City of Seattle Funds 12 Projects To Tackle Climate And Environmental Injustice

Seattle’s Environmental Justice Fund has awarded $934,616 in grants to 12 organizations leading efforts to build community resilience, promote environmental education, and confront the disproportionate impacts of climate change on historically marginalized communities. These awards continue the City’s commitment to support solutions developed and led by communities most affected by environmental harm.

The Environmental Justice Fund, launched in 2018, directly supports projects developed by and for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, immigrants, refugees, low-income residents, youth, and elders. These populations face higher exposure to extreme heat, polluted air, flooding, and other environmental hazards, but often lack the resources to influence policy or fund protective programs. This grant cycle prioritized frontline leadership and programs rooted in cultural, place-based knowledge.

Seattle son described the fund’s purpose as more than just investment.

“The Environmental Justice Fund is about supporting solutions that come from the community,” said 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 selection process was highly competitive. The Office of Sustainability and Environment received 52 proposals requesting nearly $3.8 million, more than $1 million above the previous year’s total. Ultimately, 12 organizations were selected to receive grants ranging from $30,000 to $90,000, with projects addressing climate adaptation, cultural resilience, and intergenerational leadership.

Several funded projects focus on the Duwamish Valley, including Georgetown and South Park, where residents face a legacy of industrial pollution, economic hardship, and rising climate risks. A total of $180,000 was allocated for work in these neighborhoods, reinforcing the City’s commitment to place-based justice.

“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.”

Duwamish Tribal Services will use its funding for forest restoration, volunteer activities, school visits, jobs training, and cultural signage using Native plants. These efforts reflect a holistic approach to stewardship and cultural education.

Other organizations are blending environmental literacy with workforce development, art, and storytelling. Mini Mart City Park’s Environmental Justice Artivism Series, funded at $30,000, will serve youth from Georgetown and South Park through a summer program that combines creative expression with lessons in environmental justice and regional history.

The Duwamish River Community Coalition received $60,031 to support its Industrial Greening Project, which replaces heat-absorbing surfaces with green infrastructure and trees. This project aims to reduce flooding and extreme temperatures while providing hands-on training in green stormwater infrastructure.

At the intersection of environmental science and community healing, SanArte was awarded $90,000 to lead a two-week, youth-led climate justice and healing camp for Indigenous and BIPOC youth. The program combines environmental education, storytelling, and survival skill-building grounded in culture and community trust.

The grant also supports youth-driven storytelling and resilience planning. Outreach and Transform Lives received $88,500 to establish the Climate Resilience Storytelling Hub, where African immigrant youth and BIPOC elders in Seattle’s Central Area will collaborate on documentaries, podcasts, and policy briefs. Participants will document their experiences with extreme heat and air pollution and transform these narratives into community-based action plans.

Sea Potential, another grantee, will deliver two environmental science programs centered on marine ecosystems. These water-based learning experiences will expand access to outdoor education for BIPOC youth, increase awareness of marine careers, and deepen personal connections to water and community.

“Many BIPOC youth face systemic barriers to meaningful marine ecosystem access and pathways into blue and green careers,” said Savannah Smith, Co-Founder of Sea Potential. “With support from Seattle’s Environmental Justice Fund, we are creating water-based learning experiences that deepen youth and community connections to local waterways and introduce participants to marine science professionals. These experiences build skills, confidence, and industry networks, while also nurturing lifelong relationships with water, community, and place grounded in reciprocity.”

Casa Latina was awarded $75,000 to conduct a workshop series for Latino immigrant workers. The program aims to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals used in cleaning and landscaping by promoting safer alternatives and building awareness of environmental justice in the workplace.

Sound Generations, through the East African Senior Center, will receive $74,723 to provide wetland restoration opportunities and educational programming for East African elders at Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands. The program includes storytelling workshops that center cultural wisdom and environmental memory.

Projects also include fellowships and training programs for youth. Hip Hop is Green received $85,277 for its Youth Excellence Program, which introduces BIPOC youth to hydroponic farming, sustainable agriculture, and leadership through summer intensives and seasonal bootcamps.

Ancestral Sisterhood will use its $90,000 grant to lead train-the-trainer workshops focused on Traditional Ecological Knowledge and nature-based climate solutions such as erosion control and water filtration. Guided by Elders and knowledge keepers, the project promotes regenerative land management and climate adaptation across the region.

People’s Economy Lab will build a Community-to-Policy Accelerator that transforms community recommendations into actionable policy solutions, such as climate planning tools and outcome dashboards. The $80,000 award will support storytelling, workshops, and policy design in partnership with trusted community groups.

The Office of Sustainability and Environment partnered with Seattle’s Environmental Justice Committee to evaluate proposals and recommend funding decisions. The committee includes six members with deep ties to BIPOC, immigrant, Indigenous, refugee, and low-income communities.

“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,” said Ximena Fonseca Morales, Program Manager of the Environmental Justice Fund. “OSE is honored to directly invest in trusted community groups who are leading climate solutions rooted in their community’s needs and wisdom.”