The Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act was passed in 2021 to reduce environmental and health disparities and improve the health of all people in Washington state. This HEAL capacity grant program focuses on enhancing community-led decision making to advancing environmental justice (EJ) and building climate resilience.

The King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is pleased to release this Request for Proposals (RFP) for Support Services for Immigrants and Refugees with funding from the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL). VSHSL seeks to improve access to civil legal advice, civic engagement, and resources for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers residing in King County.

Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) is seeking one or several contractors (business, government agency, or community-based organization) to measure the use of neighborhood parks in King County. Measuring how people are using parks will be done for 3 days at each park by counting the number of people in various locations following a taught method. PHSKC is interested in better understanding how people use parks to support planning and programming decisions with the goals of increasing park use, access, and quality.

The submission form for the Health Equity Zone for Native Communities opened on March 18, 2024. Tribal and Urban Native communities from across Washington are encouraged to apply. One community will be selected by the Indigenous Advisory Panel in this pilot phase of the Initiative. 

The selected community will receive flexible funding of $200,000 per year for two years that can be used towards developing organizational infrastructure to support community decision-making, identifying health priorities, and developing culturally relevant strategies.

Sweetgrass grants support public health programs related to chronic disease prevention and management. Part of our Community Grants Program, Sweetgrass grants award up to four grants of $10,000 to urban Native health and human services organizations and to urban Indian organizations with programming focusing on Indigenous approaches to chronic disease.

Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Food Assistance (FA) is excited to announce the opening of applications for the fourth round of Resiliency Grants. To help address critical needs of hunger relief organizations across Washington, WSDA FA is offering the Resiliency Grants Program with at least $5.3 million in pass through state funding to eligible hunger relief organizations, including those not currently participating in FA core programs.

A new funding opportunity is available from the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) to provide housing navigation services for veterans experiencing homelessness in King County.

The Collective Grants are made on an annual basis. The application process begins with an online Letter of Inquiry (LOI), which opens in October of each year after our priorities have been announced at our Annual Meeting. Funding decisions are made and announced each June. Organizations selected for a WA Women’s Collective Grant Awards will be provided with a Letter of Understanding (LOU) that outlines the relationship between the foundation and the grantee. 

Stories and news from across the COO network as well as some of the impacts on systems and policy led by groups working to build community power and community health and well-being.

Stories and news from across the COO network as well as some of the impacts on systems and policy led by groups working to build community power and community health and well-being.

Reflections from the December All-Partner Convening - a day devoted to connection, learning, sharing, and restoration.

As Sarah transitions into an advisory role to the Learning Community from her COO Capacity Building design consultant lead role, COO reflects on a few of the things developed and delivered with Sarah’s leadership. Read more…  

The latest summary of Communities of Opportunity (COO) initiative news, events and updates

In this second part of the Commercial Affordability Summit recap, read about other current programs and models of commercial affordability and access to capital and support for small business and entrepreneurs: from those led by the City of Seattle such as Restored; to some of the most community rooted examples of commercial affordability projects.

With the Commercial Affordability Summit convening, COO sought to share what we learned from the pilot project, which concluded in 2022, and provide a platform for learning about additional strategies, models and programs that are currently being designed and implemented in support of an equitable and thriving small businesses environment and greater economic justice.

COO drives change through investing in the groups, models, infrastructure and connections that build community power — in COO’s Learning Community strategy, the initiative resources the infrastructure, sustained capacity, and spaces for strengthened connections for community organizations’ to build and pilot innovative work and operationalize equity.

Through this program, New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN), and its partners will deliver meticulously crafted capacity building courses and tailored hands-on technical assistance to fortify partnerships. These offerings are rooted in the understanding that creating enduring partnerships between economic development organizations and community-based organizations are essential to achieving lasting, equitable, and inclusive economic development strategies and funding coalitions.