Item 2C: Adoption of Neighborhood Matching Grants

Home Browse Search

Request for Proposals Neighborhood Matching Grants $50,000 total funds available Pre-review deadline is December 3, 2007 Final applications are due at 5 p.m., Friday, February 22, 2008 Submit applications to: Beth Bridges, Neighborhood Services Planning and Development Department th 99 West 10 Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97401 or fax to 682-5572 For more information, call 682-5272 or e-mail beth.b.bridges@ci.eugene.or.us Purpose Eugene’s City Council established Neighborhood Matching Grants to encourage people to collaboratively identify and actively participate in ways to make their neighborhood better. What kind of grants? The City of Eugene is offering $50,000 in grants for projects of varying sizes. Grants are available for immediate use for neighborhood physical improvements and neighborhood-building events that benefit Eugene residents. Proposals must be for capital projects or one-time events, not on-going services. The minimum grant is $250, the maximum is $25,000. The value of the total project may not exceed $50,000. Grant funds cannot be used to fund another City department. Project sites are not limited to City property, as long as the project is for the general public good and the property owner agrees with the proposal and provides welcoming, obvious public access to the site for at least 5 years. Some portion of the project must be within Eugene’s Urban Growth Boundary. Who can apply? Proposals will only be accepted from groups of people living, working, or owning property within the area affected by the grant. A neighborhood group may be an existing group whose membership is from a commonly recognized geographic area (e.g., neighborhood association, business association, or school site council) or a group of neighbors who get together specifically to work on a project. A community-based organization (public, private, or non-profit) may not apply on its own, but is encouraged to partner with a neighborhood group. Grants must be endorsed by your Neighborhood Association prior to submission for the pre-review. What’s the match? City funds must be matched by at least the same amount of cash donations, donated materials and supplies, or volunteer labor. No more than half of the match may come from contributions outside the immediate neighborhood or other government agencies. The applicant’s match may not include resources from other City departments. Documentation of the match must be submitted with the application. The match begins when the grant is awarded. Credit will not be given retroactively. Of the City portion, up to $1,000 per grant may be requested up front to cover project start-up costs. Is help available? We’re here to help! Contact Beth Bridges for information or assistance. She can reached at 682-5272 or via e-mail (beth.b.bridges@ci.eugene.or.us). A pre-review is required . Submit to the Neighborhood Services office by January 15, 2007: your project concept, draft budget, approximate time line, the endorsement of your neighborhood association, and a description of how you will get neighborhood involvement and provide the match. The more specific information you submit, the better feedback staff can give you. Neighborhood Services will ensure that the appropriate City staff review your proposal for compatibility with existing plans (e.g., master parks plans, neighborhood refinement plans). Staff will also flag any concerns with materials, costs, liabilities, and feasibility of the project plan.