community storytelling. The grants prioritize inclusivity and aim to bridge gaps between different community members.

Purpose
Launched in 2025, the Project Connect: Civic Life & Belonging Grants program was designed to support this vision. With this funding, we aim to support creative initiatives that bring people together—particularly those who many not typically interact—to build understanding, trust, and shared purpose across the South Sound.
Project Connect: Civic Life & Belonging Grants are a new pilot program designed to support this vision. With this funding, we aim to support efforts to bring people together in new and meaningful ways—especially those who might not normally interact—to strengthen civic life, connection, and belonging.
Funding Priorities & Goals
Funding is available for projects in Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties that help strengthen civic life, connection, and belonging. To accomplish this goal, the grant will support projects that focus on one or more of the following:

• Bring people together across differences to build understanding and connection
• Create new opportunities for civic participation and locally driven solutions
• Celebrate and strengthen a sense of community and shared purpose

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include organizations with a valid IRS determination letter confirming their 501(c)(3) status, Native American tribal agencies, public institutions, religious organizations, and projects with an approved fiscal sponsor. Individuals with project ideas may also be eligible by partnering with one of these entities to carry out a project under the organization’s umbrella.Examples of potential projects include
Efforts to improve or activate shared public spaces—such as community clean-ups, small upgrades, or events that utilize community space and make them more welcomingCollaborative public art, murals, or performances that represent diverse community voicesDialogues or workshops that bring together people from different perspectives—across age, faith, or lived experience—to build understanding around a shared issueYouth-led civic or service projects focused on local challengesCommunity storytelling circles or oral history projects that connect people across generations, cultures, or backgrounds

Ineligibility

What Won’t Be Considered for Funding: Projects that engage in discrimination based on age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, religious belief, or any other discriminatory reasonPurchases for personal use (e.g., rent, car payments, laptops) — equipment purchases or contract labor may be considered in some casesGeneral operating, program, or capital needs of established nonprofitsProjects that don’t clearly explain how the funding will be used, how the project will be implemented, and how it will benefit the community Recurring events or fundraisersCapital building endeavorsIndividual scholarships