Neighborhood Purpose grants, provided to area non-profits and public schools for a variety of community beautification and benefit projects, are one of the most well-known services provided by the city’s 99 Neighborhood Councils. The Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council is now in the final stages of selecting its annual Neighborhood Purpose Grant awardees (the GWNC board will hear funding recommendations from its grant committee at its February 9 monthly meeting), and now the Mid City West Neighborhood Council has now announced the “re-launch” of its Neighborhood Purpose Grant program, which will this year be funded on an ongoing basis through the end of its current fiscal year, instead of through a single, short-term application window.
According to MCWNC, locals schools and non-profits serving the MCWNC area may now submit applications for amounts up to $2,500 for projects such as seed funding for a school garden, community beautification activities, neighborhood resource fairs, and more. “We encourage creative projects that provide a public benefit for our community,” says a press release sent out on Saturday.
Applications from interested organizations must include the official NPG application form, including a project budget, an IRS Letter of Determination (for 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations), or a letter on school letterhead, signed by the school principal (for public schools), as well as the MCWNC’s own application addendum form. Completed application materials can be sent to [email protected].
Unlike in past years, there is no single application deadline for this year’s grant program. Instead, applications submitted by the 15th of each month will be reviewed according to this rubric on a monthly basis by the MCWNC Executive Council. MCWNC president Lauren Nichols told the Buzz that nonprofits can submit applications as many times as they like, but will only be eligible for funding once during the NPG cycle (June 30 – July 1). If an organization’s application is not funded after a first application, Nichols said, they can seek feedback based on the MCWCC’s scoring rubric, and can then re-apply during another month.
Nichols also reported that MCWNC is allocating a total grant budget of $13,000 for the remainder of the current fiscal year (though June 30, 2022), and will consider funding up to $3,000 in grants per month, with no single organization receiving more than one award up to $2,500 between now and June 30.
For more information, contact [email protected].
