Community Foundation invites proposals for second year of Project Connect grants 

The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound is taking Project Connect: Civic Life and Belonging Grants into another year of regional investment. 

The foundation is now accepting proposals through April 27 for grants supporting initiatives that foster civic participation and belonging through locally driven, community-led efforts across Lewis, Mason and Thurston counties. 

In an official announcement on Tuesday, March 24, the foundation said it expects to award up to 15 grants in this cycle, with individual awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. 

Project Connect was established in 2025 to advance the Community Foundation's vision of inclusive, engaged communities where people address local challenges, welcome differences and work toward a stronger future. 

The foundation anchored the program in national research, as detailed on its web page. In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared social disconnection a public health crisis, identifying it as a driver of poor health, weakening community bonds and declining democratic engagement. 

Priority goes to efforts that grow beyond one-time events and yield measurable community impact. Cross-sector partnerships are especially encouraged. 

Eligible projects include those that activate shared public spaces, facilitate community dialogues across age, faith or lived experience, support youth-led civic efforts, create collaborative public art or murals representing diverse community voices, or host storytelling circles and oral history projects connecting people across generations and cultures. 

In its inaugural year, Project Connect funded initiatives, including the Northeast Neighborhood Association's Party in the Pocket Park, the Lewis County Autism Coalition's Voices of Belonging: A Community Storytelling Supper and the South Sound YMCA's Teen Forest Therapy Program. 

A volunteer grant reviewer, as quoted in the foundation's announcement, said the inaugural cycle's proposals were a highlight of the experience. 

"I really enjoyed reading the amazing proposals and community ideas," the volunteer grant reviewer said. "It was a refreshing experience to hear from local groups that truly care about belonging and building shared understanding. I learned about initiatives I would love to be part of, having never heard of them before." 

The program is open to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Native American tribal agencies, public institutions, religious organizations and fiscally sponsored projects serving Lewis, Mason or Thurston counties. 

Individuals with project ideas may apply by partnering with an eligible entity to carry out a project under the organization's umbrella. A confirmed sponsor must be in place at the time of application. 

Interested applicants may access full guidelines and application materials at the foundation's grant page.