Some People Hold Denver Together.
Some people weave us together. The Weavers Awards are how we say thank you - and make sure they can keep going. They are the ones most of us know and trust — the neighbor who gets people together when something needs to get done, who shows up across difference, and who makes sure no one gets left behind. They’re WEAVERS.
You probably know one. You might even be one.
Denver Civic COLab (a partnership between Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC) and University of Denver has been selected by Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute, to put $2,500 behind the work they’re already doing or support a new idea a weaver has to get off the ground.
What is weaving?
Weaving is the practice of building meaningful relationships that set the conditions for social trust to grow in communities.
It begins with a simple commitment: to see one another as equal in dignity, even when experiences and viewpoints differ.
Weaving invites people to:
- Discover what they have in common
- Learn how their differences can make the community stronger
- Work side by side toward common good.
Weaving can be formal or informal, and it is characterized by four qualities:
- Local: It brings together people who share the same neighborhood, town, or region
- Mutual: It celebrates everyone’s contributions and creates opportunities for everyone to both give and receive
- Welcoming: It invites people to join as they are
- Continuous: It builds relationships that deepen over time through ongoing engagement
What are the Weaver Awards?
Denver is full of people quietly making it better — the neighbor who checks on elders after a snowstorm, the block captain who turns strangers into friends, the organizer who makes sure no one gets left behind when things get hard. These are weavers. The Weaver Awards exist to find them, honor them, and fuel what they’re already doing.
Launched through Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute, the Weaver Awards are a national program designed to shine a light on the everyday community builders who prioritize relationships over transactions and belonging over busyness. They aren’t looking for the loudest voices or the biggest organizations — they’re looking for the people whose work holds neighborhoods together in ways that rarely make the news but matter enormously to the people around them.
Why are we launching the Weaver Awards in Mile High?
Denver is growing fast — and that growth has come with real costs to the connections that make neighborhoods feel like home. More than a third of Coloradans say they're not sure they truly belong here, and that uncertainty isn't felt equally.
Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC) has spent 50 years working across Denver's neighborhoods to make sure every community has a voice.
The Weaver Awards let us go deeper: finding and funding the individuals who are already rebuilding trust, one relationship at a time.
What will you get if you become a Weaver Awardee?
Being named a Weaver Awardee means your community sees what you’ve been doing — and wants to invest in more of it. Awardees receive a $2500 micro-grant to put toward their community-building work.
Beyond the grant, awardees receive public recognition through local and national media as part of a coordinated moment with Weave and Community Hosts across the country. They also join a broader network of weavers — people doing similar work in cities from coast to coast — with access to storytelling platforms, peer gatherings, and ongoing connection through the Weave community.
Who selects the Weaver Awardees?
The Mile High Weave Awards Advisory Council.
Applications will be reviewed by an advisory council made up of community partners who understand Denver’s neighborhoods and what impactful relationship-centered work looks like here on the ground. Reviewers score applications through a structured platform provided by the Aspen Institute, and INC makes final selections in partnership with that panel. The goal is to root the process in local knowledge — because the people who know Denver best are best positioned to recognize its weavers.
Who is eligible?
To be considered, applicants must:
- Be 18 or older
- Live and do their work in the City and County of Denver
- Have a project or initiative that brings neighbors together and builds relationships between them
- If the project is part of an organization, that organization must have an annual budget below $250,000
- Welcome any neighbor who wants to participate
- Coordinate efforts with a local Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO) or other neighborhood organization. Applicants may meet this criterion in a variety of ways, including but not limited to:
- Being an active member, leader, or participant in a Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO) (applying on behalf of the RNO)
- Collaborating with an RNO on the proposed project
- Receiving a letter of support, sponsorship or endorsement from an RNO or other neighborhood-based organization
- Demonstrating meaningful engagement with an RNO or neighborhood-based organization that supports the project (example: having RNO help get the word out about the project through social media, emails, event promotions ect)If a Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO) exists in your area, we encourage applicants to connect with their RNO as part of their work. Don’t know if your neighborhood has one? You can search Denver’s RNO directory at denvergov.org.
What makes a good candidate for a Weaver Award?
Think less about résumés and more about relationships. We’re looking for people who get neighbors together to tackle something they care about — it could be a youth mentorship program, a community garden, a mutual aid network, a cultural gathering, or something else entirely. What matters is that the work brings people together, builds real relationships, and is open to anyone who wants to join.
Strong candidates are often people who show up consistently and quietly — the ones who rarely seek recognition but whose neighbors couldn’t imagine the block, the building, or the community without them.
How can I use the funds?
Award funds are designed to support whatever your weaving work actually needs — not to fit a narrow definition of what community-building “should” look like. Whether that means hosting gatherings, deepening relationships across your neighborhood, supporting the time and logistics your work already requires, or expanding something that’s working — the intent is to resource you and what you’re already building. That said, there are a few restrictions.
Funds may not be used for:
- Regranting funds to others
- Large purchases for items not intended for community use (e.g. building supplies for personal or private use)
- Purchasing items to be donated to specific individuals (e.g. wheelchairs, personal equipment)
- Tuition or certification fees
About Denver Civic COLab
Denver Civic COLab (a partnership between Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation and the University of Denver ) is one of 25 Community Hosts selected nationwide in 2026 to lead a local Weaver Awards program.
About Weave: The Social Fabric Project
Weave: The Social Fabric Project is an initiative of the Aspen Institute dedicated to strengthening trust, connection, and belonging in communities across the United States. Weave supports everyday weavers—neighbors who show up for others, bridge divides, and build community. Through storytelling, online learning, community-building programs, and the Weaver Awards, Weave works to repair America’s social fabric from the ground up and lift up the people who are already leading this work in their neighborhoods. Learn more at weavers.org.
FAQ
Do I have to be part of a nonprofit to apply?
No. Anyone can apply. You don’t need a formal organization, a 501(c)(3), or any prior grant experience. Weaver Awards are specifically designed for community members who wouldn’t typically have access to traditional funding.
What if I work for an organization?
You can still apply as long as your organization has an annual budget under $250,000. The award is meant to support your community-building work, not the organization’s operations broadly.
Do I need to be connected to an RNO?
No, but we encourage it. If a Registered Neighborhood Organization exists in your area, connecting with them can strengthen your application and help you tap into existing neighborhood networks. It’s not a requirement.
Can I submit a video instead of writing?
Yes. You can submit a short video response (up to 2 minutes per question) in place of written answers. Each question that requires a response needs its own video.
What happens after I submit?
A local advisory group of Denver community members will review all applications and select awardees. In the meantime, stay connected with Denver INC and the broader weaving community through our events and gatherings.
Can I nominate more than one person?
Yes. You’re welcome to nominate multiple people. Each nomination is submitted separately.
What if I nominated someone - do they know?
Once you submit a nomination, the person you recommended will receive an email with instructions to complete their application. Please let them know in advance so they’re expecting it.
Do I have to use up the money by a certain date?
Answer forthcoming.
Community Advisors
-
Trupti Suthar
Community Connector
-
Mimi Luong
Community Builder and Entrepreneur
-
Patrick Walton
Director of Government & Community Affairs, Denver
-
Stephanie Laing
Director of Community Empowerment for Human Rights and Community Partnerships
-
Jeanne Granville
-
Stephanie O'Malley
-
DaZha Creal
-
Ean Tafoya
-
Micah Smith
-
Guiselle Torres