$2,500 awards for folks connecting the Greater Capital Region

Some people weave us together. They are the folks most people know and trust, those we count on to bring 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.

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 awards are easy to apply for, require only simple reporting, and can go to individuals or small nonprofit organizations with operating budgets <$250,000.

Why are we launching the Weaver Awards in NYS Greater Capital Region?

These awards align with United Way’s long-standing commitment to collaboration, convening, and our investment in relationships as infrastructure integral to positive change.

We believe that the leaders we need are already here. Our work, as a Community Host, is to identify them, support them, learn from them, honor them as exemplars, and connect them.

We are excited to connect our weavers to communities across the country to build solidarity and to braid their actions, their hopes for community, and their vision of how we can support each other into a new social fabric. In this way we will stitch a social fabric that is made stronger by the diversity, perspectives, and experiences it includes.

What will you get if you become a Weaver Awardee?

Each Weaver Awardee will receive a financial award of $2,500 a 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:

• Trainings and skills shares to support weaving
• Online learning resources (e.g., Weaving Us)

Cohort Network and Connections:

• Awardee celebration
• Onboarding
• Networking opportunities
• Cohort WhatsApp group
• Private group on Weaving Us (the Aspen Institute Platform)

Who is eligible?

A link to United Way’s criteria will be included in the application so that prospective weavers are reminded to reference this criteria before starting their application.

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

For Individuals

• I live, work, or learn in the Greater Capital Region (Albany, Columbia, Greene, Fulton, Montgomery, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Rensselaer)
• I am at least 18 years old.
• My project does not support a political party or policy.
• My project welcomes all people.

For Groups/Organizations

• My organization operates in the Greater Capital Region.
• My organization’s annual budget is under $250,000.
• My project does not support a political party or policy.
• My project welcomes all people.

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 welcome anyone who wants to join it and foster relationships between participants.

For examples of past weavers and their projects in other parts of the country, 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

Please use this budget template. (Coming soon)

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

Who selects the Weaver Awardees?

A local advisory group, made up 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 a minimum of 20 people from across the Capital Region who are leading efforts in their community to address local needs with awards valued at $2,500.

Who can get a Weaver Award?

The awards are for individuals, small groups, and small non-profit organizations whose operating budgets who are doing a project that brings people together, builds relationships, 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 one of the 9 counties of the Capital Region and be 18 or older. You don’t have to be part of a nonprofit organization.

To receive an award, applicants must also list the zip codes in which they plan to host their programming.

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 15th. Nominations must be submitted before August 24th. To nominate someone, you must be 18 and older and live, work or learn in the Capital Region. You cannot self-nominate. You may not nominate a family member.

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 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.

How do you apply and what's the deadline?

Completed applications must be submitted by August 30th through the United Way of the Greater Capital Region Weaver Awards application website. The nomination period closes August 24th. You can apply or nominate someone through the links in this page.

Applications can be submitted as text OR as a videos. Separate videos must be uploaded for each question.

Please do not upload only 1 video.

Do not apply using a mix of video and text.

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

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

What happens after I submit my application?

A group of Greater Capital Region local advisors will review and select the Weaver Awardees. In the meantime, keep in touch with us at website.

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/nys/2026 to folks you know and through your social accounts.

Have additional questions?

Contact us at greatercapitalregion@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 United Way of the Greater Capital Region

For 100 years, United Way of the Greater Capital Region (UWGCR) has tackled complex social problems around Education, Income, Health, and Community Connectedness – the essential components of a thriving community. There’s no one way to create lasting, generational change. Instead of just addressing one issue, like hunger or homelessness, we take a 360-degree approach to identify the interconnectedness amongst the most pressing symptoms facing our community. Through granting and investing, capacity building, convening, and co-creation with grantees, partners and the public, we develop and apply innovative solutions to these most promising solutions.

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.

Contact Us

Contact us at greatercapitalregion@weavers.org and we will be happy to answer any questions.