Neighborhood Matching Fund

In response to COVID-19, all City departments, including Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, are shifting and focusing our work and efforts toward supporting our community, including our most vulnerable residents. For this reason, the Neighborhood Matching Fund's (NMF) Small Sparks and Community Partnership Funds are on pause until further notice.

Our Neighborhood Matching Fund staff is available Monday through Friday from 8am - 4pm. Our team can be reached by phone or email to assist with inquiries during these hours. To contact us, call (206) 233-0093 with any with questions or concerns. 

In 1988, the Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) was created to provide matching dollars for neighborhood improvement, organizing, or projects developed and implemented by community members. Central to NMF is the community match which requires awardees to match their award with contributions from the community whether as volunteer time, donated materials, donated professional services, or cash.  

Since NMF's creation, more than 5,000 community projects throughout Seattle have received over $64 million in funding and generated an additional $72 million from community match.

Who We Fund

Neighborhood groups, community organizations, informal groups, and business groups who want to do a project to build stronger community connections are encouraged to apply.

All applicant groups must be open and inclusive, actively engage diverse community members, and be significantly composed of people who live and/or work in Seattle.

What We Fund

We fund a variety of unique and creative community projects. To be eligible for funding, a project must:

• involve community members in creating and completing the project; 
• create community improvements;
• be free and open to all members of the public;
• be feasible and ready to begin within 1-2 months from the award date;
• demonstrate community match;
• occur within the Seattle city limits;
• not have received NMF funding within the last two years. (applies only to events)

Types of Funding