The Neighborhood Engagement Grant program provides funding to help registered neighborhood associations host events and activities that bring residents, businesses, and organizations together to strengthen neighborhood connections.
Donor Name: City of Fort Wayne
State: Indiana
City: Fort Wayne
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/11/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year
Details:
The program’s goal is to encourage collaboration and volunteerism in neighborhoods and address collective needs in a way that can make a positive and lasting impact.
Eligible Projects
An Engagement Event/Program that improves activation of public spaces or includes educational components which are responsive to collective needs or interests of neighborhood.
- An Engagement Event/Program that substantially utilizes volunteers and/or develops partnerships between an Association and businesses and organizations in the Association’s neighborhood.
- Neighborhood Block Party or Social Event (Engagement Grant may fund food costs, food truck deposits, non-alcoholic beverages, games, prizes, non-raffle giveaways, music, DJs, entertainment, tables, chairs, event/program marketing, space rental)
- Project Party (Engagement Grant may fund neighborhood clean-up, lending library creation, temporary art installation, neighborhood landscaping event)
- Educational Programs (Engagement Grant may fund appearance of professional organizations to educate neighborhood residents and provide relevant resources for collective benefit of neighborhood residents; traffic calming; crime prevention; environmental design; rainwater collection; permaculture gardening; home and window repairs; use of 311/City services; etc.)
- Association Engagement (Engagement Grant may fund Association communications to neighborhood residents about upcoming events and meetings, food and non-alcoholic beverages for meeting, and one-time purchase of meeting supplies)
Funding Information
Grants range from a minimum of $2,000 up to $5,000, and support activities like block parties, educational workshops, neighborhood clean-up events, and social gatherings.
Grant period
The Engagement Event/Program must be held between July 1, 2025, and December 24, 2025.
Eligibility Criteria
The City of Fort Wayne Neighborhood Engagement Grant Program (“Program”) is a unique opportunity for Neighborhood Associations to expand engagement and collaboration among the Association and the residents, businesses and organizations located in the Association’s geographic area. The following significant factors should be considered when applying for an Engagement Grant:
- Only one Engagement Grant may be awarded to an Association in any year.
- Associations applying for an Engagement Grant must be registered with City prior to submitting the Engagement Grant Application.
- Engagement Grant Applications are reviewed and evaluated by City as a condition to the award of an Engagement Grant. A point system is utilized by City to assess the originality and comprehensiveness of each Engagement Grant Application.
- The Engagement Event/Program may be a single Event/Program or a continuous or recurring Event/Program (i.e. a series of neighborhood meetings); however, the Engagement Grant may be used only to fund the initial Engagement Event/Program.
- An Engagement Event/Program funded by an Engagement Grant shall not be used to leverage or raise additional funds. The Engagement Grant shall be used only to implement the Engagement Event/Program.
- An Association shall provide proof of liability insurance coverage prior to hosting an Engagement Event/Program. A portion of the Engagement Grant award shall be used to purchase liability insurance if coverage is not purchased and in place in advance of the Engagement Event/Program.
- The Engagement Grant Application provides payment to Engagement Event/Program vendors upon the Association’s receipt of all vendor invoices once the event is completed, or periodically upon receipt of Engagement Event/Program vendor invoices as the event is planned.
- An Engagement Event/Program shall provide meaningful engagement of residents, businesses and organizations within an Association’s geographic area.
For more information, visit City of Fort Wayne.
