The Seattle Times Community Connect Grant

Empowering the growth of underrepresented businesses through marketing collaboration and advertising

We’re honored to announce the 2023 Community Connect grant recipients, who have been awarded a combined total of $300,000 in print and digital advertising, plus marketing consultation. This year’s recipients are:

Refine MD Northwest

Wellspring Family Services

Othello Station Pharmacy

Uplift Northwest

Shunpike Arts Collective

The Cat and Rabbitt Cake Shop

Auto Repair Transformation

United Indians of All Tribes Foundation

Japanese Cultural & Community Center

Tilth Alliance

The Community Connect grant is part of The Seattle Times’ commitment to increasing the visibility of our region’s underrepresented communities. By offering free marketing and advertising services, we hope to boost the profile of underrepresented local businesses and nonprofits to help them succeed.

Congratulations to this year’s awardees!

See last year’s 2022 grant recipients.

FAQ

Applications for the 2023 grant are closed. Interested in applying for next year's Community Connect Grant? Contact us.

This grant supports underrepresented local businesses and nonprofits with marketing and advertising services at no cost. Qualifying organizations will be awarded a grant that will go directly to Seattle Times advertising, including print or digital advertising, plus research and marketing consultation at no cost. The grant is solely for these advertising and consulting services and not intended for other uses. The awardees will be featured in a Branded Content article sponsored by Seattle Times Media Solutions.

Underrepresented businesses and nonprofits in the Seattle Designated Market Area (DMA) may apply. BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color)-owned organizations are especially encouraged to apply.

For the purposes of this grant, “underrepresented” is defined as African American, Black, Asian, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian, Latinx or Hispanic, South Asian, Arab, Native American, LGBTQ+, women and people with disabilities, with specific emphasis on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color). To qualify, an organization must be at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a person identifying as one or more of these underrepresented communities.

Religious and/or politically affiliated organizations do not qualify. Advertising and marketing services must adhere to Seattle Times policies, terms and conditions.

Yes. To qualify, organizations must be licensed in the state of Washington, registered with the Washington Secretary of State and licensed by the Washington State Department of Revenue.

Applications will be accepted from November 30, 2023 to December 31, 2023. Selections will be made and awarded by January 31, 2024. Selected organizations will be posted to this website.

Submitted applications will be reviewed by a Seattle Times Advertising committee, and finalists will be interviewed in January via a web call. Grant awardees will be chosen by a subcommittee of The Seattle Times Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, comprised of employee volunteers from throughout the company. Grant awardees will be assigned an Account Executive to guide their organization through the media buying process.

Grants will be designed to fit individual organization and marketing needs and goals but must be used within one calendar year of the grant award date, January 31, 2025.

Grant recipients will choose from pre-set advertising programs that can include print ads in The Seattle Times, digital ads on seattletimes.com and a Branded Content article profiling their organization’s story. The grant includes creative design and marketing consultation. Plans and ad schedules can be customized to meet the grant recipient’s needs. Our expert team will work with grantees to help determine which options best align with their needs and marketing goals.

The Seattle Times accepts truthful and legitimate advertising that complies with all state and federal laws. Advertising that we deem offensive and/or detrimental to individuals, groups or other organizations is not allowed. For more information, refer to our company policies, terms and conditions.

Please consult with your tax professional on how grants impact your individual business tax returns.

Interested in applying for next year's Community Connect Grant?

Contact Us
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