The City of Norfolk’s Block-by-Block Neighborhood Pride Grant Program offers civic leagues and neighborhood association’s financial assistance to improve their neighborhoods one block at a time!
Donor Name: City of Norfolk
State: Virginia
City: Norfolk
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/03/2023
Size of the Grant: Up to $2500
Details:
The Block-By-Block Grant Program is a resource that provides opportunities for Norfolk residents to engage with their neighbors, develop and enhance relationships with the City, build mutually productive collaborations with local public and private businesses; acquire and utilize new and sustainable skills, all while working toward accomplishing their neighborhoods’ goals. Through use of available grants, participating civic leagues determine what their neighborhoods’ improvement needs are – physical or social – and design, develop and implement those improvement ideas and projects. Project participant groups should reflect the demographics of your community, including youth, seniors, renters, homeowners, business organizations, etc.
The program is a resource that provides opportunities for residents to:
- Engage with their neighbors to design, develop and implement their own neighborhood improvement ideas and projects
- Develop and enhance relationships with the City
- Build mutually productive collaborations with local public and private businesses
- Acquire and utilize new and sustainable skills
Grant Categories
The city offers two categories for Block-by-Block: matching grants and mini grants:
- Matching Grant
- Through the provision of matching grants, civic leagues/neighborhood organizations can receive up to $2500 to undertake a neighborhood improvement project. Applicants must match funding to at least 50% of the amount granted by the city. Eligible matches may be cash, quantifiable in-kind contributions, and volunteer time.
- Mini Grant
- Have a smaller project that just needs a little help? The city offers a mini Block-by-Block Grant. This grant provides up to $500 to a civic league or organization to fund a project or event that meets the program guidelines and requirements.
Eligibility Criteria
Any Norfolk civic league or neighborhood association that has state legal entity or non-profit status is eligible to apply. Proposed projects must be implemented in the neighborhood of residency. A group qualifying as a civic league must have:
- Open memberships to all residents of the neighborhood
- Officers (president, secretary, treasurer)
- Bylaws (must provide a copy)
- Regular meetings and meeting minutes
- Legal entity – the organization must be a legal entity, non-stock corporation in Virginia. It does not have to be a federally designated 501(c) organization
Eligible Project
- Beautification/Landscaping
- Community gardens
- Neighborhood gateways
- Adoption of vacant lots and repurposing as pocket parks
- Landscaping and/or equipment installation or repairs at neighborhood parks (requires cooperation with City departments)
- Neighborhood bark parks
- Community art projects
- If the proposed project is on private land, the applicant must provide written proof of permission to use by property owner, and project must be located in a highly visible area and provide a permanent improvement to the area.
- Skill Building Workshops and Trainings
- Career days for neighborhood youth
- Job readiness/workforce development program for young adults
- How to establish a 501c3 or 501c4/non-profit
- Computer training for seniors
- Programming for school-age children
- Health awareness fair
- Neighborhood conference participation
- Environmental Enhancement Projects
- Wetlands restoration
- Rain gardens
- Shoreline buffer restoration (coordinate approvals with appropriate City departments (Recreation, Parks and Open Space and/or Planning – Environmental Services)
- Neighborhood Pride Building Activities/Events
- “National Night Out”
- History Walk of neighborhood
- Neighborhood Watch/Neighborhood Safety Fair
- “Back to School” Celebration
- Neighborhood Holiday Celebration
- Good Neighborhood Celebration
- Starting a neighborhood newsletter or website
- Neighborhood Art Exhibit
- Neighborhood Reunion/Block Party
- Supplies, Equipment and Tools
- Neighborhood tool lending program
- Neighborhood tool shed
For more information, visit City of Norfolk.
