Waste-Free Communities Matching Grant
Application Deadline: April 24, 2026
SPU's Waste-Free Communities Matching Grant launched in 2018. We have funded five grant cycles to support community-initiated and led waste prevention projects.
Waste prevention means creating less waste by buying and using less, using reusable items, and sharing or donating items so others can use them. When we prevent waste, we help the environment, protect public health, build community, and save money.
The 2026 grant opportunity will focus on textile waste prevention projects that provide job training and employment opportunities for refugee and immigrant women.
Textile waste includes unused, unwanted, or discarded textile materials from the production, use, and disposal of products. Examples of products made from textiles include clothing, shoes, furniture upholstery, carpet, rugs, curtains, bedding, towels, bags, and tents.
Textile recycling is challenging and not widely available yet, so most textile waste ends up in the landfill. The 2025 Waste-Free Communities Grant will support the growth of textile waste prevention efforts in Seattle to keep textiles from becoming waste in the first place.
Funding:
- We have a total fund of $300,000 to award for 2026
- Grant requests may range from $50,000 to $150,000 per project
- There will be no match requirements in 2026
- Grant awards are paid on a reimbursement basis
Learn about projects we funded in past grant cycles.
Schedule
Applications Due: April 24, 2026
Notice of Decisions: May 2026
Agreements with the City signed: June 2026
Work Completed & Invoiced: July 2027
Who should apply
- Nonprofit organizations
- Businesses
- Schools, colleges, and universities
- Institutions (such as health care or housing)
What we fund
1. Activities must increase textile waste prevention and reuse. We do not fund projects focused on textile recycling.
2. Activities must take place within Seattle city limits or have a direct impact on textile waste in Seattle.
3. Activities must provide job training or employment opportunities to refugee and immigrant women.