King County’s 2026 Participatory Grantmaking process is drawing attention across local media as residents in Skyway/West Hill and White Center/North Highline take a leading role in deciding how $2.7 million in county funding will be invested in their communities. Coverage from Westside Seattle highlights the role of White Center and North Highline residents in shaping $1.1 million in community-driven investments. White Center Blog also reports on the launch of the $2.7 million process, while White Center Now covers the next round of participatory budgeting in the county’s unincorporated communities.
The stories underscore what makes this year’s process distinctive: community members are helping design the grantmaking framework itself, from funding priorities and the Request for Proposals to proposal review and funding recommendations. A 29-member Community Advisory Board brings together local leaders and residents from Skyway/West Hill and White Center/North Highline, with additional residents expected to participate later this summer as paid Community Proposal Reviewers. The RFP is expected to open in the coming weeks.
The launch also received coverage from the Vietnamese-language newspaper Seattle Viet Times, sharing the story with the region’s Vietnamese-speaking community. The coverage builds on the central message that participatory budgeting puts decision-making power directly in residents’ hands. Since 2021, King County’s program has invested more than $20 million in projects and programs selected by community members, with past investments supporting youth programs, cultural spaces, neighborhood beautification, and free swim lessons.
King County Local 