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Best Practices: Making Grants Work for Small Businesses
This report outlines strategic recommendations for designing more equitable grant programs, emphasizing outreach, applicant support, fair review processes, and continuous learning. Drawing from the CBC Game Ready Activation Grants experience, it highlights how intentional grantmaking and capacity-building support can help small and emerging organizations access funding and strengthen long-term community impact.
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2025-2026: CBC Game Ready Activation Grant Report
The CBC Game Ready Activation Grants Final Report (2025–2026) highlights how the Community Business Connector distributed $250,000 to 23 organizations, supporting 72 community activations that engaged over 17,000 King County residents while promoting local culture and small businesses ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. The activations also showcased 248 local businesses, and 65% of grantees plan to host similar events during the World Cup.
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2026: Mega Events Readiness Playbook – A Graphic Novel
This resource guides you through our Small Business Readiness Playbook, with practical checklists and action items to help you get ready for mega events.
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2026: The Small Business Readiness Playbook: A Practical Guide for Mega-Event Preparation in Washington State
The playbook offers guidance on business readiness, shares real-world case studies, and outlines strategies to help small businesses tap into the statewide opportunity of the 2026 FIFA World Cupâ„¢ in Washington and thrive beyond the event.
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2025: King County Small Business Support Audit: A Service Provider Review
Through the Community Business Connector program, nonprofit, public, and private service providers were engaged to assess how effectively the support network meets local business needs. This report identifies gaps in specialized technical assistance, marketing and technology support, and culturally responsive services, highlighting the importance of coordinated, community-driven solutions.
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2022-2024: Perspectives on the Community Business Connector Pilot: Insights from the King County Business Community
A summary of findings from the Community Business Connector pilot initiative highlighting small business perspectives on support needs, engagement with community-based connectors, and lessons from the two-year regional pilot to improve access to resources across King County