Join us for a double-feature celebrating the story behind the emergence of Kingston Common Futures, a heart-led community fund created through a multi-year collaborative process!

Kingston Common Futures (KCF) is a grant fund designed by and for the people of Kingston. It was created out of a unique 9-month process with 18 Kingston residents, facilitated by GWI, that resulted in a fund blueprint. In 2025, based on that fund design, KCF distributed $150K in grants to 11 community projects through a transparent, supportive, democratic process. We have created two short documentaries to share a behind-the-scenes view into the creation and launch of this beautiful project, and we can’t wait to share them with you!

GWI’s film follows the story of how the idea of a community-led fund moved into action, through the creation and facilitation of a community fund design program. The film provides a glimpse into what it was like to bring 18 Kingston residents together to wrestle with big questions around a taboo topic: money and who has power over it. GWI is so grateful to have worked with Kashka Glowacka, Chris Rahm, and Devin Pickering at Northguild, to create this moving account of how a group of strangers can come together to co-design a fund despite differences, bringing a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences, forging deep connection along the way.

KCF’s film “Imagine if” was created by Growing Films which is led by Kingston-based filmmaker Sarah Carlson. The film answers the question: what happens when we trust communities to steward funds and resources themselves? A great deal, it turns out – far beyond the distribution of money. Tasked with allocating $150,000 in funding, the team behind KCF created a grant process that departs from top-down philanthropic practices, by centering accessibility, transparency, and community ownership at every step. Neighbors were invited into the shared work of dreaming, intention-setting, and shaping the future they want to see. Over 200 people became involved as applicants, volunteers, mentors, outreach coordinators, and decision-makers. Along the way, these participants deepened their relationships to their community and to one another, built confidence in their ability to effect change, and strengthened their sense of belonging and place. The film beautifully captures the ripple effects and unexpected magic of this work. It offers a hopeful vision of how money can be transformed from a tool of extraction into a resource for regeneration, care, and shared possibility.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the GWI and KCF teams. Street parking is available all along the waterfront, including under the bridge. Snacks and soft drinks will be provided.

Further information:

About Kingston Common Futures’ 2025 pilot process: https://kingstoncommonfutures.org/2025-fund-cycle/

About the community fund design process: https://goodworkinstitute.org/building-community-wealth/

Blog posts on building community wealth and the community fund design process: https://goodworkinstitute.org/series/rooted-resources/