$2,500 or $5,000 awards for folks connecting Marion County

Some people weave us together. They are the folks most people know and trust, those we count on to get neighbors together when we need to tackle a shared problem or get something done. They show up for others and connect us. They are weavers.

You probably are one of them or know a weaver. Let’s recognize and help them get $2,500 or $5,000 and other resources to continue doing their important work.

Health by Design is partnering with the Aspen Institute's Weave: The Social Fabric Project to recognize 20 individuals and groups in Marion County who are building trust, belonging, and connection!

The Weaver Awards are designed to celebrate and support weavers—everyday neighbors who are building relationships, strengthening belonging, and weaving trust into the social fabric of their communities.

Does this sound like you or someone you know? Nominate or apply now!

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?

The Weaver Awards are part of a constellation of activities designed to celebrate and support weavers—everyday neighbors who are building relationships, strengthening belonging, and weaving trust into the social fabric of their communities. The $2,500 and $5,000 awards for neighbors working together are easy to apply for, require only simple reporting, and can go to individuals or small organizations with annual operating budgets of less than $250,000.

Why are we launching the Weaver Awards in Central Indiana?

Health by Design is dedicated to creating healthier, more connected communities. The Weaver Awards focus on strengthening social trust, belonging, and civic connection is in direct alignment with this goal.

We have always relied on Weavers to do our work - the community champions ingrained in their neighborhood who recognize a need and bring others together to make a change. By bringing this opportunity to Marion County, Health by Design is able to provide much needed support directly to the individuals already working to create healthy, thriving, and connected communities.

What will you get if you become a Weaver Awardee?

Each Weaver Awardee will receive a financial award of either $2,500 or $5,000 to celebrate and recognize their contributions to their community. In addition, each awardee will receive:

Local and National Recognition: Awardees will be recognized both locally and nationally by the Aspen Institute alongside weavers from across the country.
Learning Resources and Tools: Awardees will access learning resources and opportunities.
1:1 Support: Awardees will receive 1:1 support to implement their community-based activities.
Networks and Connections: Awardees will access a network of other local weavers and participate in regular meetings and networking events.

Who is eligible?

For someone to be considered for an Award they need to:

• Be 18 or older
• Live and serve in Marion County
• Have a project that helps connect neighbors and fosters relationships between them
• The project is open to anyone in the community
• The project addresses a shared need in the community
• If the project is part of an organization, the organization must have an annual budget below $250,000
• Have a community recommendation from a community member who lives in the area you serve.

What makes a good candidate for a Weaver Award?

Weaving 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

We are looking for people and organizations with projects or initiatives that reflect these qualities. We are looking for folks that get neighbors together to tackle a shared issue in their community. The project must also welcome anyone who wants to join it and foster relationships between participants.

For examples of past weavers and their projects, click here.

How can you use the funds?

We believe that weavers know best how to use the funds to connect their communities. However, we do have a few restrictions:

Funds may not be used for:

• Regranting funds
• Large sums for items that are not for community use (i.e. building supplies for private use)
• Purchasing items that would be donated to individual people (i.e. wheelchairs)
• Tuition or certification fees

You can see a sample budget, as an example, here.

Who selects the Weaver Awardees?

Health by Design, in partnership with a local advisory group made up of local community advocates, will choose the Awardees. These are people who know the spirit of our community and its neighborhoods. They care about weaving a strong social fabric and they know what it takes to do so.

The Advisory Panel not only engages diverse community opinion in the awards process, but also distributes power and decision-making across a group of local advocates.

FAQ

What are the Weaver Awards?

The awards are for individuals and small groups doing a project that brings people together, foster relationships with one another, and addresses a shared need in the community. The Awards are not intended for large organizations, though people who work for an organization can apply as long as their organization has an annual budget under $250,000. To get an award, you have to live and work in Marion County and be 18 or older. You don’t have to be part of a nonprofit organization.

How do I nominate someone for a Weaver Award?

Nominating someone is very simple. You only need to answer three questions that can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. You can access the nomination form on this page, starting on June 22, 2026. To nominate someone, you must be 18 and older and live, work or learn in Marion County. Once you submit the nomination, the person you are recommending will be notified via email and has to fill out some additional information for their application to be completed. Please let them know that you’ve nominated them for a Weaver Award so they are expecting an email from us.

How long does it take to complete the application process?

The application has two parts, the nomination by a neighbor and the application by the aspiring Awardee. Each part can be completed in as little as 30 minutes and you can even submit video recordings instead of a written application.

Do you have to be attached to a nonprofit to get an Award?

No. Anyone can get the Award. You don’t have to have a formal organization. Weaver Awards are meant for those who don’t have the time, experience, or resources to apply for traditional awards.

How do you apply and what's the deadline?

Completed applications with nominations have to be submitted by August 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET through the Central Indiana Weaver Awards application website. You can apply or recommend someone through the links in this page.

I’m having trouble completing the application or recommendation form, what should I do?

Send an email to centralindiana@weavers.org and we’ll respond as soon as possible.

What happens after I submit my application?

A group of local advisors will review and select the Weaver Awardees. In the meantime, keep in touch with us at https://awards.weavers.org/en/centralin/2026 to stay connected or attend one of our Community Walk and Weave events.

How do I tell others in my community about the Awards?

Spread the word by sharing the Awards home page at https://awards.weavers.org/en/centralin/2026 to folks you know and through your social accounts.

Have additional questions?

Contact us at centralindiana@weavers.org and we’ll be happy to answer them!

If I'm submitting a video application, can I submit only one video?

No, you need to submit a video for each question that requires a video response. It’s the best way to make sure that the judges properly evaluate your answers. Please make sure you respect the guidelines of time limits. We only allow a maximum of 2 minutes per video response.

About Health by Design

Health by Design collaborates across sectors and disciplines to ensure communities in Indiana and beyond have neighborhoods, public spaces, and infrastructure that promote healthy, active living.

We work at the intersection of public health and the built enviroment. The built environment, consisting of transportation systems and land use patterns, has both direct and indirect impacts on public health.

By advocating for and implementing policy, systems and environmental change strategies that address the built environment, Health by Design strives to impact individual, population and community health.

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.