Editor’s note: The following is a press release from the City of Bloomington. Bloom has republished it here with minor edits for style and clarity.

The City of Bloomington Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) invites residents to apply for City funding to improve their neighborhoods. Applications for funding through four neighborhood grant programs are currently being accepted for the 2021 application cycle. 

The Neighborhood Improvement Grant is designed to give residents a direct role in the improvement of their neighborhoods. The funds provide for non-traditional capital projects with community-wide benefit that are shown to have broad neighborhood support. Projects may include those not typically covered by traditional City programs, including physical improvements and public art. Funds may also be used to develop designs for a proposed project. Past grants have funded neighborhood entrance signs and street sign toppers, playground equipment, historic sidewalk restoration, public art installations, and landscaping. 

To apply for a Neighborhood Improvement Grant, a representative from each neighborhood considering submission of an application must attend a virtual informational meeting, either on Tuesday, January 26 at 6 p.m. or Monday, February 1 at 7 p.m. (The meeting is not required of applicants for the additional neighborhood grants described below.) Letters of Intent are due on Monday, February 15. Applications are due on Monday, March 22. Please visit the Neighborhood Improvement Grant website for guidelines and application.  

The Small & Simple Grant program offers funding up to $500/year from January 4–September 1 through two programs: 

  • The traditional Small & Simple Grant funds community building opportunities that might not otherwise be available, from training sessions to neighborhood newsletters to celebrations.
  • The Small & Simple Grant to Control Invasive Plant Species is a pilot program that will allow for HAND grant monies to be used to fund improvements on private property with the explicit purpose of supporting neighborhood-wide initiatives to remove invasive species and replace them with native plants. The grant program is available through a partnership between HAND and Monroe County Identify and Remove Invasive Species (MC-IRIS) 

Guidelines and applications for both kinds of Small & Simple grants are available here.  

The Neighborhood Cleanup Grant provides an opportunity for neighbors to work together to build community and instill pride in their neighborhood. A cleanup is a one-day event during which volunteers from the neighborhood receive City staff assistance and equipment to dispose of trash, tires, scrap metal, hazardous material, and brush. Through a competitive application process, two Neighborhood Cleanup Grants will be awarded in 2021. Please visit the Neighborhood Cleanup Grant website for guidelines and application.

For more information, please contact Neighborhood Services Program Manager Angela Van Rooy at [email protected] or 812-349-3505.