Lincoln Community Foundation (LCF)(LCF.org) has been selected as one of 25 Community Host organizations from across the country for the 2026 Weaver Awards, a national initiative of Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute. The Weaver Awards are part of a constellation of activities to celebrate and support weavers – everyday neighbors who are building relationships, belonging and weaving trust into the social fabric of communities.
Each Community Host receives $225,000 in startup funding, along with training, tools, technical assistance, and ongoing support from Weave. This partnership represents a four-year commitment to our community, signaling Weave’s belief in the strength, creativity and leadership already alive here. The first cycle of Weaver Awards launches in fall 2026. As a Community Host, LCF will build a culture of weaving in Lincoln by identifying local weavers and sharing their stories, launching a local Weaver Awards program to distribute 20+ microgrants each year for four years to individuals/small nonprofits, hosting gatherings that bring people together and help them learn weaving skills, and by joining a national network of local leaders rebuilding trust in communities across the U.S.
The program directly aligns with LCF’s strategic initiative, Prosper Lincoln, and more specifically, its Connections pillar. Grounded in the 2025 Lincoln Vital Signs report and shaped by hundreds of community conversations, Prosper Lincoln’s work in Connections focuses on increasing opportunities for people to improve their economic status, supporting engagement within neighborhoods and building resident-led neighborhood initiatives. For more information, visit LCF.org.