Washington Climate Corps Network awards $400,000 in grants for service projects building climate resilience

OLYMPIA—Serve Washington’s Washington Climate Corps Network (WCCN) has awarded $400,000 in grants to four community-based organizations in Pierce, San Juan, Spokane, and Thurston County. This funding announcement brings the total 2025 WCCN Awards to $1,497,000 with 11 organizations.

WCCN programs support climate-related service opportunities in “overburdened communities” — areas where populations face combined, multiple environmental harms and health impacts. People serving in WCCN programs will work on projects providing regenerative farming, shoreline restoration, and more across Washington.

WCCN accepts applications for grant funding on an ongoing basis. Anyone interested in applying for funding should visit the WCCN webpage for instructions.

Organizations receiving grants

In October, the following organizations received a WCCN grant award:

Garden-Raised Bounty (GRuB): $60,000 (Thurston County)

GRuB will increase climate-resiliency in the south Puget Sound region by expanding regenerative agricultural practices and community education of climate impacts on an educational 3-acre non-profit farm based in Olympia. Service project participants, known as architects, will grow culturally relevant, drought-tolerant crops that meet community food needs while adapting to hotter, drier summers. These practices will be shared with low-income gardeners and small-scale farmers through hands-on workshops and presentations, ensuring that climate-resilient farming knowledge and tools are accessible to those most impacted by food insecurity and climate change.

“These funds will make it possible to keep growing our climate resilience now and in the future, and give us the ability to pass on the knowledge and tools to the greater community.” – Clare Follman, GRuB Grants & Outreach Coordinator

San Juan Islands Conservation District: $75,000 (San Juan County)

The Islands Conservation Corps, in partnership with the Lummi Nation’s Coast Salish Guardians program, will implement a range of service projects focused on restoration issues, most notably forest health, wildfire risk mitigation, riparian, and near shore restoration. This unique investment supports Tribal-based restoration crews to grow and practice traditional ecological knowledge in the field of land management. Architects will gain training and education for a broad range of ecological restoration projects that utilize planning and training from both western science and Indigenous sciences.

Making A Difference Foundation (MADF): $90,000 (Pierce County)

WCCN funds will expand two programs empowering BIPOC farmers and at-risk youth through sustainable agriculture, improving food and water security, and building long-term community resilience. Architects will implement drought-resilient infrastructure such as drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting systems, while delivering training on sustainable water management and climate justice. This initiative will reduce agricultural water use, enhance technical capacity in marginalized communities, and promote equitable access to climate adaptation resources for microenterprise farmers, young adults, and low-income families across Pierce County.

“With the support of two WCCN Architects, we are now able to implement water-saving agricultural systems and provide training that promotes equity, sustainability, and long-term environmental stewardship. Even in these early stages, this partnership is already expanding our ability to build real climate resilience in Pierce County.” — Ahndrea Blue, President/CEO, Making A Difference Foundation

Vets on the Farm: $175,000

Upper Columbia Conservation Restoration Council (doing business as Vets on the Farm) will implement a dual-impact project combining regenerative agriculture training and pollinator habitat restoration to build climate resilience in Spokane County. The primary goals are to equip veterans and underserved young adults with practical green job skills, improve on-farm water efficiency, and strengthen the community’s food and ecosystem security. The project advances climate resilience by integrating climate-smart growing techniques—such as low-emission production, water conservation, soil health management, and pollinator support—into daily farm operations and community education. The project will be hosted on a veteran-owned farm with public education events on topics of local food resilience, waste diversion, and climate-resilient practices for agricultural entrepreneurs.