Seven grantees were announced through a $5.5 million investment to advance Tribal sovereignty and Indigenous leadership
SEATTLE, WASH. [April 14, 2026]— Today, Seattle Foundation, in partnership with the City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment, announced the grantees selected for the First Peoples Climate Fund, a landmark $5.5 million investment that places Indigenous sovereignty, leadership, and ancestral knowledge at the heart of climate action.
At an event hosted by both Seattle Foundation and the City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment, a moderated panel conversation recognized Tribes and Indigenous-led organizations advancing community-centered climate solutions across the Greater Seattle and Puget Sound regions. City leaders, Tribal representatives, and grantees spoke about how this community-driven fund is reshaping climate investments by directing resources to Native communities most affected by the climate crisis, while also honoring generations of stewardship and expertise that have protected the region’s land.
The Fund follows a community-driven process that centers the voices and expertise of federally recognized Tribes and Native leaders in the Seattle area. It supports existing projects, provides technical assistance, and invests in a range of climate strategies that prioritize Tribal and Native leadership in addressing the region’s climate challenges. The First Peoples Climate Fund was launched to honor and support this leadership in Greater Seattle and the Puget Sound region.
The selected recipients of the First Peoples Climate Fund and their projects are:
- Snoqualmie Tribe whose work will advance technical support and conceptual planning to help identify and envision river and floodplain habitat restoration, along with other high-priority land uses. Their project will also advance their Comprehensive Climate Action Plan through implementation of building decarbonization and energy conservation measures.
- Suquamish Tribe will work towards the design and implementation of projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Suquamish tribal government buildings.
- Cattail Rising will expand and unify their land-based, intertribal youth programs into a coordinated climate justice and leadership network.
- yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective will transform their Rainier Beach site into a resilience hub and Indigenous Arts Campus in South Seattle that integrates art, cultural practice, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge to advance climate adaptation, environmental stewardship, and Indigenous well-being.
- Feed Seven Generations will advance Native climate leadership by supporting culturally rooted food and land stewardship practices and addressing environmental health inequities through community-driven approaches grounded in Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
- Seattle Indian Services Commission will develop an Indigenous-designed, relationship-based ecosystem that connects Native workers and entrepreneurs to wealth-building initiatives, strengthening economic opportunity and closing wealth gaps in the urban Native community.
- Chief Seattle Club will transform Monterey Lofts into sustainable, culturally affirming workspace that advances climate justice for urban Native people in Seattle. This initiative will deliver energy-efficient upgrades improving health outcomes, and strengthen services for urban Native community members experiencing homelessness.
Today’s celebration was attended by Mayor of Seattle Katie Wilson and Alesha Washington, President & CEO, Seattle Foundation. Additional attendees and event speakers included Lindsay Goes Behind, Chief Impact Officer of Seattle Foundation; Matt Remle of Seattle’s Green New Deal Oversight Board; and Lylianna Allala, Acting Director, City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment
“This fund reflects Seattle’s commitment to working in partnership with Tribal governments and supporting Native communities. We are honored to invest in Indigenous leadership and showcase through action how governments and philanthropic partners can come together to support climate solutions rooted in cultural knowledge, community wellbeing, and generations of care for this region,” shared Mayor of Seattle, Katie Wilson.
“At Seattle Foundation, we are focused on building a joyful community of shared prosperity, belonging, and justice,” shared Alesha Washington, President & CEO, Seattle Foundation. “We center joy in our work because it has the capacity to hold beauty and chaos. It allows us to move forward, together, even when the work is hard. That’s what makes today special, as it is one of those moments where purpose, partnership, and possibility come together.”
The First Peoples Climate Fund supports the City’s commitment outlined in the 2025 Tribal Nations Summit to strengthen relationships with Tribal governments and support urban Native communities. Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment partnered with Seattle Foundation to co-develop the Fund’s grantmaking process and administer the $5.5M available for grants. The idea for this Fund was sourced from a budget recommendation put forward by Seattle’s Green New Deal Oversight Board.
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Seattle Foundation is a community foundation that works to advance equity, shared prosperity, and belonging throughout the region while strengthening the impact of the philanthropists it serves. Founded in 1946, we continue to evolve to be the organization our community needs. With more than $1.2 billion in assets, we work with partners to provide effective advising, education, and experiential learning for our philanthropists interested in making a difference both at home here in Seattle and around the world. For those interested in learning more, please visit: https://www.seattlefoundation.org/about-us/.
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