Your neighborhood project can apply for City grant funding (CAFE-058)

In this quick 9-minute podcast, City Communications Manager Kellie Stickney describes the new City program that offers you an opportunity to apply for funding for a project to benefit your neighborhood. Projects as small as $100 or as large as $5,000 can qualify for funding.

She explains that applications are now being received at City Hall for the 2017 round of funding. It's a competitive process, based on written applications from residents who are willing to be a neighborhood project advocate. Final decisions will be made by vote of the City Council.

Kelly points out that this is the first year of the program, and $10,000 has been budgeted for this year's applicant neighborhoods. Already, several neighborhoods have submitted funding applications for projects, so she encourages you not to miss the opportunity to apply.

On the podcast, she offers several examples of promising projects for neighborhood funding.

Kelly explains that the City's "matching" dollars can match 2-to-1 either the dollars raised by the neighborhood for the project OR the value of volunteer labor for the neighborhood project. Volunteer labor is valued at approximately $28 per hour, so each hour can trigger about $56 in City matching funding.

For further information, go to the City's webpage for the "Neighborhood Matching Grant" program where you can also obtain an application form and instructions. You can contact Kellie with questions via her email address, here.

Credits: BCB host, audio editor and social media publisher: Barry Peters.