Nomination form here.
Deadline to nominate for the 2024 Fall event is September 15, 2024.
2019 – 2023 Greater Good Award winners here.

2024 NOMINATIONS

Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Our goal is to use the power of storytelling to illuminate the way toward a better world, inspire millions of people to walk that path with us, and show that the time for action is now.

PAST NOMINEES

Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets supports and strengthens Washington’s small, sustainable family farms by creating and operating vibrant, neighborhood-scale markets where farmers and food producers can sell their goods, develop relationships with customers, and grow their capacity to produce local ingredients and artisanal products. Local farms make our communities more welcoming, more food-secure, and much more delicious. Our mission is to help them thrive.

Hugo House is a nonprofit literary arts organization that aims to open the literary world to everyone who loves books or has the drive to write. It is our mission to give people a place to read words, hear words, and make their own words better.

The Mountaineers are a community built around passion for the outdoors. For over 100 years, our volunteers have been teaching skills, sharing adventures, creating volunteers, and conserving land. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, our mission is to enrich the community by helping people explore, conserve, learn about, and enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Crisis Connections Our mission is to foster resilience and well-being for all by connecting people to accessible and compassionate support. Besides our helplines, we support survivors of suicide, provide community outreach, and offer youth suicide prevention education. Our phone lines support more than 150 languages. This is all possible thanks to 250 staff, 450 volunteers, dozens of community partners, and thousands of donors and advocates.

Washington Wild Since 1979, Washington Wild has played an invaluable role in permanently protecting nearly three million acres of Wilderness throughout Washington State. We bring people together in the vigorous defense of our remaining wild forests, waters, and wildlife. By educating, empowering and mobilizing our communities, Washington Wild builds powerful grassroots networks that help protect wild lands and waters throughout the state.

Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Our goal is to use the power of storytelling to illuminate the way toward a better world, inspire millions of people to walk that path with us, and show that the time for action is now.

Totem Star a diverse community of young recording artists building life skills in communication, collaboration, and critical thinking through their creative pursuits in music production and performance, partnering with organizations like the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration, the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture, and the Jubilation Foundation.

Low Income Housing develops, owns and operates housing for the benefit of low-income, homeless and formerly homeless people in Washington State; advocates for just housing policies at the local and national levels; and administers a range of supportive service programs to assist those we serve in maintaining stable housing and increasing their self-sufficiency.

Tilth Alliance works in community with Washington farmers, gardeners and eaters to build a sustainable, healthy and equitable food future.

Earth Corps brings together passionate and hardworking young adults from the US and countries around the world for a yearlong leadership training program in Seattle, Washington. As we care for the land and each other, our dedication to ecological restoration is guided by our lens of racial equity and environmental justice.

Books to Prisoners‘  mission is to foster a love of reading behind bars, encourage the pursuit of knowledge and self-empowerment, and break the cycle of recidivism. We believe that books are tools for learning and for opening minds to new ideas and possibilities, and engage incarcerated individuals with the benefits of reading by mailing tens of thousands of free books to inmates across the country each year.

Social Justice Film Festival fosters social justice filmmaking through youth education, script development, production assistance for works in progress, competitive challenges, and special events. We strive to make the Institute a hub of community engagement and empowerment.

Path with Art fosters the restoration of individuals, groups, and society from the effects of trauma through arts engagement and community-building.

NW Abortion Access Fund’s mission is to fund abortion and break down barriers to abortion access for people in the Northwest. We envision a world where people can easily access safe, legal abortion care with respect, dignity, and compassion.

Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and its coalition of 16 neighborhood-based, volunteer-led chapters, has empowered communities to reclaim Seattle’s streets so that they are welcoming and full of life. For everyone — old or young, poor or well off, We envision a future where Seattle’s streets — one fourth of our total land as a city — incorporate neighborhood priorities for play, relaxation, recreation, greenery, and community-building. Operating document here.

YouthCare works to end youth homelessness and to ensure that young people are valued for who they are and empowered to achieve their potential and envisions a community where no young person experiences homelessness, all young people have the opportunity to thrive, and the systems that oppress them are dismantled.

Killer Whale Tails is an environmental education program that uses storytelling and field-based science to inspire students to take an active role in the conservation of Southern Resident Killer Whales and their habitat. We inspire lifelong environmental stewardship for tens of thousands of students across the Pacific Northwest.

Social Justice Fund NW is a foundation working at the frontlines of social change. We build progressive power through donor activism.

Washington Trails Association mobilizes hikers and everyone who loves the outdoors to explore, steward and champion trails and public lands.

Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Our goal is to use the power of storytelling to illuminate the way toward a better world, inspire millions of people to walk that path with us, and show that the time for action is now.

Uplift Northwest is on a mission to provide dignified jobs and job-readiness services to men and women experiencing poverty and homelessness in the Puget Sound Region. Our time-tested temporary staffing operation provides motivated workers to hundreds of employers across a wide variety of industries.

The Jerry Baker Velodrome’s mission is to create an environment that inspires and strengthens the community’s passion for cycling, health and well-being, and sustainably operate a nationally recognized velodrome and recreation facility for the benefit of generations to come.

Creative Justice builds community with youth most impacted by the school-to-prison-(to-deportation) pipeline. Participants and mentor artists work together to examine the root causes of incarceration, like systemic racism and other forms of oppression, creating art that articulates the power and potential of our communities.

Ada Developers Academy prepares women and gender expansive adults to be software developers while advocating for inclusive and equitable work environments. We primarily serve and address the needs of Black, Latine, Indigenous Americans, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander, LGBTQIA+, and low-income people. Our tuition-free training program includes a collaborative learning environment, individualized support (mentors, tutors, a network of mental health supports, affinity groups), and an applied learning internship.

Washington Wild Since 1979, Washington Wild has played an invaluable role in permanently protecting nearly three million acres of Wilderness throughout Washington State. We bring people together in the vigorous defense of our remaining wild forests, waters, and wildlife. By educating, empowering and mobilizing our communities, Washington Wild builds powerful grassroots networks that help protect wild lands and waters throughout the state.

Food Lifeline sources millions of pounds of nutritious food from farmers, manufacturers, grocery stores, restaurants, and retailers that would otherwise go to waste. 17,916 volunteers visit our Hunger Solution Center annually to help sort and repack this nourishing food. Food Lifeline then distributes it to more than 300 food banks, shelters, and meal programs throughout Western Washington, providing the equivalent of 134,000 meals every day for hungry children, adults, and seniors.

The Goodtimes Project’s vision is that all families affected by childhood cancer will experience a community of hope, joy, and love. When cancer becomes your world, The Goodtimes Project creates caring spaces for local families to connect and kids to be kids, through camps, events, and programs.

Taproot Theatre Company creates theatre experiences to brighten the spirit, engage the mind and deepen the understanding of the world around us while inspiring imagination, conversation and hope. Over the course of March through June, we expect to lose nearly $250,000 in ticket sales, school touring fees and studio registrations. We are currently cutting costs wherever possible, but pre-closure expenses, fixed costs, and minimum staffing will need to be covered. Your timely, generous and extra support is needed now.

Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets We support and strengthen Washington’s small, sustainable family farms by creating and operating vibrant, neighborhood-scale markets where farmers and food producers can sell their goods, develop relationships with customers, and grow their capacity to produce local ingredients and artisanal products. Local farms make our communities more welcoming, more food-secure, and much more delicious. Our mission is to help them thrive. Our work supports farmers, shoppers, and communities. More than operating the markets, we actively support farmers, educate consumers, and advocate for policies that make producing, selling, acquiring, and eating good food more attainable.

Jet City Improv educates, enlightens, and entertains audiences through the art of improvisation. We work to bring improv to the people with a 40-week improv training curriculum (known as the Jet City Improv Academy) as well as outreach work that provides free performances and workshops to homeless and incarcerated youth in Seattle and physically ill children around the state of Washington at a variety of summer camps.

SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival) So much of our funding comes in through festival, and we are losing that to the COVID-19 response at a point when we have already started spending on fixed costs for the festival. When the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, we won’t be able to flip a switch and start back up with business as usual. We must pivot our current circumstances into an opportunity to innovate and reimagine a stronger, more sustainable and exciting future for SIFF and activate the philanthropic community to help us. The day will come when we gather again to share great films, community, and experiences.

Northwest Harvest is leading the fight for hungry people statewide to have access to nutritious food while respecting their dignity and promoting good health. Our vision is ending hunger in Washington. Northwest Harvest is the only nonprofit food bank distributor operating statewide in Washington with a network of 375 food banks, meal programs and high-need schools. Through this network, we provide nearly 2 million meals every month.

Pike Place Market Foundation Pike Place Market is a community of 500+ small business owners and 2,000+ workers who are feeling the sudden loss of shoppers. The Market is also home to a health care clinic, senior housing, senior center, food bank, and social services for some of downtown’s most-vulnerable people. Each of these agencies are hard at work sustaining this Market community at its greatest time of need

STG: Seattle Theater Group (Neptune, Paramount, Moore) In response to the CDC’s recommendation to suspend large social gatherings, STG had to postpone or cancel 53 performances in March 2020 alone. As the situation progresses, we will continue to place our programs and performances on hold until it is safe for all of us to gather together once again to celebrate the arts. Thankfully, we’ve been able to reschedule many performances; however, we are anticipating a multimillion-dollar shortfall from this necessary time of closure. Our three historic venues, with the lights turned off, carry monthly expenses of $1 Million, and STG performances and programs provide jobs to over 800 people including 81 Teaching Artists.

Town Hall Seattle is a nonprofit organization that maintains a landmark historic building—as well as marketing and production infrastructure—for shared community use. We foster an engaged community through civic, arts, and educational programs that reflect—and inspire—our region’s best impulses: creativity, empathy, and the belief that we all deserve a voice.

AGE UP / Southend Ultimate is an organization by and for coaches, players and alumni to strengthen the Southend youth ultimate community, particularly for girls. We fund coaches, empower future leaders, expand playing opportunities, and strengthen community.

CONSERVATION NORTHWEST connects the big landscapes, restores iconic wildlife and protects our natural heritage for future generations. From the Washington Coast to the British Columbia Rockies, they are your voice for conserving wildlands and wildlife.

ENTRE HERMANOS promotes the health and well-being of the Latino Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and questioning community in a culturally appropriate environment through disease prevention, education, support services, advocacy and community building.

SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM FESTIVAL exhibits a series of short and feature-length documentaries and narrative films broadly related to social justice, with a special focus on prisoner justice in the US. The festival showcases works that challenge society structures all over the globe on a macro and micro level as well as works that challenge the medium.

REFUGEE ARTISAN INITIATIVE  transforms the lives of refugee and immigrant women by providing sustainable work in sewing and handcrafting products. 

CHICK TECH is dedicated to retaining women in the technology workforce and increasing the number of women and girls pursuing technology-based careers.

The BLOCK Project builds communities of compassion throughout Seattle, engaging individuals and their neighborhoods to welcome someone experiencing homelessness into their lives. We build permanent dwelling units in willing homeowners’ backyards, giving community members an opportunity to make a difference and Residents a place to call home.

COMMUNITY PASSAGEWAYS creates alternatives to incarceration for youth and young adults by rebuilding our communities through committed relationships centered on love, compassion, and consistency.

THE SEATTLE GLOBALIST is a daily online publication that covers the connections between local and global issues here in Seattle. We believe that creating opportunities for diverse people to report on and write about issues important to them, through a platform that engages a broad public audience, will help create a vibrant media environment that truly represents the world we live in. We provide journalism training and publishing opportunities for underserved youth through our Apprenticeship program and Globalist Youth workshops.

WASHINGTON WILD Since 1979, Washington Wild has played an invaluable role in permanently protecting nearly three million acres of Wilderness throughout Washington State. We bring people together in the vigorous defense of our remaining wild forests, waters, and wildlife. By educating, empowering and mobilizing our communities, Washington Wild builds powerful grassroots networks that help protect wild lands and waters throughout the state.

GENDER JUSTICE LEAGUE’S mission is to empower all people to eliminate discrimination and prejudice based on sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation in Washington State, and to ensure that trans and gender diverse people can live their lives safely, true to themselves, and free from discrimination. Gender Justice League has focused on elevating civil and human rights for trans and gender diverse people by creating community through advocacy efforts and shared leadership development.

OUTDOORS FOR ALL FOUNDATION transforms lives through outdoor recreation.  Outdoors for All enriches the lives of individuals with disabilities and families and helps them to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.

COYOTE CENTRAL Coyote sparks creativity in young people, putting tools in their hands to build skills and forge their futures. Coyote strives to lead with equity in everything we do. Outreach through schools, social service agencies, communities of color, and other community partners helps us reach traditionally under-served populations, and we provide every family with whatever scholarship support it needs.

EARTHCORPS brings together passionate and hardworking young adults from the US and countries around the world, for a yearlong leadership training program in Seattle, Washington. Our corps members learn leadership skills by working collaboratively, leading community volunteers, and executing technical restoration projects along shorelines, trails and in forests.

NORTH HELPLINE assists our neighbors in obtaining basic needs that affirm their human dignity and worth. North Helpline provides critical human services to over 1,700 clients each week in an effort to reduce the impact of hunger and poverty in the Greater North Seattle Area.

NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT promotes justice by defending and advancing the rights of immigrants through direct legal services, systemic advocacy, and community education. We strive for justice and equity for all persons, regardless of where they were born.

EMPTY STAGE THEATRE COMPANY provides high quality theater in the North Puget Sound area. Our goal is to educate and nurture future artists through camps and professional training.

GENDER DIVERSITY  increases the awareness and understanding of the wide range of gender diversity in children, adolescents, and adults by providing family support, building community, increasing societal awareness, and improving the well-being for people of all gender identities and expressions.

ONE AMERICA advances the fundamental principles of democracy and justice at the local, state, and national levels by building power within immigrant communities in collaboration with key allies. OneAmerica envisions a peaceful world where every person’s human rights and dignity are respected, where communities appreciate differences and stand together for justice and equality, and where each person contributes to the common good.

THE GOODTIMES PROJECT’S vision is that all families affected by childhood cancer will experience a community of hope, joy, and love. When cancer becomes your world, The Goodtimes Project creates caring spaces for local families to connect and kids to be kids, through camps, events, and programs.

OPEN ARMS helps parents and children develop the confidence and skills they need to become their own best advocates. Our network of trained birth doulas and community-based early parenting support create positive early childhood outcomes that last a lifetime.

MIDDLE EAST PEACE CAMP believes that when people meet and get to know each other at the human level, many of the barriers that divide us will dissipate. By creating a space where children and young adults can learn about each other and build friendships, understanding, and compassion in a relaxed and fun environment, we encourage partnerships that will foster the social and political change needed to work together towards peace and social justice.

BOOKS TO PRISONERS believes that books are tools for learning and for opening minds to new ideas and possibilities, and engage incarcerated individuals with the benefits of reading by mailing tens of thousands of free books to inmates across the country each year.

WA IMMIGRANT SOLIDARITY NETWORK’S mission is to protect and advance the power of immigrant and refugee communities through a multiracial, multilingual, and multi-faith coalition. Our organizing strategy educates and mobilizes statewide to uphold and defend the rights and dignity of all immigrants and refugees, centering the voices of impacted communities.

PROJECT FEAST Our mission is to transform the lives of refugees and immigrants by providing pathways to sustainable employment in the food industry, and to enrich communities through intercultural exchange.

SEATTLE PUBLIC THEATER produces compelling and socially relevant theater to spark conversation and ignite empathy. Our vision is an inclusive community that actively engages with ideas and people.

PLUS ONE FOUNDATION mobilizes resources to inspire hope and enrich the lives of those affected by neurological conditions and educate the community about related issues.

THE HEALING CENTER offers a safe, loving place that honors grief and helps individuals move through it and heal. We serve adults, young adults and children who have experienced the death of a loved one. We envision a day when everyone can move through the grief of a death in a healing way.

EL CENTRO DE LA RAZA As an organization grounded in the Latino community, our mission is to build unity across all racial and economic sectors, to organize, empower, and defend our most vulnerable and marginalized populations and to bring justice, dignity, equality, and freedom to all the peoples of the world. We envision a world free of oppression based on poverty, racism, sexism, sexual orientation, and discrimination of any kind that limits equal access to the resources that ensure a healthy and productive life in peace, love and harmony for all peoples and our future generations.

RYTHER provides exceptional therapeutic services to young people who are struggling emotionally and behaviorally so they may find a path to healing and hope. We envision a community where all youth have hope, resilience and a chance to heal so they may look forward to the future.

TEAM SURVIVOR NW Empowering women who have had a cancer diagnosis to survive and thrive through fitness, health and wellness services.

AGE UP  / Southend Ultimate is an organization by and for coaches, players and alumni to strengthen the Southend youth ultimate community, particularly for girls. We meet youth in their cultural context, through the sport we all love, in order to connect them to opportunities and resources as well as increase access to physical activity, mentorship and authentic leadership roles that extend their reach as agents in the community. By combining skill development, social justice education and healing within the cultural context of the Southend ultimate community we are building power among youth living at the intersection of race and class oppression.

HANDS FOR A BRIDGE is providing high school youth with opportunities to explore issues surrounding social justice in their local, regional, and international communities. Our Vision is a world where every student is an empowered global citizen with the vision and resources necessary to effect vital change in our world.