City Of Seattle Awards Nearly $1 Million To Support Environmental Justice Projects

The City of Seattle has awarded $934,616 in Environmental Justice Fund grants to 12 community-based organizations leading climate resilience and environmental health projects across the city, with a focus on communities most affected by environmental and climate injustice. The fund supports programs led by Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), immigrants, refugees, low-income residents, youth, and elders.

Projects funded this year will address climate change adaptation, education, youth leadership, and environmental stewardship. The selected organizations will deliver hands-on programs including urban farming, wetland restoration, climate storytelling, and green job training.

“The Environmental Justice Fund is about supporting solutions that come from the community,” said Mayor Katie Wilson. “It’s about great public spaces, climate resilience, clean air, youth leadership, affordable and sustainable ways to get around, high-quality green jobs, and so much more.”

This year’s funding round drew 52 proposals totaling nearly $3.8 million—more than $1 million above last year’s request. Since its launch in 2018, the Environmental Justice Fund has awarded over $3.8 million to 82 projects designed and led by or in partnership with frontline communities.

Several funded initiatives center on the Duwamish Valley, where the city committed $180,000 to support local, place-based solutions. South Park and Georgetown face historical environmental burdens, including legacy pollution, flood risks, and limited access to economic opportunity.

“Through this support from Seattle’s Environmental Justice Fund, 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 uplifting Duwamish values and honoring our long-standing relationship with the land.”

OSE collaborated with Seattle’s Environmental Justice Committee, a panel of six community members with deep ties to BIPOC, immigrant, refugee, Native, and low-income communities, to review proposals and recommend funding.

“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, program manager for the Environmental Justice Fund. “The EJ Fund is special because it recognizes the relationships local organizations have built with their communities and resources them to drive real progress in their neighborhoods, backed by City dollars.”

The fund, created as part of the City’s Equity & Environment Agenda, is supported by revenue from Seattle’s Payroll Expense Tax and contributes to the goals of the Green New Deal.

Organizations receiving grants this year include:

Wa Na Wari – $50,000

Funding will support the BLOOM Food & Environmental Justice Series, activating Wa Na Wari in the Central District as a hub for climate justice and cultural resilience. The program includes a youth fellowship with hands-on training in soil remediation, gardening, and food sovereignty, rooted in Black and Indigenous traditions.

Sound Generations, East African Senior Center – $74,723

East African elders will engage in wetland restoration and environmental justice workshops at Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands. Storytelling activities will allow participants to share traditional environmental knowledge.

Casa Latina – $75,000

Workshops for Latino immigrant workers will teach green alternatives to toxic cleaning and landscaping products, while educating participants about environmental justice in the workplace.

People’s Economy Lab – $80,000

A Community-to-Policy Accelerator will transform climate resilience recommendations into policy proposals. The project includes workshops, storytelling through art, and planning for a climate outcomes dashboard.

Hip Hop is Green – $85,277

A youth internship program in the Central District will focus on hydroponic farming, climate justice education, and leadership development through summer intensives and bootcamps.

Outreach and Transform Lives – $88,500

The Climate Resilience Storytelling Hub will bring together African immigrant youth and BIPOC elders to co-create documentaries, podcasts, and photo essays focused on extreme heat and air pollution. Monthly workshops will build resilience skills and develop community action plans.

Ancestral Sisterhood – $90,000

Guided by Elders, this project will offer train-the-trainer workshops to build climate disaster preparedness and regenerative land management skills through activities such as erosion control and native plant cultivation.

SanArte – $90,000

An Indigenous- and BIPOC-led youth climate justice camp will combine environmental education, emergency kit building, and storytelling in a two-week summer program.

Sea Potential – $90,000

Water-based programs for BIPOC youth will provide environmental science education, marine career exploration, and personal connection to local waterways through hands-on learning.

Duwamish Valley Projects:

Mini Mart City Park – $30,000

An environmental art program for youth in Georgetown and South Park will merge environmental literacy with creative expression, regional storytelling, and green job exploration.

Duwamish River Community Coalition – $60,031

The Duwamish Valley Industrial Greening project will use green infrastructure to reduce air pollution and flooding, while training local youth and adults in green stormwater management.

Duwamish Tribal Services – $89,969

Funding will support forest restoration, education, and stewardship programs at Heron’s Nest and the West Duwamish Greenbelt, including volunteer activities, job training, school visits, and Native plant signage.

The next round of Environmental Justice Fund applications is expected to open later this year. Interested organizations can subscribe to OSE’s newsletter for updates and learn more through the City’s grantee spotlight series.