A bold new approach to funding community-driven projects, Kingston Common Futures is a first-of-its-kind initiative designed and led by local residents. At its core is a radical idea: decisions about where money goes should be made by the people it’s meant to serve.
Spearheaded by the Good Work Institute, this program isn’t your average grant initiative. It’s built on the principle of the commons—resources shared, stewarded, and managed by a community for the collective good. The fund aims to challenge the top-down power structures that have historically governed access to money and opportunity, instead investing in a more equitable, inclusive process.
With $150,000 available in 2025, Kingston Common Futures will award grants between $5,000 and $50,000 to individuals, groups, businesses, and organizations whose projects serve the city of Kingston. But this isn’t just about funding. It’s about reimagining how communities support their residents.The grant process is designed to be wholly transparent and collaborative. Applications are scored by a team of community volunteers using a publicly available scorecard grounded in the fund’s mission and values. Finalists are then reviewed by a jury of 10 to 12 community members, who make the ultimate funding decisions.
Amanda Cassiday, Director of Strategy and Development for the fund, emphasizes the importance of re-rooting development as an outgrowth of collaboration. “The practice of people coming together to manage and share collective resources—food, water, land, tools, knowledge—has existed throughout history,” Cassiday says. “We see ‘the commons’ as both a social system and a cultural one, where a community not only manages resources, but honors its own values and identity in doing so. That’s what we want to bring to Kingston.”
Director of Process and Learning, Clay Moodey, brings their background in collaborative theater to the table. “We’ve been intentional at every step,” they say. “Whether or not a project gets funded, we want everyone who applies to feel connected, seen, and supported. This is not a zero-sum game.”
This perspective was shaped by thinkers like author Heather McGhee, whose work on racial and economic solidarity helped inform the fund’s guiding principles. At the heart of Kingston Common Futures is the belief that mutual care and shared success create stronger, more resilient communities.
Applications for the 2025 grant cycle are now open, with an initial deadline to submit a letter of intent by May 1. Funding will be distributed in early fall. Those interested in applying—or volunteering as mentors, application reviewers, or jurors, can find more details on KCF’s website.
The project is co-led by Cassiday and Moodey, both of whom were selected from the original community design cohort that helped shape the fund’s vision. Supporting their work is Angélica Medaglia, a journalist and producer who now leads outreach and communications with a focus on immigrant and Spanish-speaking communities.
On the ground, the program’s Outreach Street Team plays a critical role in connecting with residents across all corners of the city. The team—Jasmine Wood, Ravin Williams, Simon Moore, Elba Becker, Sarah Carlson, and Daniel Woodham—has made deliberate efforts to reach BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Spanish-speaking, artist, youth, food justice, and environmental communities to invite them into the process.
Together, this dynamic group is helping to rewrite the script on how public funding can be distributed—with transparency, compassion, and trust. As the program takes root, Kingston Common Futures stands as a model of how collective action and shared power can shape a city’s future from the ground up.
