Weaver Awards
Northwest Arkansas 2025
$5000 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 welcome everyone 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.
Applications Open In:
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
- 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
What Makes a Good Nomination 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.
Here are some examples:
Charles lives in a neighborhood that was a food desert. He helped organize neighbors to rejuvenate a community garden and create a public park. Now kids and adults come by daily to farm and feed animals. Neighbors built friendships working together in the garden and over shared meals from the food they grew. The garden now provides 800 pounds of free vegetables, fruits, and 3,800 eggs to neighbors each year.
Takiyah is an assistant principal. She couldn’t get low-income parents involved with the school, until she found a way to get their kids engaged. The kids wanted to play team sports, but their families couldn’t pay for physicals and shoes. She removed the obstacles with help from neighbors. They reached out to families, got donations, and welcomed all kids to play. Now parents are coming to events and teacher meetings.
The Advisors
A local advisory group, made up mainly of Northwest Arkansas community advocates, chooses the Awardees. These are people who know the spirit of the community and its neighborhoods. They care about weaving a strong, inclusive social fabric and they know what it takes.
Lacey Bailey
Director Excellerate Foundation
Irma Chavez
Founder & Executive Director
Daniel Bennett
Professor of Political Science, John Brown University
Nick Cowan
Potter's House
Marson Nance
Director of Philanthropy, Northwest Arkansas Land Trust
Denice Nemec
Community Advocate
Karen Wageman
Artist/Community Engagement
Maria Lanning
Community Advocate + Relocation Consultant
Charli Bradshaw
Podcaster and Media Entrepreneur
Mike Spivey
Community Advocate
Katie Lausin
Community Advocate NWA Food Bank
Kelly Dundon
Social Worker and Community Advocate
Theresa James
Mental Health Professional
Andy Wilson
Podcaster & Servant Leader
Lyssie Koscheski
Community Advocate
Monica Kumar
Bridging & Belonging Strategist
FAQs
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.
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.
You can recommend a neighbor or community member in less than 10 minutes on this page, starting June 1st, 2025. 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.
The application has two parts, the nomination by a neighbor and the application by the aspiring Awardee. It can be done 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.
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.
Completed applications with nominations have to be submitted by July 13th, 2025 through the Weaver Awards application website. You can apply or recommend someone at: https://apply.awards.weavers.org.
Send an email to weaverawards@aspeninstitute.org and we’ll respond as soon as possible.
A group of Northwest Arkansas local advisors will review and select the Weaver Awardees in July 2025. 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.
Spread the word by sharing the Awards home page at awards.weavers.org/nwa/ to folks you know and through your social accounts. We make that easy by providing an image and suggested language in this social toolkit.
Contact us at weaverawards@aspeninstitute.org and we’ll be happy to answer them!
Contact Us
If you have questions about the Awards, want to partner, or have issues using this website, let us know. If you want to learn more about weavers across the US, visit weavers.org