How to Apply for an Action Grant

Neighbor Up Action Grants are meant to be accessible to grassroots residents in Cleveland and East Cleveland; you do not need a grant writer or consultant to work on your application. Just follow the steps below.

You and at least two other people who aren’t related have an idea for a project or program that would make a positive difference for people in your Cleveland or East Cleveland neighborhood. Agree on the purpose and intentions of your project together.

Individuals may not apply on their own; it’s all about ‘Neighboring Up’ to take action. Applications are due on Monday, February 10th at 11:59pm.

Proposals accepted this round need to address one of these issues:

Arts & Culture. Includes initiatives that gather people together to focus on literature, theater, music, dance, ballet, painting, sculpture, photography, motion pictures, architecture, archaeology, history, natural history, or the natural sciences. Arts & Culture includes funding for pocket parks and urban farms (natural sciences).

Neighboring. Initiatives connect residents of a single geographic area across lines of difference to build more trusting, caring communities. These include front porch nights, neighborhood clean ups, block parties, food/toy giveaways at the holidays, building understanding across lines of difference.

Seniors/Intergenerational. These projects must involve mainly people 55 and older. They can be initiatives that are led by seniors or that serve seniors. These can be initiatives that are fully focused on seniors, or they could be intergenerational activities that build relationships between seniors and other age groups.

Before You Begin

It is now mandatory that you attend a Neighbor Up Action Grant Workshop (either online or in person) to learn how to complete the application.

These sessions provide an excellent overview on the purpose of the grants, decision-making criteria by the Grant Making Committee, tips on completing your proposal, and more. Once you attend one of these sessions (either online or in person) you will be given a code to use to apply for funding. You cannot apply without the code.

Online Workshop:

  • Once you have watched the video & received your access code, follow these steps:
    • Open the Grants Portal
    • Sign-in or create a new account
    • Enter the code in the box at the top right of the screen (see pictured below)
    • Once you have entered the code, you can begin completing the Neighbor Up Action Grants Application

In Person Workshops:

You may attend an in person Grantseeker Workshop instead of the online workshop.

  • The code to access the application will be given to you during the workshop.
  • You do not need to register for the in-person workshops prior to attending.
  • Dates, Times, and Locations for the In-Person Grantseeker Workshops are as follows:
    • Tuesday, January 21st, 2025
      • 6pm to 8pm
      • Neighborhood Connections Office, 1971 East 66th Street, Cleveland, OH
      • Accessible via the GCRTA Health Line.
      • Free parking available at the corner of Chester and East 66th Street.
    • Thursday, January 30th, 2025
      • 1pm to 3pm

      • Neighborhood Connections Office, 1971 East 66th Street, Cleveland, OH

One-on-One Grant Proposal Assistance

    • One on one grantseeker assistance for those who have drafted a copy of your proposal is offered the week of February 3rd.
      • You may drop in to the Neighborhood Connections office (1971 East 66th) between 10am and 4pm on Tuesday (February 4th), Wednesday (February 5th), or Thursday (February 6th) for assistance or you may call our office and speak to someone in the office for help during those hours for assistance (216.361.0042).

Application Instructions:

Step 1

Decide on a name for your project, and what neighborhood you will start with/focus on. Decide which individual will serve as the point of contact for the grant.

Step 2

Choose a focus area that best describe your project.

  • Arts & Culture. These initiatives focus on literature, theater, music, dance, ballet, painting, sculpture, photography, motion pictures, architecture, archaeology, history, natural history, or the natural sciences.
  • Neighboring. These initiatives connect residents of a single geographic area across lines of difference to build more trusting, caring communities.
  • Senior/Intergenerational. These initiatives must involve mainly people 55 and older. They can be initiatives that are led by seniors or that serve seniors. These can be initiatives that are fully focused on seniors, or they could be intergenerational activities that build relationships between seniors and other age groups.

Step 3

Decide on a fiscal sponsor for your grant. The fiscal sponsor must be a nonprofit under section 501c3 of the US tax code.

Step 4

Develop a budget that includes a grant request of $500-$5,000, along with matching funds in volunteer time, in-kind donations or other funds raised. You can use this sample budget template.

Step 5

Review the application questions and formulate responses. You can download them here or view them inside the grants interface.

Step 6

Ask your partners to provide letters of support.

Step 7

Complete your application and submit it by the deadline.

Log into our Grants Interface, creating an account for yourself if it’s your first time. You will need the code provided from the Grantseeker Workshop to access the grant application.