Neighborhood Matching Funds

Large Projects Fund

The Large Projects Fund is for projects that request more than $15,000, up to $100,000, and can be completed within a 12-month timeframe. Requests to the Large Projects Fund are made using a two step application process - submittal of a Letter of Intent to Apply, followed by the Large Projects Fund application about two months later. An Application cannot be submitted if it is not preceded by a Letter of Intent. Letters of Intent to Apply and Applications are accepted at least once a year; refer to the Application Deadlines for specific information about due dates.

Who Can Apply:

Applications are accepted from:

• Neighborhood-based organizations of residents or businesses.
• Local, community -based organizations that advocate for the interests of people of color.
• Ad-hoc groups of neighbors who form a committee solely for the purpose of carrying out a specific project.
• All applicants groups must have an open membership and must actively seek involvement from area residents and/or businesses.

Types of Projects:

Proposed projects must "fit" one of the following types:

1. Race Relations and Social Justice - Create grassroots opportunities for diverse communities to interact, encourage mutual understanding and respect, celebrate uniqueness, openly address issues of racial and social inequity, and help improve the quality of life for all City residents. R&SJ projects do not have to be neighborhood based under the Small and Simple Fund category.

Examples:

• Building better and stronger relationships between the police and communities of color
• Bridging language and cultural barriers between grassroots communities
• Youth or senior-led projects
• Leadership development training/mentoring in under-represented communities
• Cultural events
• Public education events/campaign related to discrimination and bias

2. Neighborhood Planning and/or Design Project - A plan, design, or report outlining specific actions that will serve as a guide for future action in, or changes to, your neighborhood.

3. Capacity Building Project - Create, diversify, or enlarge participation in a community, neighborhood-based association or organization in a low-income neighborhood that diversifies and benefits community members in the neighborhood.

4. Neighborhood Physical Improvement Project - Build or enhance a physical improvement in your neighborhood.

5. Neighborhood Non-Physical Improvement Project - An activity or event such as a festival or celebration, a training session, an educational campaign, or a workshop. A festival or celebration will only be funded one time.

6. Public School Partnership Project - Pilot or start-up program that directly benefits the families and children/youth at a neighborhood public school and its immediate neighborhood.

Review Process:

Once an Application is submitted, it is reviewed and rated by two different groups of citizens: the District Council (made up of representatives from the neighborhood where the project takes place) and the Citywide Review Team (representatives from each of the District Councils, as well as ad hoc members assigned by the Department of Neighborhoods.) District Councils only review and rate projects from their district; the Citywide Review Team rates all projects. Once the reviews are complete, each project is assigned a "final score/rating" (the average of the District and Citywide Review Team scores); then the citywide group - relying on the projects' final scores - prepares award recommendations for approval by the Mayor and City Council. The review process, followed by Mayor and City Council approval, will take about 3 months to complete.

Rating Criteria:

Applications are rated using the following criteria:

• Project Idea (20)
  
  
• Provides a good description of what the project is and why you want to do it. (10)
  
  
• Project is based on principles of local control, self-help, and collective action with a clear public benefit. (10)
  
  
• Builds Community (30)
  
  
• Project encourages widespread participation and provides opportunities to bring people together to work on a neighborhood/community issue. (10)
  
  
• Project promotes interaction and builds community between different groups, such as renters, business owners, seniors, or different ethnic or racial groups. (10)
  
  
• Project provides a "neighborhood to neighborhood" connection with opportunities for communities to learn from each other and act as partners. (5)
  
  
• Project promotes meaningful collaboration between youth and adults. (5)
  
  
• Project Feasibility (15)
  
  
• Budget is reasonable and appropriate. (10)
  
  
• Activities are well planned, timeline is realistic, and project has a clear beginning and end. (5)
  
  
• Community Match (25)
  
  
• Documented match is realistic and appropriate to the project and is representative of the demographic make-up of the community, i.e. represents different segments of the community. (10)
  
  
• Match is documented with signatures demonstrating widespread participation and support for the project. (15)
  
  
• Outcomes (10)
  
  
• Description of how the neighborhood/community will be different as a result of this project with anticipated outcomes clearly identified. (10)

Refer to the Neighborhood Matching Fund Guidelines (Adobe PDF) for more information about the Large Projects Fund, as well as the requirements that must be met to successfully apply and receive a Large Projects Fund award. More importantly, contact the Neighborhood Matching Fund Staff person assigned to your neighborhood for early advice and guidance about developing a project idea and preparing a competitive application.