$2,500 Awards For Weavers Connecting Community Across Fresno

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 and other resources to continue doing their important work.

For more information, join our Weaver Awards Info Session on Monday, June 15 from 5:30pm - 7:00pm! Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/a9CqWEBBQJy06F9hbZg9UQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

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 awards for neighbors working together are easy to apply for, require only simple reporting, and can go to individuals or small organizations.

Why are we launching the Weaver Awards in Fresno?

At Fresno DRIVE, we know that creating an economy for all is not possible, without everyone electing to band together. We also know how important trust and relationship-building are for propelling people to act and enabling collaboration in the first place. By recognizing the accomplishments of individual Weavers through the upcoming Weaver Awards, we are honoring the community strengths that exist outside of DRIVE, lighting sparks of hope, and hopefully inspiring more residents to weave across their neighborhoods. When we are unified, we can achieve an economy where everyone can thrive.

What will you get if you become a Weaver Awardee?

Each Weaver Awardee will receive a financial award of $2,500 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 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 selects the Weaver Awardees?

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

A list of our local advisory group members is provided below.

Who is eligible?

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

• Be 18 or older
• Live and serve in Fresno
• 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?

Weavers are people who:

• Recognize the dignity in every person
• Strengthen relationships across differences
• Focus on shared needs and local strengths
• Make and keep commitments to others
• Invest time in meaningful connection

Weavers often know their neighborhoods deeply and are known and trusted in return. They reach out to neighbors who may feel isolated or unseen and understand that lasting change often begins close to home. Weaving is less about status or title and more about posture—showing up consistently and creating spaces where others feel they belong.

How can I 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.

We also require that you hold onto receipts and proof of any purchases made using the awarded funds until 2029, in case of an audit.

About Central Valley Community Foundation & Fresno DRIVE

Central Valley Community Foundation is a trusted partner in local philanthropy dedicated to supporting big and lasting change across our region. As the only nationally accredited community foundation serving Merced, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, and Kings counties, we bring together the vision of community members, the dedication of nonprofits, and the generosity of donors.

Fresno DRIVE is on a mission to create our economy that works for every Fresnan. Because the economy is made by people, it’s something we can shape, through our participation in decision-making, through the choices we make each day, and by how we show up for one another. Our initiatives invest in People, Place, and Prosperity so that everyone can shape and benefit from Fresno’s economy.

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

What are the Weaver Awards?

The Weaver Awards recognize 20 people from Fresno who are leading efforts in their community to address local needs with $2,500 awards.

Who can get a Weaver Award?

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 Fresno and be 18 or older. You don’t have to be part of a nonprofit organization.

If selected as an Awardee by CVCF & Fresno DRIVE, individuals must be able to provide a W-9. Organizations must be able to provide DOJ certification or a fiscal sponsor.

Community Advisors

• 

  Dr. Venise Curry

  Community Advocate

• 

  Gwen Morris

  San Joaquin Valley Black Communications Network

• 

  Deiglis Delgado-Wells

  Community Engagement Coordinator | Lowell CDC

• 

  Katie Paj Yeeb Moua

  Director of Programs | Hmong Innovating Politics