This press release is available in 11 languages: Amharic, Dari, French, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
The Port of Seattle will award $850,000 to 18 community-led organizations with projects that improve the environment in communities around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), extending to Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, Kent Valley, and the Duwamish Valley. The funding, awarded to the largest number of organizations to date, is provided through the South King and Port Communities Fund Environmental Improvements Program, which supports projects that expand access to green space, restore natural habitats, and promote environmental education in historically underserved communities.
“These investments put resources directly in the hands of community organizations that are leading solutions on the ground in communities near the airport,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa. “This fund is a reflection of our commitment to addressing the environmental needs of our neighboring communities.”
The Environmental Improvements Program (EIP) — formerly the Environmental Grants Program — invites community-led groups to apply for funding for activities such as:
- Habitat and park restoration and tree planting
- Environmental education programs
- Park or playground enhancements
- Public art installations with an environmental focus
Through funding and partnerships with community-based organizations, the Environmental Improvements Program (EIP) supports projects in communities that have been historically overlooked due to inequitable land use practices and displacement. The EIP allows the Port to invest in cities around the airport, extending to Kent Valley, Duwamish Valley, Rainier Valley, and Beacon Hill and fund projects led by those most familiar with their community’s needs.
The Port offers multi-year awards to applicants for projects spanning one, two, or three years, up to $20,000 per year and up to $60,000 for multi-year funding. Multi-year funding increases the impact of the Port’s community investments and helps to support sustainable project planning and implementation.
“Your Money Matters is honored to partner with the Port of Seattle and Auburn Parks and Recreation through the South King and Port Communities Fund’s Environmental Improvements Program to empower young people to lead meaningful environmental change in their own community,” said Your Money Matters Executive Director Clinton Taylor. “This project is about more than restoring a neglected public space, it is about investing in BIPOC youth as environmental stewards, leaders, and future professionals in the green economy. Through hands-on restoration, native planting, and ongoing site care, our youth will help transform this area into a vibrant and sustainable community asset that reflects pride, resilience, and opportunity for Auburn residents for years to come.”
Expanding community investment
In 2024, the Port of Seattle Commission authorized $14 million, an increase from $10 million the previous five years, to continue South King and Port Communities Fund (SKPCF) community-led projects that advance equity, environmental improvements, and access to jobs in port-related industries. Since its launch in 2020, the program has revolutionized how the Port works with communities to improve access to funding opportunities. SKPCF investments have fostered new partnerships with BIPOC-led, community-based organizations and increased support of structurally excluded communities of color.
The 2025-2029 funding cycles include:
- Reducing the match requirement for recipient organizations from 3:1 to 2:1, according to Washington state law, lowering the barrier for community-led projects
- Expanding the eligible geographic region to include areas of South King County, the Duwamish Valley, and Beacon Hill that the Port of Seattle’s Equity Index identifies as having disparities
- Continuing to prioritize the Port’s commitment to the six near-airport cities and identifying how applications for projects in those cities will receive priority status
Beyond the 18 organizations now receiving funds, eight organizations are continuing work on environmental projects in Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, Seatac, and Tukwila through the program's multiyear funding option.
2026 EIP recipients
Here’s more about the organizations and programs selected to receive funding.
Bridging Cultural Gaps — $60,000 to connect immigrant and refugee youth to nature to restore and activate public green spaces in SeaTac, Burien, and Tukwila, facilitating belonging and cultural wellness
Dirt Corps — $60,000 in funding goes toward its Outdoor Innovators Program which will work with youth leaders to restore Hilltop Park in Burien
Duwamish River Community Coalition — $60,000 to fund Duwamish Valley art installations in public areas supporting traffic safety
Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association (DVSA) — $60,000 to install flood mitigation measures as a model of community resilience in the Duwamish Valley
Earthgen — $60,000 to support the restoration and maintenance of stormwater projects in partnership with Highline and Renton school districts; the projects take place in Burien, SeaTac, Renton, and Normandy Park
Environmental Science Center — $60,000 to the Beach Heroes Program, which facilitates beach cleanup and restoration at Seahurst Park through community events and education focused on children and young people in South King County
Food Forest Collective — $60,000 to support soil remediation and garden maintenance at Food Forest Community Garden in Beacon Hill
Highline Homeschool Program — $5,000 for the Sensory Garden and Native Plant Nature Trail Project in Des Moines
New Start Community Garden — $19,000 in funding for an art installation in the Shark Garden in Burien to improve safety and access
Partner In Employment — $60,000 supports its Youth Restoration Crew which organizes park cleanup efforts in SeaTac, Burien, and Federal Way
Rainier Beach Action Coalition — $60,000 supports cleanup and restoration work in public areas throughout the Rainier Valley/South Beacon Hill area
Renton Art Oasis — $5,000 funds a Cedar River salmon mural installation in Renton
River Access Paddle Program — $60,000 to support the Back to the River Program, facilitating community paddling, mental health, and water stewardship on the Duwamish River
Tilth Alliance — $60,000 in funding for the South King County Garden Project, which supports community garden stewardship in Tukwila and Burien
Troop 361 — $1,000 to create a bee pollinator program at Hylebos Blueberry Farm Park in Federal Way
Trust for Public Land — $60,000 to enhance public amenities at Legacy Park in Renton
Your Money Matters — $60,000 to support the Fresh Groundz program that engages youth to revitalize neglected public land in Auburn
Youth Experiential Training Institute (Y.E.T.I.) — $60,000 to support youth-led cleanup and restoration projects in the Highline and Tukwila school districts; projects will take place in Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila, and Des Moines
About the South King and Port Communities Fund (SKPCF)
The Port established the South King County Community Impact Fund (now South King and Port Communities Fund) in 2019 to develop equity-based partnerships and provide resources and support to historically underserved, ethnically and culturally diverse near-airport communities. From 2020 to 2024, the SKCCIF launched four cycles of the Economic Recovery (now Economic Opportunities for Communities) program and the Environmental Grants (now the Environmental Improvement) program, to fund community-led projects that create pathways to training and well-paying jobs, and to fund environmental improvements. Since the fund’s inception, more than 50 organizations have received a total of $9.25 million, which has funded over 80 projects.
