Grants ranging from $2,500-$5,000 for Spartanburg residents connecting people in their community.
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/$5,000 and other resources to continue doing their important work.
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?
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
Why are we launching the Weaver Awards in Spartanburg?
- These awards align with our long-standing commitment to Spartanburg.
- We know so many local weavers whose work deserves greater visibility and support.
- Our community is ready for more connection, collaboration, and cross-neighborhood relationships.
- These awards will help us strengthen local leadership, deepen trust, and build a lasting culture of belonging.
- These awards will shine a light on the quiet leaders in our community and support the work they’re already doing to build trust, connection, and belonging.
What will you get if you become a Weaver Awardee?
Communications and Marketing Support:
- Professional headshots and group shots;
- Group and individual stories pitched to local radio, TV, and print media (with no guarantee of a story being picked up)
Learning Resources and Tools:
- How-to-guides and trainings to support weaving (e.g., Coffee and Conversation, Circles Process);
- Online learning resources (e.g., Weaving Us)
- Skill shares and training led by local experts (e.g., Grant Writing)
1:1 Support: Individualized capacity building and support (e.g., Event planning Support) for six-nine months.
Cohort Network and Connections:
- Awardee celebration
- Regular cadence of cohort meetings and networking opportunities
- Cohort WhatsApp group
- Private group on Weaving Us
- Cohort-focused Circles, Ask and Offer, Coffee and Conversation
Who is eligible?
For someone to be considered for an Award they need to:
- Be 18 or older
- Live and serve in Spartanburg 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?
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.
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?
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.
FAQ
What are the Weaver Awards?
The Weaver Awards recognize 20 people from Spartanburg County who are leading efforts in their community to address local needs with grants ranging from $2,500-$5,000.
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 Spartanburg 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 June 1, 2026. To nominate someone, you must be 18 and older and live in Spartanburg 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 NDG staff 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 5pm on August 21, 2026, through the Spartanburg 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 weave@spartanburgndg.com and we’ll respond as soon as possible.
What happens after I submit my application?
A group of Spartanburg Weaver Award local advisors will review and select the Weaver Awardees. In the meantime, keep in touch with us at awards.weavers.org/en/Spartanburg/2026 to stay connected, join a Coffee & Conversations group, attend a weaver skills session, and meet weavers like you from across Spartanburg.
How do I tell others in my community about the Awards?
Spread the word by sharing the Awards home page at awards.weavers.org/en/spartanburg/2026 to folks you know and through your social accounts.
Have additional questions?
Contact us at weave@spartanburgndg.com 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 Spartanburg Weaver Awards
As a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, our operations are funded and supported through partners, donors and volunteers.
We serve to encourage and manage the redevelopment of the City of Spartanburg’s Northside community, honoring its past and expanding the economic, educational, recreational, health, and social opportunities for its residents.
People of a strong community deserve safety both within their neighborhood and their own homes. Our goal is to help provide this through a variety of lighting and streetscape improvements.
Housing is also a key factor in the strength of a community. To ensure Northside families have safe structures in which to call home, we are working hard bring improved single and multi-family housing, both affordable and at market rate, to the Northside area.
Along with infrastructure and housing, strong communities need vital public and commercial assets for families to thrive. These include access to things like grocery stores, banking, retail, recreation outlets and quality schools.
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.
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.