Duwamish River Opportunity Fund

The Duwamish River Opportunity is not currently accepting applications as the program transitions to a new home at the Office of Sustainability and the Environment. Stay tuned for updates on when the next round launches.

Since 2014, funds have been allocated toward quality-of-life enhancements for the Duwamish River area that can be implemented in partnership with King County, the Port of Seattle, and community stakeholders. Known as the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund (DROF), it is intended to enhance existing programs and support new programs focused on challenges faced by Duwamish River communities. DROF is one component of a broader City effort to improve the quality of life and restore the health of Duwamish River communities. 

Who We Fund

Neighborhood groups, community organizations, informal groups, and business groups who want to do a project or program that is impactful and improves the quality of life for communities living in the Duwamish River Valley.

What We Fund

Proposals to the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund should address one or more of the following:

  • Safe fishing or fish consumption   
  • Environmental development or restoration
  • Job training or economic development  
  • Community development
  • Pedestrian safety
  • Affordable housing strategies
  • Healthy lifestyle 
  • Emerging issues - i.e. COVID-19, Homelessness, West Seattle Bridge closure

Informational Workshops

To Be Announced.

Application Review Process

DROF applications are reviewed by city staff as well as community members who live, work, or receive services in the Duwamish River Valley area and have a clear understanding of community needs and resources.

History

The Duwamish is our city's only river, but that is not the only thing that makes it special. Native Americans use the Duwamish as a resource and for cultural purposes. Salmon and trout use it as a migration corridor, and a large number of fish and wildlife species use the estuary for rearing. The Duwamish is also a working waterway that supports many of Seattle's shipping and industrial businesses.

Decades of industry near the Duwamish have left significant contamination in the mud and along the river's banks. In 2001, The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed a 5.5 mile stretch of the Duwamish River as a Superfund cleanup site. Since then, the City of Seattle, King County, the Port of Seattle and the Boeing Company have invested over $100 Million in early cleanup actions to reduce contamination by 50 percent, while we also work to eliminate ongoing sources of contamination.

Past Awarded DROF Projects

Neighborhoods

Jenifer Chao, Interim Director
Address: 600 4th Avenue, 4th Floor, Seattle, WA , 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 94649, Seattle, WA, 98124-4649
Phone: (206) 684-0464
Fax: (206) 233-5142
seattleneighborhoods@seattle.gov

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Seattle Department of Neighborhoods provides resources and opportunities for community members to build strong communities and improve their quality of life.