City Council Approves $200,000 Annual Neighborhood Grant Program

By Shoshanah Oppenheim

First proposed by Sam in 2005, the Office of Neighborhood Involvement and seven district coalitions announced a new Neighborhood Small Grants Program with $200,000 available. The grants program is intended to support neighborhood and community-based organizations by providing an opportunity to build their organizational capacity, attract new and diverse membership, and sustain those already involved in their organizations. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis.

The grants program responds to years of input from neighborhood and community leaders for increased direct resources to neighborhood associations and other community-based groups working on local neighborhood projects. Thanks to a push from City Commissioners Randy Leonard and Erik Sten, City Council approved the funding as part of the Office of Neighborhood Involvement's fiscal year 2006-07 budget.