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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIGNITE Pamphlet 2025 (3)IGNITE 2025 Innovation Grants for Neighborhood Inspiration, Transformation, and Enhancement Welcome to the City of South Bend IGNITE Grant! South Bend is proud of its historic and vibrant neighborhoods and the connections that they offer for residents. To support that vibrancy and connection, the City of South Bend’s Department of Community Investment and Engagement and Economic Empowerment (E3) team is offering grants from a minimun of $5,000 to a maximum of $15,000 to neighborhood associations to create and expand ways to connect, engage, and grow. The funds provide for small neighborhood-based projects with community-wide benefit. Grant requires applicants to involve as many residents as possible and it is important to start that community involvement early, including with the application process! The E3 team is here to for support and encouragement, but we cannot coordinate neighborhood residents or do the work of the project itself. These grants are for neighborhood associations to take ownership of their communities in order to build a better future for all. Please find key information points below. Applicants must review all materials carefully before beginning as there are items that require outreach and planning. Chief among those is making sure your neighborhood association has developed a team (including possible partnerships), gotten feedback from neighborhood residents about your project, and put a budget together. To help you plan, we’ve also created a checklist for the grant and a list of sample projects. We could not be more excited to work with you on your project! Thank you for helping make South Bend a better place for residents to live, grow, and thrive. IGNITE The following expenses will not be considered for funding: The goal of the Neighborhood IGNITE Grant program is to improve South Bend neighborhoods through innovative projects that spark community engagement and development and are led by neighborhood residents themselves. The City of South Bend is offering grants of up to $15,000 to support projects that fall into the following general categories: wildflower gardens, tree planting murals, sculptures, street painting, signal box wraps community garden sidewalk connections, lighting, informal signage walking paths, outdoor exercise equipment, compost, bike racks, bike repair station Other Beautification Public Art Food Security/Access Public Safety Health & Wellness Public Space Enhancement Neighborhood Signage • • • • • Expenses incurred prior to application date Tree removal or pruning or general maintenance (including watering), unless part of a larger beautification project Events, activities, programs, and services usually included in the organization’s regular budget; unless the new funding is for significant improvements Operating expenses, including salaries and stipends Expenses that can be covered through the City of South Bend’s Neighborhood Toolkit What is the IGNITE Grant? neighborhood identification signs, information We are open to other creative project ideas generated by neighborhoods!We B picnic areas, seating, shared spaces, large capacity grills, park benches Who? The program is administered by the City of South Bend’s Engagement and Economic Empowerment (E3) team. The grant program is exclusively for neighborhood associations and the residents within the neighborhood. A neighborhood association must identify neighborhood boundaries and develop a committee of at least 5 neighborhood residents. To learn more about organizing your neighborhood, see our Neighborhood Toolkit. Why? South Bend has a rich and proud history of neighborhoods. Investments in our neighborhoods and neighborhood associations are one of the best ways to facilitate community connection and provide the opportunity for residents to organize and advocate for themselves. The importance of local action is critical, and we want local action and we want to do everything we can to make South Bend neighborhoods places for every resident to live, grow, and thrive. How? As these grants offer funding up to $15,000, the applying neighborhood must have a tax identification number and a bank account, which requires that the association is at least recognized as a nonprofit by the State of Indiana. Organizations do not have to have 501c3 certification. Depending on the project, the City may pay vendors or suppliers directly. Where? The project must be carried out within the declared boundaries of the neighborhood. Applicants are welcome and encouraged to partner with local organizations and businesses but the project itself must be for the residents of the applying neighborhood association and provide a clear community benefit. Who can apply? Where can I host a project? How does the funding work? Why is this being offered? Must have a primary and secondary contact Must have a minimum of 4 neighborhood meetings and be able to provide meeting minutes Must have at least 5 residents who regularly participate in meetings and can provide contact information Must have an IGNITE Grant project committee in place Must be able to identify neighborhood boundaries Must meet with the Grant Administrator prior to grant application Steps One-on-one meeting with Ignite Project Manager A neighborhood representative will be required to contact the Ignite Project Manager to discuss the proposed idea(s) and the application process. The E3 team wants to ensure that the neighborhoods understand the process and the requirements of the grant. If the project requires approval from other departments of the City of South Bend, neighborhood representatives may be required to speak with other city representatives to get approval of the project as part of the application process. Submit Application Submit your application and all necessary documents via the application link. Please upload all documents and be specific as possible on the details of this application. Grant Approval Process The Neighborhood IGNITE Grant will be reviewed and approved by the Engagement and Economic Empowerment team as well as representatives from other City departments. Requirements Alignment with City Goals or Strategic Plan (10 points) Project Relevance and Community Benefit (20 points) Neighborhood Engagement and Participation (20 points) Clearly addresses a community need or opportunity Demonstrates benefit to the neighborhood and residents Promotes, equity, inclusion, and/or accessibility Potential for long-term impact or sustainability Realistic timeline and project plan Demonstrates capacity to complete the project (staff, volunteers, partnerships) Approvals, permits, or permissions have been identified or obtained Can be completed within grant cycle (18 months) Supports city priorities (e.g. sustainability, public safety, beautification) Advances neighborhood goals or comprehensive plan objectives Involves neighborhood residents in project planning and implementation Builds or strengthens community connections Encourages volunteerism or collaboration with other organizations Budget is reasonable, detailed, and appropriate Costs are clearly tied to project goals Matching funds or in-kind contributions (if applicable) are included and documented Rating Criteria Project Feasibility and Readiness (20 Points) Budget and Use of Funds (15 Points) Innovation or Creativity (10 points) Demonstrates a creative or unique approach to solving neighborhood issue or enhancing community life Applicant History and Equity of Distribution (5 points) First-time applicants are prioritized to encourage broad access to city resources Consideration given to past performance of returning applicants, including compliance with reporting, timeline, and budget requirements Balances funding among neighborhoods and avoids concentration of awards in the same groups year after year Bonus Points Cross-neighborhood Collaboration (up to 5 points) Two or more neighborhood associations applying jointly for a single, shared project Demonstrates unified planning, shared responsibilities, and mutual community benefit Strengthens partnerships and promotes cohesion across neighborhood boundaries Can one neighborhood apply for multiple projects? Where should I begin if I want to organize and mobilize my neighborhood to submit a grant application this year? If we received funding in previous years, are we elligible to apply again? If the neighborhood contributes funds toward the project, will those dollars be considered part of the $15,000 cap or would it be able to expand the project beyond $15,000? Will the funds go towards completing full projects only or could partial funding be awarded? Can projects be done on private or vacant spaces within the city? Yes, all neighborhoods are eligible to apply again in 2025. However, priority may be given for neighborhoods that have not yet received a grant. Neighborhoods that received funding in the past are encouraged to propose a project that is different than the project previously funded. For example, if you did a park project in the past, we would encourage you to apply for something other than a park improvement in 2025. Donated dollars would allow the total project cost to go beyond $15,000. Proof of your donations or pledges should be submitted with your application. Start out by reviewing our Neighborhood Toolkit that offers tips for neighborhood groups looking to form. The Engagement and Economic Empowerment Team can also be a great resource to you! We can support you by printing materials to promote a neighborhood meeting, facilitating a conversation with your neighbors to determine the best improvement project and more! The review committee will determine this based on the demand and size of projects that are submitted. If there is a need to do partial funding, the review committee will contact the applicant(s) before the final recommendation is submitted for approval. We want as many high-quality applications to succeed as the budget allows. Neighborhoods that apply can only request a minimum of $5,000 to $15,000 total. Neighborhood groups are highly encouraged to reach consensus on a single project. If you apply for multiple projects, note that the review group may choose to fund one project while denying funding to another, so prioritizing them in your application is very important.Frequently Asked Questions Helpful resources may email to discuss at eee@southbendin.gov! In almost all cases, work done in the public right of way, including signage, banners and signal box wraps MUST be done by a licensed contractor. or simply send us an Projects that occur in the public right of way, including most signage, banners and signal box wraps, will need encroachment approval from the Board of Public Works. Additionally, most projects that occur on public parks will need approval from the Board of Parks Commissioners. The E3 team will help neighborhoods work through the process. A goal of the program is to fund neighborhood-based projects that provide community-wide benefit. While we prefer to see projects completed in public, city-owned spaces, we are open to exploring projects on private property on a case-by-case basis. Any project completed on private property may require the neighborhood to pay 51% of the total project costs. The match may be waived if the project is adjacent to a public amenity or feature or is accessible to the public (neighborhood signage on private property as an example). Additionally, permission from the owner and a detailed maintenance plan will need to be submitted with your application to ensure that the neighborhood can manage any upkeep successfully. What City approvals should I anticipate? Who can do work in the public right of way? Where can we find plans and/or codes to make sure we are staying compliant with the city? plans and policies put forth by the City of South Bend, Memorial Benches Color: Location Specific Wabash Valley: Courtyard 6' Cost: $3,000 Installation: $900 2"-4" caliper. Cost: $250.00 (Installion included) Various local artists $5,000-$7,500 Color: Location Specific Brand: Dero Cost $1,200 Installation: $900 Below are a few sample projects with associated real-world pricing. These samples are by no means comprehensive, but can help neighborhood associations get someideas and a feel for how much various project types cost. All projects will be discussed prior to application submission with the Engagement and Economic Empowerment team and associated City departments, such as Venues Parks and Artsor Public Works. In some cases, items must be purchased from specific vendors. Tree Planting Public Art Bike Repair Station IGNITE Innovation Grants for Neighborhood Inspriation, Transformation, and Enhancement Sample Projects & Costs 1. Attend One-on-One meeting 2. Application Contact Information Project Summary Budget Form Attachments (optional, but likely) 3. Legal agreement (if awarded) Checklist and Calendar IGNITE Timeline July 21st- 2025 Applications are open July 28th -September 19th - One-on-One meetings scheduled with the IGNITE Project Manager September 26th- Grant applications are due by 5pm January 2026- 2025 Awards announced Checklist for Submission