Nonprofits in Issaquah are often able to provide services and functions the city itself does not cover. To support these organizations, the city will once again award funding to a selection of local nonprofits.

The Community Fund is accepting applications from nonprofits requesting financial support for 2020 projects.

Amy Dukes, arts coordinator for the city, said the Community Fund has slowly evolved over the years from a discretionary fund run out of the mayor’s office to a competitive program for Issaquah’s vibrant nonprofit community.

“The city wants to support them to do the things they need, to more effectively and efficiently serve the community,” Dukes said.

In 2018, $104,775 was awarded across nine nonprofit organizations. Dukes specified that the city also funds capital projects through this method.

“One of the grants was to help the food and clothing bank grow the Groceries To Go program,” she said.

Other examples of projects funded in the past year include helping Encompass NW find an Issaquah location and allowing Village Theatre to build additional storage space to house many of their sets. Dukes said the 2018 groups attended the first council meeting of the year to give a presentation about the outcomes and results the nonprofits were able to achieve with their funding.

A community review panel, made up of members of other boards and commissions such as human services and economic vitality, will judge the applications and recommend funding as the city goes through the budgeting process later this year.

The deadline for applications is 4 p.m. June 28. Nonprofits that are selected for funding will be notified in December before receiving their funding for 2020.

For more information on the fund and the online application form, visit www.issaquahwa.gov/communityfund.