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Grant money available for local volunteer groups

December 5, 2011 Editorial Staff

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Volunteer-led community and school groups are eligible to applyfor up to $3,000 in grant money for neighborhood improvementprojects from Citizens Committee for New York City (CCNYC) as partof the New Yorkers for Better Neighborhoods Awards program.

The grants can be used for any neighborhood improvement projectinitiated and led by local residents. CCNYC believes that strongerneighborhoods are built by neighbors working together to improvethe quality of life in their community. Examples of past projectsinclude community gardens, public health, tenant organizing drives,safety and crime prevention, school recycling campaigns, artsprojects, noise control, and simple neighborhood cleanups.

As part of this program, neighborhood groups, including thosenot receiving a New Yorkers for Better Neighborhoods Award, canreceive project planning assistance, participate in skills-buildingworkshops, and have access to an equipment resource library to helpmake their projects a success.

New Yorkers from Co-Op City to Park Hill, from Far Rockaway toWashington Heights and every where in between should come togetherwith their neighbors and apply for a grant to improve theirneighborhoods, said Peter H. Kostmayer, CEO of CCNYC.

Whether the neighborhood needs more greenery, access to freshfoods, after-school projects for kids, or any other improvement toquality of life, I encourage all community-based and neighborhoodgroups, including block and civic associations, public schools,gardening groups, and new immigrant communities to apply for agrant, he said. Groups do not need to be a registered 501(c)(3)to get an award from Citizens Committee.

Groups may download an application or complete it online atwww.citizensnyc.org/grants by January 31, 2012. The application isavailable in English, Spanish, and Mandarin.

Citizens Committee is holding a limited number of applicationworkshops throughout the five boroughs to answer any questionsabout the application process. For more information about thegrants and the workshops, interested parties should contactWilfredo Florentino at 212-822-9568 /[email protected].