Serving Algoma, Casco, Kewaunee, Luxemburg and all of Kewaunee County
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN – Applications for the 2026 Weaver Awards are open. Collaborators NeighborWorks Green Bay, The Canary Fund and Basic Needs Giving Partnership were selected by Weave: A Social Fabric Project at The Aspen Institute as one of twenty-five Community Hosts nationwide to deliver The Weaver Awards. Annually beginning in 2026, 20+ individuals and groups in Northeast Wisconsin who are building trust, belonging and connection will be awarded.
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 $2,500-5,000 awards for neighbors working together are easy to apply for, require only simple reporting and can go to individuals or small organizations whether they are registered as nonprofits or not.
The awards are open to individuals and small grassroots groups located in and serving any of the following counties: Brown, Calumet, Door, Green Lake, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Sheboygan, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago and the Oneida Nation. Individual applicants must be at least 18 years of age; community-based groups must have annual budgets of less than $250,000. While many people in Northeast Wisconsin are serving their neighbors, the Weaver Awards look for those whose projects also create lasting relationships and build trust as people work together to strengthen their community and weave a tighter social fabric.
“Neighbors everywhere are quietly working to heal, nurture and build connections in the neighborhood, and so often they get overlooked,” said Frederick J. Riley, executive director of Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute. “Our aim is to shine a light on these folks doing the hard work of connecting our communities and invite us all to take the next step to weave like them.”
People can apply themselves, or recommend another community member or group, at https://awards.weavers.org/en/newi/2026 by August 31, 2026. The application is intentionally simple, asking questions about the people involved, the project and the community, with no need for a detailed budget. Every applicant must have at least one community member recommend them as a trusted community connector.
Weave has hosted the Awards in several communities over the past five years, honoring hundreds of weavers across the country. This year, collaborating partners NeighborWorks Green Bay, The Canary Fund and Basic Needs Giving Partnership were selected as one of 25 Community Host organizations nationwide to host the Awards in Northeast Wisconsin annually through at least 2029.
The awardees will be chosen by a selection panel of community members from across the region. Everyone who applies can get support for their own community work – whether they receive an award or not – by joining the free, online Weaving.Us community. The community helps people meet other weavers, find collaborators, learn about other grants and fellowships and access free training ranging from public speaking to grant writing and community organizing.
People can get more information, apply for an award or recommend another community member or group at https://awards.weavers.org/en/newi/2026.
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 www.weavers.org.
Founded in 1982, NeighborWorks Green Bay has served the Greater Green Bay and Northeast Wisconsin community for more than four decades, combining direct services with community-centered solutions so the benefits of neighborhood investment are felt by the people who live there. Their mission: Solve housing challenges and build stronger communities. Learn more at www.nwgreenbay.org.
The Canary Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides seed grants throughout 12 Northeast Wisconsin counties to individuals and groups working to make communities more just, compassionate and sustainable. The organization has distributed over $220,000 to more than 100 individuals since it began in 2019 to honor the life and lifelong generosity of entrepreneur and community activist, Jim Rivett of Green Bay (1958-2018). More information can be found at www.thecanaryfund.org.
The Basic Needs Giving Partnership envisions thriving, equitable communities across Northeast Wisconsin. Through grant making and convening, they invest in local and regional solutions that address the root causes of poverty in alignment with shared values of trust and collaboration, curiosity and learning and equity with a systems-based approach. For more information about the Basic Needs Giving Partnership, please visit www.bngpwi.org/.
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