Deadline: 15-Jan-22
The Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN) is seeking applications for its Community Grants Program to support community groups and residents in North and Northeast Portland who want to improve, build and strengthen the bonds of community through creative and impactful work.
Funding Information
- $27,000 total will be awarded in the 21-22 grant cycle. Awards amounts will range between $500 and $3000. The Average award size is $2,000.
Project categories
- Community Conversations: Forums large and small convening community members, elders, youth, church leaders, advocacy groups, art goers and others to listen, discuss and act upon issues of aging, race, health, sexuality and urban development
- Youth Empowerment Projects: Intergenerational cooking classes, after-school programs, gardening projects, graffiti removal and mentorship programs.
- Community Input on the Built Environment: Neighborhood walking tours, conversations between communities and governmental planning agencies.
- Environmental Education: Projects that raised awareness of bees and other pollinators, plastic pollution, reuse strategies.
- Community-building Activities: Street tree plantings, fruit tree harvest parties, National Night Out parties, music and food festivals, cultural events.
- Partnerships: Projects that build relationships between neighborhoods and local organizations such as schools, PTA’s, churches, non-profits and businesses.
- Accesibility: Providing language translation and interpretation, childcare, or other efforts to make activities more accessible.
What they look for?
Funding rounds take place annually, and are awarded based on a project’s potential to:
- Involve and benefit a diverse group of people
- Build leadership skills, relationships and partnerships, especially with and among underrepresented groups
- Increase community capacity to influence public decisions and shape the future of Inner North/Northeast Portland
- Create unique projects with the potential to make an impact in communities large and small
Eligible Projects
NECN’s community grants only support work performed in its service area. Grants must primarily benefit the residents and community of this area, and applications will be assessed based on the potential to impact positively the greatest number of people and on its overall public benefit. The purpose of this program is to help improve the quality of life for inner N/NE residents and also meet one or more of the following goals:
- Increase the number and diversity of people who are involved and engaged in their communities and neighborhoods;
- Strengthen neighborhood and community capacity to build community leadership, identity, skills, relationships and partnerships; and
- Increase community and neighborhood impact on public decisions and community life.
- Addresses barriers and/or access to social determinants of good health such as: nutrition, environmental and educational equity and access to healthcare.
- Demonstrate benefits and/or relevance to a broad group of participants.
Eligibility Criteria
- Community groups, neighborhood and business associations, non-profits, schools, faith organizations, and local collaborative project teams are all encouraged to apply. Individual residents need to be working in a collaborative team partnership with team members who are willing to share ownership and responsibility for project goals and outcomes.
- Project proposals must meet the following requirements:
- Projects must take place in and/or benefit primarily the residents of the NECN area.
- In the case of partnerships between organizations, applicants must show proof of partnership by submitting a formal letter of support on letterhead from the partner organization, describing the details of the partnership and specific roles of each partner.
- An applicant must have 501 (c) 3 nonprofit status from the IRS or have fiscal sponsorship from a 503 (c) 3 nonprofit organization to apply.
- Grant awards are not available for projects that have already received NECN funding for two consecutive years.
For more information, visit https://www.necoalition.org/grants