Grants of up to $1,500 to Washington nonprofit and for-profit organizations, groups, and individuals for projects that promote social justice, environmental stewardship, and community building in eligible locations. Funding is intended to support organizational needs such as start-up funding, public outreach, training, equipment, and special projects. Grants support progressive, community-oriented projects in Thurston County.
CSF considers applications that:
Are developed and led by residents of Thurston County
Operate in a democratic, nondiscriminatory manner that is responsive to the constituency served
Actively pursue cultural diversity in group composition
Actively work toward a more just and equitable world of ecological and economic balance and personal and social responsibility.
Commit to using the funds locally
CSF seeks to fund groups working in the following areas:
Social Justice: Racial Equity, Youth, LGBTQIA, Domestic Violence, Native Peoples, Elderly, Parenting & Child Care, Civil Liberties, Disarmament, Foreign Affairs
Community Building: Education, Economics, Communication, Arts & Culture, Public Health, Health Care, Transportation, Housing & Homelessness, Grassroots Democracy, Unemployed, Underemployed & Working Poor, Labor Issues, Spirituality, Sustainability
Environment: Environmental Defense, Agriculture, Animal Rights, Land Use Planning, Forestry, Energy, Water Quality, Waste & Recycling, Environmental Racism, Endangered Species
For additional priority areas, see Page 3 of the Guidelines in Supporting Documents.
Eligible applicants include:
• Tax-exempt Organization
• Unincorporated Group
• Individual
• For-Profit Business
Ineligible
CSF will generally not fund:
• Direct social service projects that are, or can be, funded by traditional funding sources (i.e., government agencies, United Way, major foundations, etc.)
• One-time artistic or cultural events that do NOT include community organizing or development as part of the work
• Ongoing organizational operating costs. You can request one-time operating (bridge) funding.
Pre-Application Information
Spring 2025 Grant Cycle
• Grant Cycle opens: Mon, March 17
• Application deadline: Mon, April 28, 11:59 pm
• Grants Committee meets: Wed, April 30
• Applicant interviews: Sat, May 10
Applicants who meet CSF’s minimum criteria are scheduled for 15-minute interviews on May 10. Please ensure that at least one representative from your project can attend as the verbal interview is an integral part of the decision-making process. Final consensus-based funding decisions are made following grant interviews, and award checks are distributed soon thereafter. All applicants will be notified of either the award or denial of funds.
It must be at least one year after receiving a prior grant award.
Before starting your grant application, please review
the funding source's website listed below for updates / changes / addendums /
conferences / LOIs.
