Translate
Request for proposal: 2026 Uplift White Center community fund
- The King County Department of Local Services accepting applications for the Uplift White Center Community Fund until Sunday, October 11, at 11:59 p.m.
- We anticipate making final decisions by the end of 2026.
- All projects and contracts must end by December 31, 2027.
On this page
Program basics
There is approximately $1.1 million available in the Uplift White Center Community Fund. This community-led grantmaking process was designed by a Community Advisory Board of local leaders and residents to ensure that funding priorities, proposal guidelines, and decision-making reflect the voices and needs of the community.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible to apply, applicants must:
- Have an active Washington State business license and Federal Tax ID number/Employer Identification Number (EIN) and be in good standing prior to submission.
- Not be prohibited from receiving government funding or entering into contracts with government agencies.
- Benefit the unincorporated area of White Center/North Highline.
What will be funded?
| Community priority area | Examples of eligible activities |
|---|---|
| Youth and senior programs |
|
| Beautification and restoration |
|
| Community events |
|
| Public safety |
|
| Health and wellness |
|
| Economic development |
Programs that strengthen household and community economic stability, including rental assistance programs that provide direct assistance to community members experiencing housing cost burdens. |
| Workforce development |
|
| Sustainability and environment |
|
Funding available by priority area
- Applicants may request funding within the minimum and maximum award ranges shown below.
- Amounts shown in the following table represent the funding available for each priority area and are not guaranteed allocations.
- Actual awards will depend on the number and quality of eligible proposals received, available funding, and the number of proposals recommended for funding. Funds may be shifted between priority areas through the Contingency Funding process.
| Community Priority Area | Minimum Award | Maximum Award | RFP Fund Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth/senior programs | $25,000 | Up to $100,000 | $238,333 |
| Beautification/restoration | $50,000 | Up to $100,000 | $165,000 |
| Community events | $50,000 | Up to $137,500 | $137,000 |
| Public safety | $35,000 | Up to $128,333 | $128,333 |
| Health and wellness | $25,000 | Up to $80,000 | $119,167 |
| Economic development | $50,000 | Up to $119,167 | $119,167 |
| Workforce development | $50,000 | Up to $119,167 | $119,167 |
| Sustainability and environment | $25,000 | Up to $73,333 | $73,333 |
Additional funding consideration
- The funding amounts listed for each Community Priority Area represent planned funding pools, not guaranteed allocations.
- The final amount awarded within each priority area will depend on the number of eligible applications received, the strength of proposals, and available funding.
Contingency funding
- If funds remain after initial awards are made, unused funds will be moved into a contingency fund.
- These funds may be used to provide additional awards to eligible projects in funding areas where requests exceed the available funding, helping to ensure all available grant funds are awarded.
How funding decisions will work
- The final number of awards will depend on the proposals received, their funding needs, the review process, and available funds.
- Applicants should request the amount needed to successfully complete the proposed project, based on the cost of implementing (actual or estimated) rather than requesting a strategic number in the hopes of being selected.
Partial funding and project scope
- If sufficient funding is not available to fully fund a proposed project, the county may work with the applicant to adjust or reduce the project scope and budget, so the project can be implemented within the available funding.
Review process
This is a competitive grant process, with trained community members participating in the review, selection, and recommendation of proposals. The goal is to ensure public investments reflect community-identified priorities and needs while strengthening transparency, trust, and community power.
Rating criteria chart
| Rating Category | Weight | Primary Application Question | Guiding Question for Proposal Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community need | 18% | Question 3: What community need(s) are you addressing? | How does your project identify and meaningfully address a community need or opportunity in North Highline–White Center? |
| Community benefit | 26% | Question 4: What difference will this project make? | Who will benefit, what positive changes are expected, and how meaningful are the proposed benefits to the community? How does your project align with the Participatory Grantmaking Values? |
| Racial equity and inclusion | 18% | Question 4: What difference will this project make? | How does your project promote racial equity, address the harms of racism, and include communities most impacted by racism? |
| Community voice and leadership | 10% | Question 4: What difference will this project make? | To what extent are community members, particularly those most impacted by the identified need, meaningfully involved in shaping, leading, implementing, or evaluating the project? |
| Community trust | 9% | Question 4: What difference will this project make? | How does your project demonstrate accountability, transparency, respect for community knowledge, and a commitment to building or strengthening trust with the community? |
| Proposal quality | 9% | Question 5: How will you make the project happen? | Is your project clear, realistic, and achievable? |
| Budget appropriateness | 10% | Question 6: How much are you requesting and how will you use the funds? | Is your proposed budget reasonable and appropriate for the project activities, intended outcomes, and requested funding amount? |
Total: 100%
Technical assistance
There is technical assistance available during the application process:
Technical assistance providers
Please contact one of the available TA providers directly to schedule support for your proposal. This service is provided at no cost to you, and is offered first-come, first-served, so you will want to reach out early to ensure support is available directly to schedule support for your proposal. This service is provided at no cost to you, and is offered first-come, first-served, so you will want to reach out early to ensure support is available.
TA providers are available to assist you with developing and refining your:
- Project scope,
- Timeline
- Deliverables
- Budget
TA providers may not write or complete your application on your behalf. They can, however, provide guidance and support to help ensure your application is complete, clear, and responsive to the application requirements.
Community questions and answers
The information serves as the official response to Uplift White Center and Elevate Skyway Community Fund RFP questions. Questions can be directed to UKCPB@kingcounty.gov and will be responded to within 2 business days. We will update the question-and-answer webpage every Friday from 9/18 through 10/9 and any changes to previous questions/responses will be shown as “AMENDED”.
Ready to apply?
Please read all this information first and have your materials ready before starting the application.
Please note the online application will not save progress on your answers so you should have all your answers and materials ready before you start the online process.
Additional application items
- Participatory budgeting worksheet - Provides clear guidance on how to create, organize, and calculate a project budget for participatory budgeting, including examples, tables, and instructions.
- Application guidance - Provides guidance for people applying for the Uplift White Center Community Fund. It includes information about the grant as well as the application questions.