Neighborhood grants available

Neighborhood groups can apply now for city mini-grants for improvement projects.

The BUILD/KC Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program offers grants ranging from $500 to $3,500 to registered neighborhood organizations.

According to the city, the projects must foster partnerships, provide a public benefit to the community and be completed within one year. A dollar-for-dollar matching contribution of volunteer labor, donated materials and/or in-kind services is required.

Details

Grant applications and complete program information and criteria are at http://kcmo.gov/neighborhoods/rebuild-program or at the Neighborhood Services Division, 3200 Wayne Ave., Room 106. There is no application deadline: the City will accept applications until its program funding is depleted.

To be eligible for a grant, registered neighborhood organizations must meet the below criteria:

• Must represent a geographic area, such as a neighborhood or a cluster of neighborhoods
• Must demonstrate broad-based community support for, and participation in, proposed project
• Must perform the project within the geographic area in which applying
• Must demonstrate proof of partnership (formal letter of support)
• Must have active, identifiable leadership recognized and elected by its members
• Must demonstrate fiscal accountability and have an established process to manage grant funds that includes a current checking account in the name of the organization
• Must be a not-for-profit neighborhood organization in good standing and incorporated in the state of Missouri
• Must have the capacity to complete the proposed project by April 30, 2015
• Must have submitted an annual registered neighborhood summary report from the previous year

Examples of projects eligible for this grant include neighborhood cleanups, community gardens, community art programs and youth development programs.

Technical assistance will be available during the application period to help organizations understand the program and navigate the application requirements. The City will review all applications and select the best projects.

Organizations will be reimbursed with grant funds for eligible expenses based on neighborhood matching contributions. To earn the matching grant, the neighborhood group must make a contribution – donated labor, professional services, etc. – that is assigned a fair value ($15 per hour). For each $1 of donated time, labor or materials, the neighborhood group earns $1 of matching grant funds up to $3,500.

For more information about the reBUILD/KC Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program, please contact Tiffany Drummer, Neighborhood Services Division, at 816-513-4504.