Neighborhood Matching Fund applications now open

Meghan Walker Ballard

If you have an idea for improving Ballard with community projects, it’s time to apply for the city’s Neighborhood Matching Fund.

The Seattle Department of Neighborhood’s has two funds available: the Small Sparks Fund and the Community Partnership Fund, which are designed to support projects such as park improvements, public art, cultural festivals, and community organizing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=5XgnvVICpe4

The Community Partnership Fund will award grants up to $25,000 per project, and is changing somewhat from previous years: they’ll aim to support a broader variety and number of community projects, and will begin phased project planning to help projects move along. Deadlines for this fund are also phased throughout the year: March 4, June, 3, and September 9.

The Small Sparks Fund can provide up to $5,000 per project. The fund is intended for projects such as Night Out activities, Neighbor Day, and neighborhood clean-ups. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until October 31, but they must be submitted six to eight weeks prior to start of project.

Examples of projects funded in Ballard include outdoor movies in the Ballard Commons Park, an eight-month youth orchestra series with the Ballard Civic Orchestra, Viking Days at the Nordic Museum, and replacing a Haida totem pole at Baker Park in Crown Hill. Organizations provide their own matching funds in money, volunteer labor or donated materials.

The Neighborhood Matching Fund team will host Saturday workshops (10am – 11:30am) around the city that will cover guidelines, requirements, and the application process. Here’s a list of upcoming workshops:

To apply for either fund or to learn more about criteria, click here.

Archive photo of a previously funded project, the Mighty-O boat in Ballard

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