Have a great plan for improving Fremont? The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (DON) has announced that its three Neighborhood Matching Funds – the Small Sparks, Small & Simple Projects, and the Large Projects Fund – are open and available. These funds support the efforts of community members to build stronger neighborhoods and realize visions for enhancing the character of Seattle’s communities – including Fremont.
The DON will be holding public workshops for learning about the application process, and the types of projects typically chosen for these fund sources, for all but the Small Sparks Fund, which provides awards of up to $1,000 per project. Applications for the Small Sparks program can be accepted year-round and is best used for implementing small, one-time community projects such as Neighbor Appreciation Day, Night Out, Earth Day, Trick-or-Treat In Fremont, a Fremont Neighborhood Council street clean-up (Fremont…Bright!) and others.
A public workshop will be held at the Phinney Neighborhood Center on Wednesday, January 14th, from 6p – 8p, on the Small & Simple Projects Fund, which provides awards of up to $25,000. The deadlines for applications for this fund, in 2015, are 5p on February 2, June 1, or October 5. To learn more about the guidelines for the Small & Simple Fund, plan to attend the Jan 14th workshop, and RSVP at 206/733-9916 or go on-line. Additional workshops will be offered prior to each future Small & Simple application deadline.
The Large Projects Fund, which awards up to $100,000 per project, is open to applications only until 5p on May 4th, but the DON will host several workshops leading up to the deadline as it is mandatory for interested parties to attend one before applying. Workshops take place from 6p – 8p on:
- Tuesday, Feb10; at Northgate Community Center
- Thursday, Feb 19; at Casa Latina
- Tuesday, Mar 10; at High Point Community Center
- Thursday, Mar 18; at Northgate Community Center
- Wednesday, Apr 1; at Garfield Community Center
- Thursday, April 9; at El Centro de la Raza
These workshops have staff on hand to advise on ways to develop successful applications and projects. Also, those interested in applying are strongly encouraged to contact a Neighborhood Matching Fund Project Manager at 206/233-0093 or NMFund@seattle.gov.