$5,000 grants for folks connecting Northwest Arkansas
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 $5,000 and other resources to continue doing their important work. It’s quick and easy.
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
Who is eligible?
A local advisory group from Northwest Arkansas will choose twenty weavers to receive $5,000 each. For someone to be considered for an Award they need to:
- Be 18 or older
- Live and serve in Washington or Benton County
- Have a project that helps connect neighbors and fosters relationships between them
- If the project is part of an organization, the organization must have an annual budget below $250,000
- Welcome any neighbor who wants to participate in their initiative
What makes a good candidate for a Weaver Award?
We are looking for folks that get neighbors together to tackle a shared issue in their community. It can be anything from a youth mentorship program to park cleanups to a music program. The project must also welcome anyone who wants to join it and foster relationships between participants.
The folks who received a 2025 NWA Weaver Awards have initiatives that bring neighbors together around food, art, entrepreneurship, storytelling, and mental health, among many others. You can meet all twenty 2025 NWA Weaver Awardees 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.
Community Advisors
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Kelly Dundon
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Community Advocate
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Orson Weems
Nonprofit Executive, Community Advocate
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Beatriz Segura
Founder, B Magic Craft Hands & Community Advocate
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Rhonda Ellis
Certified Workplace Wellbeing Coach
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Karen Leibowitz
Backroom/Community activist
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Dorothy Cardiel
Community and Veterans Advocate
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Yolanda Fields
Community Advocate
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Meredith Chapuis
CEO, For the Love
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Sarah Saragusa
Licensed Social Worker; Community Advocate
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Deven Daehn
Chief Impact Officer, Granted
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Sam Ash
Community Advocate
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Mariana Osorio
Community Advocate
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Javier Hernandez
Community Advocate
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Shaden Dowiatt
Weaving NWA, Sr. Associate, Community Engagement
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April Kennedy
Weaving NWA Associate, Community Engagement
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Kristyn Feldman
Weaving NWA, Manager, Local Community Partnerships
FAQ
What are the Weaver Awards?
The Weaver Awards recognize 20 people from Benton and Washington counties who are leading efforts in their community to address local needs with $5,000 grants.
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 Washington or Benton County and be 18 or older. You don’t have to be part of a nonprofit organization.
To receive a grant from Weave: The Social Fabric Project, applicants must be able to provide the tax identification number and corresponding physical address of the individual or organization that is applying for the grant.
How do I nominate someone for a Weaver Award?
You can recommend a neighbor or community member in less than 10 minutes on this page, starting April 1st, 2026. To nominate someone, you must be 18 and older and live in Benton or Washington 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 a video instead of a written application. And when you get an award, you don’t have reports to file. You check in every month with a local NWA community liaison who helps you remove obstacles and complete your project.
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 grants.
How do you apply and what's the deadline?
Completed applications with nominations have to be submitted by May 16th, 2026 through the 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 weavenwa@aspeninstitute.org and we’ll respond as soon as possible.
What happens after I submit my application?
A group of Northwest Arkansas local advisors will review and select the Weaver Awardees. In the meantime, keep in touch with us at https://weavers.org/weaving-nwa/ to stay connected, join a Coffee & Conversations group, attend a weaver skills session, and meet weavers like you from across NWA.
How do I tell others in my community about the Awards?
Spread the word by sharing the Awards home page at awards.weavers.org/nwa/ to folks you know and through your social accounts.
Have additional questions?
Contact us at weavenwa@aspeninstitute.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 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.