The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta is accepting applications for its 2023 Neighborhood Fund to provide neighborhoods of metro Atlanta critical resources for accomplishing community-based projects; building leadership skills of residents; and enhancing the organizational capacity of the group implementing the project.
Donor Name: Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta
State: Georgia
County: Clayton County (GA), Cobb County (GA), Fulton County (GA), DeKalb County (GA) and Henry County (GA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/13/2023
Size of the Grant: $5,000 – $15,000
Grant Duration: 12 months
Details:
For more than 30 years, they have provided an estimated $3.2 million in grants and training to nearly 700 neighborhood projects. Residents have been awarded grants that support civic activism, generate cultural events, organize community members towards a common goal, create welcoming greenspaces, build opportunities for kids in the neighborhood, improve community safety, and much more.
Goals
Assistance from the Neighborhood Fund is intended to accomplish one or more of four broad outcomes.
- Desired Outcomes
- Develop active, engaged and knowledgeable residents
- Creation and participation in a thriving economy
- Showcase cultural vibrancy
- Support strong, healthy
Types of Assistance the Neighborhood fund offer
By providing both financial and capacity-building assistance, the Neighborhood Fund has helped residents transform their ideas and energy into results. Each Neighborhood Fund grant recipient will receive the following three types of support over the course of their grant period:
- Community Building Grant
- Neighborhood Fund Community Building grants are project grants addressing a neighborhood issue or concern. Grants of up to $15,000 are awarded to groups (defined as three or more individuals) for projects such as organizing residents around important issues, creating community gardens, safety patrols, beautification campaigns, community newsletters, etc. Grant periods can be 6 or 12 months.
- Community Coaching
- The Neighborhood Fund pairs grantees with a community coach to support the group as they pursue their funded work. A Community Coach works with an assigned group over the duration of the grant period to help set project goals, evaluate neighborhood assets, organize the community, manage the project and complete required reports. Community Foundation staff and paid consultants provide this assistance.
- Neighborhood Fund Leadership Institute
- Strong leadership is the foundation of a neighborhood’s capacity to address needs and effect change. Neighborhood Fund Leadership Institute (NFLI) increases the ability of residents to organize their communities. A requirement of receiving any Neighborhood Fund grant is that at least two representatives of the group attend the four (4) courses of the NFLI. The curriculum was developed to speak to the distinct capacity-building needs of grassroots and community-based organizations. Courses will always be held on evenings or weekends.
Funding Information
The Foundation cannot guarantee funding to every applicant, given the amount of funding available. Awards will vary in size based on the number of applicants and funds requested.
- Total funding available: up to $100,000
- Grant awards will range between: $5,000 – $15,000
Eligibility Criteria
To apply for this funding opportunity, groups must meet with following requirements:
- Geography
- Be located and providing services within the metro Atlanta region, including but not limited to: Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Henry counties
- Project must serve a geographically distinct neighborhood that has defined project boundaries and is known by name to a majority of residents
- Leadership and membership
- Groups should have at least three active leaders, such as president, secretary, and treasurer. Projects must be planned and led by at least three unrelated residents (including marriages and same household) who are directly affiliated with and reside in the community that the project intends to serve
- If the group has received a previous Neighborhood Fund grant, it must have completed the project and submitted all required reports.
- Operations
- Applicants do not need to have tax exempt status, such as a 501(c)(3)
- If a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organizations must be in good standing with the Georgia Secretary of Statenon and Internal Revenue Service (click here to verify) regulations.
- Funds may be requested for food, material, stipends, honorariums, equipment, space rental, entertainment, etc. requests for funding for administrative or overhead expenses such as rent, utilities, personnel, etc., will not be considered.
- Preference will be given to applications from groups that:
- Demonstrate broad community support and participation
- Are already actively engaged in creative community projects
- Show the capacity to complete the project within 6-12 months
- Propose projects that address significant issues and will have clear benefits for the neighborhood
- Build upon existing strengths and partnerships, such as special skills of residents and relationships with a school or other community partner
For more information, visit Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.
