The highly competitive King Conservation District (KCD)-Seattle Community Partnership Grant Program advances environmental equity in Seattle and awards approximately $400,000 each year.
The 2019 grant round received 28 letters of interest requesting $1,829,000. Twelve applicants were invited to submit a full proposal. Seven of the ten applications submitted were recommended by the City of Seattle and approved by KCD’s Board of Supervisors on December 9, 2019.
Funded projects improve natural resources and are led by or are in deep partnership with communities that have been disproportionately impacted by combined impacts of environmental injustice and systemic racism.
A technical review team composed of City of Seattle department staff specializing in each of program’s natural resource priority areas reviewed the full proposals to ensure alignment with best practices and City department goals. Technical review results were provided to the grant review team, which was also comprised of City staff with strong backgrounds in natural resource priority areas and racial equity. The grant review team scored all proposals and recommended those that best aligned with grant program criteria to the KCD’s Board of Supervisors.
For more information about the next round of funding, stay tuned. Contact jessica.saavedra@kingcd.org or call 425-282-1906 with any questions.
2019 KCD-Seattle Community Partnership Grant Program Awardees
| $74,156 | Duwamish Tribal Services | “Duwamish Ridge to River” Linked Trail System with Associated Water Quality Monitoring (Puget Creek) |
| $60,000 | EarthCorps | Yes Farm – Farm Manager |
| $70,000 | Food Empowerment Education Sustainability Team (FEEST) | Youth-led Healthy Food in Seattle Schools |
| $75,000 | InterIm Community Development Association | Youth Development Support for Environmental Justice |
| $70,000 | Rainier Valley Corps dba Rainier Beach Action Coalition | Food Justice Fellowship |
| $75,000 | Young Women Empowered | Y-WE Nature Connections |
| $58,844 | YouthCare | YouthGrow Garden Program |
|
$483,000 |
Total funds awarded for 2019 | |
$74,156 to Duwamish Tribal Services for “Duwamish Ridge to River” Linked Trail System with Associated Water Quality Monitoring (Puget Creek)
Duwamish Tribal Services will conduct remediation study of a contaminated section of hiking trails and determine mitigation steps necessary to complete an environmentally safe loop connecting and restoring the Puget Creeks’ wetland, creek, and ravine system.
$60,000 to EarthCorps for Yes Farm Manager
In partnership with Black Farmers Collective, EarthCorps will hire a farm manager to carry out phase 2 of the project and develop the shared garden model to increase food access for residents living in Yesler’s low-income housing and to provide exposure to environmental careers for youth of color.
$70,000 to Food Empowerment Education Sustainability Team (FEEST) for Youth-led Healthy Food in Seattle Schools
FEEST will build the leadership of local youth of color and immigrant youth to support a sustainable food system and increase access to fresh, local, healthy foods in Seattle Public Schools. Through community dinners and an intensive youth leadership development program, FEEST will set the table for young people to educate their peers and families about healthy food, while simultaneously advocating for systems-level changes that increase healthy, from scratch, local, culturally relevant food options in schools.
$75,000 to InterIm Community Development Association for Youth Development Support for Environmental Justice
The WILD Program is an experiential environmental and racial justice education program serving roughly 1,000 primarily low-income, Asian and Pacific Islander immigrant and refugee youth. Through this program, young people learn about land stewardship and green careers by implementing natural resource improvement projects, participating in trail restoration, visiting our national parks, and advocating for racially equitable policies that protect the environment.
$70,000 to Rainier Beach Action Coalition for Food Justice Fellowship
The Food Justice Fellowship is a new youth leadership development program preparing young professionals of color to enter the Food Justice movement. This program leverages and extends the career pipeline by providing graduating Rainier Beach Farm Stand fellows as well as other young leaders with additional professional development and leadership opportunities.
$75, 000 to Young Women Empowered for Y-WE Nature Connections
Y-WE Nature Connections program will deliver a healthy food initiative serving members of communities of color in South Seattle. This program provides community-based training and support focused on healthy food production, land access, green career skills and empowering cultural narratives.
$58,844 to YouthCare for YouthGrow Garden Program
YouthGrow is a garden-based education and job readiness program run by YouthCare for youth ages 15-21 enrolled in Seattle Public School’s Interagency Academy. This program reengages homeless youth by providing them with employment skills and science credits, while simultaneously increasing food access and building interest in and support for a more local and sustainable food system.
Senior Program Manager, Member Jurisdiction Partnerships
O: 425-282-1906 – C: 425-773-9065
Jessica has managed the Member Jurisdiction and WRIA Grant Programs at KCD since March 2007. Jessica has a Bachelors degree in Environmental Studies and Spanish and graduate level education in the fields of Public Administration, Urban Planning, and Facilitation and Negotiation. She is an experienced program manager responsible for tracking millions of dollars in grant funding with a successful track record of liaising with local governments, nonprofits, and watershed groups on natural resource conservation issues.