City of Charlotte, NC Neighborhood Tools, 6 Nov 2020

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From YouTube: Keep Charlotte Beautiful (KCB) Beautification Grant Pre-Application Workshop

Description

The Keep Charlotte Beautiful (KCB) Beautification Grant is an annual opportunity which awards up to $5,000 for community beautification projects. This competitive grant is open to neighborhoods, businesses, nonprofits, schools, and individuals citywide. This workshop will provide information on grant specifics, project ideas, and how to apply.

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All right um well welcome once again to uh the fiscal year. 2821 uh keeps all the beautiful beautification grant, uh just gonna be covering um what the grant is and how you can participate in it and what our next steps uh so just briefly going to the next page. Hopefully there we go um so I'll begin with just an overview about what keeps charlotte beautiful is who we are uh then going uh into the grant in more detail.

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Specifically, what the grant is, what the grant isn't uh then I'm going to go over a few just project ideas are project examples for you all, and each of the four main categories that keep charlotte beautiful, focuses on uh talk a little bit more about the upcoming grant, timeline uh scoring criteria and then what's next for uh everyone involved, uh so keep charlotte beautiful was founded in 1974 as the charlotte clean city committee, I was renamed, keep charlotte beautiful in 2002.

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uh That was to realign more with a main affiliate that was keep america beautiful um and uh our core values are waste reduction and recycling, litter prevention, beautification and community greening so I'll talk a little bit more about those coming up.

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So this beautification grant is an opportunity each year uh for organizations not necessarily neighborhoods, but also merchant organizations, non-profits and individuals within the city limits uh to apply for a five thousand dollar grant uh for uh idea or um in their community, specifically revolving around beautification.

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We really look for projects that are innovative and creative.

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This is a chance to improve your community and, uh like a lot of city grants, it's a reimbursement grant, meaning that uh you complete the um project and as invoices are coming in, you send those to us and we'll reimburse you for them up to five thousand dollars uh the that we like to put an emphasis on the fact that this is a competitive grant.

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Unfortunately, it is just one grand and it is just five thousand dollars, so it's not going to fund some major projects out there that some neighborhoods might be interested in or some non-profits, but it's and it is just one a year.

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um So that is why we do a multi-step process which I'll go into later, starting with letters of intent that will be uh submitted just so um and we'll select a couple of applications from that um and ultimately, we usually the uh keep charlotte beautiful board, usually selects one organization to award the grant each year.

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What this grant isn't is necessary, go back one. Hopefully there you go. What it isn't is not necessarily a neighborhood grant. Neighborhoods have been awarded this grant in the past, but it is unique uh within the grants and the neighborhood resources part of the city and that non-profits or churches individuals, families, businesses can apply for it. It's not just limited to neighborhoods. It also is not a matching grant which makes it popular with some residents.

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We do not require a volunteer match for this grant, because it is just that small pot of money- and this is not revolving money for regular maintenance projects. So um if you have, uh if you want to use this or if you need funds for your neighborhood or uh your organization, uh to uh mold your grass or trim your bushes, or something like that that and requires uh year after year, maintenance, this is not a grant for that.

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um So I'm going to be talking next about some of the things that have been covered by the grant in the past and some other ideas for you all. um So, first talking about litter prevention funds and this grant could be used for branded safety, vests t-shirts, temporary signage, gloves, tools and tool, rental and marketing efforts. You see a picture down here, I believe that's the ravenwood neighborhood received the grant in the early 2000s they purchased t-shirts and community cleanup equipment for their neighborhood.

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One thing that we'll note with this is that cleanup supplies, including litter, sticks, trash and recycling bags, are available upon request to keep charlotte beautiful.

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Therefore, this isn't normally a spot uh where we see a lot of folks apply uh normally a lot of the projects uh we get into are in the core categories that I'll go into after this.

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However, this is something that we offer. Next is waste reduction and recycling. This can include funds for educational campaigns, decorative trash and recycling. Bins has pet waste stations, uh cigarette voting boxes and or and or transitioning away from single-use materials, so below here are two photos, one of which is from a project that our board awarded funds for at highland montessori school, and I believe, 2018.

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that was for a pro project that they did in partnership with their parent teacher association, where they successfully worked with their cafeteria to transition all of their cafeteria silverware from single-use plastic to reusables.

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So that was a great project over here on. The right is project in process with this previous year's grantee galilee ministries of east charlotte, just again highlighting that organizations other than neighborhoods have received this grant in the past.

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This is part of the the funds they applied for, um went towards this uh they're converting the front of their pr property to a public park, and that's including funds for these trash and recycling bins, as well as picnic tables and a sturdier fence for their community garden.

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So those are the that project uh not only covered some waste reduction, um but also some beautification and other things as well. So it's a um an innovative project. Indeed, um next we have uh beautification.

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This can include art enhancements to beautify public spaces and places uh sculptures painted pavements, murals, mosaics, decorative sign cabinet, wraps seating and benches and much much more. This can also include facade improvements, including help your neighbor campaigns to help manage lawns landscaping and minor, exterior repairs, painting and other enhancements.

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However, again this uh shouldn't be used uh to take the place of regularly scheduled maintenance, uh so this could be used uh so an example of a help. Your neighbor event would be a one and done sort of going out throughout your neighborhood helping those long-term fixes that need to occur.

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But again, this shouldn't be something where you're paying a landscape company to mow your lawn. Every couple of weeks to the left is a an early place. Making project in the city of charlotte uh to the right is another grant recipient. uh That is the hilu academy uh sort of near the noda area.

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They had a community conversation series and then students at the academy uh paint partnered with a local neighbor um to paint their fence and create a larger street mural on that fence uh and, last but not least, is community greening. This can include community pollinator and hydroponic gardens. uh This can also include street plantings or movable planters. You know, especially if you've seen the plaza midwood neighborhood, uh with some of the the planters that they've been putting in in parking spaces.

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This is becoming more of a prevalent thing in the city, especially during the pandemic hanging, baskets, trees, shoved shrubs and other landscaping.

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uh One thing to note with this requirement is that if the project includes plantings and all of those uh plants that you purchase must be, you must have at least 50 of those being native to north carolina.

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um So the pictures here, one isn't actually, if I keep charlotte beautiful grant my apologies, but um it's of the butterfly highway garden that we have right out front of old city hall, I'm so really encouraging you all to focus on pollinators and the middle grant. The middle project is from another grant, funded and 2018.

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This was with a domestic violence, survivor shelter where they planted a pollinator garden and created a sidewalk mural and in the right, I believe, is a community garden kind of in the commonwealth area. That was from a few years back. um So those are a few other examples of projects that just to get the creative juices flowing and really start thinking about ideas for projects.

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um So in terms of the timeline, uh the next thing that are the thing that is immediately coming up is uh to submit a letter of intent by november 18th. This is just a short 250 word summary of what your project is, what you're interested in doing, maybe a little bit of a timeline and grant estimated funding request and why the project is important for your community, but really focusing that on just the description of what the project is from those letters of intent.

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Our keep charlotte beautiful board has a beautification grant committee they'll meet and select usually around five finalists to submit full applications.

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If you all are aware or familiar with the city of charlotte's, grant application software fondant, it will be used or it's the it's. The same application um style as a lot of other city applications, it's a little bit simpler and it won't be open to the public. The five finalists will receive a special link to submit an application.

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uh Those applications will be due january, 20th, 2021 uh february. 19Th 2021 is when we estimate to have contract, signing and orientation, and then the uh grant projects will be completed by december 31st 2021, so we've got about a year to do that, hopefully, with the pandemic. That's enough time as we'll get into uh with the um the awardee.

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um We are a little bit flexible in terms of that time frame so, but we really encourage projects to be completed within a year.

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um The reason that there is kind of this multi-stage process is again, as I mentioned, it's a only five thousand dollars that are typically awarded each year um to usually one uh participant or one applicant. uh Sorry, um this is just um usually what our the keep charlotte beautiful board does. um Is they take a look uh specifically at uh those projects that are asking for the full five thousand dollars uh and then, if there really aren't any that stand out to that committee, they'll move on and perhaps select two or three other grants?

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This happened previously in 2018 that was awarded to three folks, our three different organizations each had around eighteen hundred dollar projects. um However, mostly the beautification grant committee will be looking for those projects uh that are asking for five thousand dollars um looking at the scoring criteria. This is what the committee will be using um to score these projects.

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um High emphasis is put on project impact and need as well as project design. So how well the project is planned, but also how much it impacts the community I'm looking to bring in multiple stakeholders. Multiple community partners has always looked on and as a plus, also looking to, particularly when those five final applicants submit applications that their budget is sound.

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Everything is well planned out and written out um the that the project is sustainable, with ongoing costs or maintenance needs, and that, um as I said earlier, this isn't a project that is going to require uh funds to be put into it year after year after year, um also looking at uh the level of participation of the local community in this project.

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That also goes on with that impact and need of going. Is this? Something that is going to be used by the broader public is something that the committee definitely takes into consideration and, finally, last but not least, is adopt the city street participation.

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I think I recognized one or two names on this call tonight that are already adopted city street participants. We require folks to adopt who adopt city streets to adopt at least a mile of road and clean it three times or more each fiscal year. In return, we supply folks with all the materials I listed earlier in this presentation, as well as two customizable street signs, courtesy of the charlotte department of transportation.

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uh So I encourage you, regardless of whether you apply for this grant, to look into that program. uh It's it's really great. You get to work a lot with me um and our and our team, uh so um definitely looking for that. um Also as just a little bit of background on our committee. um These are folks that are appointed by the mayor and city council.

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Our board focuses on recruitment from each council district. uh Usually we have our. We aim, I think, and right now we do have at least two representatives from each council district. uh We have uh particularly a lot of folks from districts two one and six, but always looking for applicants from all of the districts.

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We'd currently have no um no vacancies on the board, but if you're interested in potentially applying to be a board member of the future, or at least getting in the pool, um please reach out to me after this meeting, and I can provide you with more information on that.

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So what's next after this presentation, I I encourage you to submit a letter of intent.

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The beautification grant website is up to date, that's a little bit of a lengthy um hyperlink there, but I will be sending this presentation and more information out after this meeting to all those that are attending tonight. This information is also available on the city's website and via a quick google search of keep charlotte beautiful beautification grant. You will find a template for that letter of intent on that website again. This should include a project description of 250 words or less. That includes the project.

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Location amount requested a tentative date of when the project will take place and the entities involved why the group is implied for this grant and how this grant will enhance the applicant's community.

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Again, referring back to that scoring that the committee uses, um I really encourage you to emphasize how the project will enhance the applicant's community and just the project description itself and again those letters of intent are due on november 18th.

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Finally, and I will have this presentation sent out this- is my contact information feel free to reach out to me after this meeting, with more con more questions as well uh and, in general guidance with the letters of intent, um um I'm happy to help and generally for folks who apply for this grant, but aren't selected. I try to help them connect with other city resources or community resources that they might look into to help fund their project.