SEATTLE — The city of Seattle is investing nearly $935,000 in grants to 12 community-based organizations to support projects led by communities most affected by climate change and environmental injustice, city officials announced.
The funding, awarded through Seattle’s Environmental Justice Fund, will support programs focused on climate adaptation, environmental education, youth leadership, land stewardship, and workforce development.
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The grants prioritize projects led by or serving Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, immigrants, refugees, low-income residents, youth, and elders — groups that city leaders say disproportionately bear the impacts of extreme heat, flooding, and air pollution as climate change worsens.
“This fund is about supporting solutions that come from the community,” Mayor Katie Wilson said in a statement. “It’s about climate resilience, clean air, youth leadership, affordable and sustainable ways to get around, and high-quality green jobs.”
In this funding cycle, the city awarded $934,616 after receiving 52 proposals totaling nearly $3.8 million, reflecting growing demand for community-led climate work. Since the Environmental Justice Fund launched in 2018, Seattle has awarded more than $3.8 million to 82 projects led by or in direct partnership with frontline communities.
A total of $180,000 was directed to projects benefiting residents of the Duwamish Valley, including the South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods. The area has long faced environmental burdens from heavy industry, elevated flood risk from sea-level rise and rainfall, and lower-than-average incomes and job opportunities.
“Through this support, we are able to care for the land at Heron’s Nest and the West Duwamish Greenbelt and advance environmental education rooted in Indigenous stewardship,” said Kristina Pearson, executive director of Duwamish Tribal Services. “This funding helps us invest in local leadership and green jobs while honoring our long-standing relationship with the land.”
The Office of Sustainability and Environment partnered with Seattle’s Environmental Justice Committee to review applications and recommend funding. The committee includes six community members with experience working with BIPOC residents, immigrants, refugees, Native and Indigenous peoples, low-income communities, and English language learners.
“OSE is honored to directly invest in trusted community groups who are leading climate solutions rooted in their community’s needs and wisdom,” said Ximena Fonseca Morales, the city’s Environmental Justice Fund program manager.
Among the 2025 grantees are Wa Na Wari, which will use $50,000 to expand its Black- and Indigenous-led food and environmental justice programming in Seattle’s Central District, and Sound Generations’ East African Senior Center, which received $74,723 to support wetland restoration, environmental education, and storytelling for elders.
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Other funded projects include Casa Latina’s workshops on reducing toxic chemical exposure for Latino immigrant workers; People’s Economy Lab’s community-to-policy accelerator aimed at translating climate recommendations into city action; and youth-focused initiatives such as Hip Hop is Green’s paid sustainable agriculture internships and SanArte’s climate justice and healing camp for Indigenous and BIPOC youth.
Sea Potential received $90,000 to expand water-based environmental science programs that introduce BIPOC youth to marine ecosystems and careers, while several Duwamish Valley–focused projects will address pollution, flooding, and heat through green infrastructure, environmental education, and arts-based activism.
The Environmental Justice Fund is supported by Seattle’s Payroll Expense Tax and was created as part of the city’s Equity & Environment Agenda and Green New Deal initiatives.
City officials said applications for the next round of grants are expected to open later this year.