Wellbeing Microgrant Program

The Wellbeing Microgrant program empowers Santa Monica residents to take direct, small-scale action intended to advance new policies and spark conversations (https://www.wellbeingmicrogrants.org/). Designed in 2018 with the nationally-recognized Cities of Service, Wellbeing Microgrants quickly developed a proven track record.

This funding enables us to award three new cohorts, systematize program evaluation, and develop new training and capacity-building.

We use findings from our innovative Wellbeing Index to prompt microgrant applicants. We ask them to consider local strengths and challenges across issues of economic opportunity, place and planet, health, learning, and community. Awardees develop and lead the solutions based on their unique skills, expertise, and networks. We provide assistance throughout, connecting microgrant leaders to a cross-section of local entities – government, non-profit, business, and community leaders – who act as allies and microgrant force-multipliers.

The Wellbeing Microgrant leaders for Round 8 are:

Lead NameProject Description
Adriana PolicarpoBasic Sewing classes for kids
Vanessa FernandezFree Exercise classes in SM
Erika Martinez BradshawTaller de Educación Financiera
Minerva DusigneLatin Dance – Dancing with community!
Chelsea LawsonSustainability Education at the Pico Farmers Market
Danielle StolzE-tegami for Everyone Workshop
Marni GittlemanStress Relief For Parents: Intro to EFT Tapping
Willa Wells Comfort for Covid
Camelia Dao-Ling McDermott LeeAncestral Energy Healing: Axé + Qi
Katty RakfeldtTeen Social Club for Special Needs Kids
Na’ilah MuiedCultivating Impact: Santa Monica Self Care and Networking Event
Kathleen BenjaminTogether we Gather
Sofia Ramirez Tiempo para la abuela
Laura HernandezManos a la obra con amor!
Carmela MoralesEmbroidery with Kids

To get connected with any of these great projects through June 2023, please email info@civicwellbeing.org or:

Program Coordinator: lizeth@civicwellbeing.org

Program Manager: adriana@civicwellbeing.org

Applications to participate in Round 9 will open on July 24th and close on August 25. Apply here!

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The Wellbeing Index

The Wellbeing Index was created in 2014 from Bloomberg Philanthropies $1m government innovation prize, (http://santamonicawellbeing.org/about/wellbeing-index).

The Index provides a baseline for understanding what contributes to wellbeing and how the city and community can work to improve it. By understanding more about what makes us thrive, we can work together on making meaningful changes in our community.

The index combines data we have, determines what new types of data we need to gather, and integrates in new ways all of the available information. It brings together a variety of data from City measures, an extensive resident survey and social media in six distinct yet connected categories of what research shows drive wellbeing.