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Community Foundation of South Puget Sound opens Project Connect mini‑grants for neighborhood projects
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Summary
Mindy Ruhly, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, announced the second year of Project Connect mini‑grants at a Community Conversation in Olympia, encouraging neighborhood‑led projects (community dinners, art, tool lending, civic education) to apply; the foundation thanked sponsors and media partner General Interest TVW.
Mindy Ruhly, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound, used the foundation’s Community Conversation event in Olympia to announce that the second year of Project Connect mini‑grants opened for applications this week.
Ruhly described Project Connect as small grants intended to "spark connection, give people a reason to work on something together, and to help build belonging." She listed past grant uses — collaborative art projects, community dinners, civic education programs at libraries and a tool‑lending initiative — and encouraged local groups to check the foundation’s website for details and apply.
Ruhly thanked sponsors that made the event possible, citing Heritage Bank, the city of Olympia, Panorama, Port Blakely, Puget Sound Energy and South Puget Sound Community College, and identified TVW as the media partner recording the program. (Transcript reference: presenter pronounced TVW as "TV w"; official partner name provided in the event materials is General Interest TVW.)
Why it matters: Project Connect targets hyperlocal, resident‑led work that organizers say can build social ties and produce measurable local benefits without depending exclusively on large external grants. The program is positioned as a practical complement to the keynote's emphasis on small, actionable projects that communities can own.
Next steps: Ruhly noted a local bookstore would host a brief book signing and reminded attendees that Project Connect applications were open; the transcript did not specify grant sizes, eligibility limits or application deadlines.
