BLOOMINGTON – The City of Bloomington Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) invites residents to apply for City funding to improve their neighborhoods. Applications for funding through four kinds of neighborhood grants described below are now available for the 2023 application cycle.
Neighborhood Improvement Grant
The Neighborhood Improvement Grant is designed to give residents a direct role in the improvement of their neighborhoods. The funds provide for non-traditional capital projects with community-wide benefits, that are shown to have broad neighborhood support. Projects may include those not typically covered by traditional City programs, including physical improvements and public art. Funds may also be used to develop designs for a proposed project. Past grants have funded neighborhood entrance signs, street sign toppers, playground equipment, community benches, historic sidewalk restoration, message centers, public art installations, and landscaping.
To apply for a Neighborhood Improvement Grant, a neighborhood representative considering submitting an application must attend the virtual informational meeting on Monday, January 30, at 7 p.m. (The meeting is not required of applicants for the additional neighborhood grants described below.) Letters of Intent are due on Monday, February 6. Applications are due on Monday, March 20. Please visit https://bton.in/r8aZO for guidelines and the application.
Small & Simple Grants
The Small & Simple Grant program offers funding up to $500/year through September 1 by way of two programs:
- The traditional Small & Simple Grant funds community-building opportunities that might not be available, from training sessions to neighborhood newsletters and celebrations.
- The Small & Simple Grant to Control Invasive Plant Species funds neighborhood-wide initiatives to remove invasive species and replace them with native plants. The grant program is available through a partnership between HAND and Monroe County Identify and Remove Invasive Species (mc-iris.org).
Guidelines and applications for both kinds of Small & Simple Grants are available at https://bton.in/IW2Ww.
Neighborhood Cleanup Grant
The Neighborhood Cleanup Grant provides an opportunity for neighbors to work together to build community and instill pride in their neighborhoods. Cleanup is a one-day event during which volunteers from the neighborhood receive support from City staff and equipment assistance to dispose of trash, tires, scrap metal, hazardous material, and brush. Two Neighborhood Cleanup Grants will be awarded through a competitive application process in 2023. Please visit https://bton.in/3umKG for guidelines and the application.
For more information about any of the HAND grant programs, please contact Neighborhood Services Program Manager Angela Van Rooy at angela.vanrooy@bloomington.in.gov or 812-349-3505.
