Love My Hood matching grant

• Renew or revitalize neighbourhood public and green spaces, contributing to neighbourhood beautification and celebration.
• Foster neighbourhood pride and sense of belonging.
• Develop stronger relationships between neighbours and neighbourhood groups.
• Improve safety, accessibility and/or mobility.
• Entrust residents to become more actively involved in their neighbourhoods through working together as neighbours. 
• Build capacity for long-term change built by neighbours working together. 

• Is composed of multiple people who live and/or work in the neighbourhood.
• Gathered the wider neighbourhood’s support for the project, including, at a minimum, notifying all residents within 120 m of the project site. To encourage greater community engagement, preference will be given to groups who demonstrate in their application that they have gone above the minimum engagement requirements.
• Has a project budget outlining how they propose to match the grant funding with community resources (in-kind or in-cash).
• Has a bank account with at least two people named as signatories.
• Agrees to report back upon completion of the project, including an accounting of all revenues, expenses and proof of purchases. 

• Will occur within Kitchener city limits and be geographically defined within a neighbourhood. Acceptable locations include:
• City of Kitchener land, such as parks, trails, greenways, boulevards, parking areas, cul-de-sacs, etc.
• Other public land owned by school boards, Region of Waterloo, etc.
• Private land that is accessible to the general public (e.g. parking lots, green space around faith/cultural buildings, not-for-profit organizations, etc.)
• The application is for a one-time funding request for a neighbourhood project. Please note that this grant is not intended for ongoing maintenance costs.
• The project contributes to neighbourhood identity.
• The project is equitable, encouraging diverse neighbourhood involvement and participation of residents, community members and volunteers in the project planning and process. Preference will be given to projects that provide more opportunities for residents based on their age, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, generation, language, region and socio-economic status, with at least one grant per year being awarded to projects in each of the city’s 10 wards, provided qualified applications exist.
• We will not provide grant funding, financial support or any other financial or in-kind contribution to any person, including any individual, body, business, or entity, that hosts, arranges, contributes to or promotes Conversion Practices. Learn more about this policy on LaserFiche.

Projects occurring on non-city land will be considered only if they:  

• Are accessible to the general public.
• Include neighbourhood residents in the project planning and implementation process.
• Have received advanced permission from the landowner. 

• Cash donations.
• Ongoing volunteer labour/time (valued at $20 per hour).
• Donated professional or contractor services, including services from artists and arts organizations (valued at the reasonable retail value of the product/service).
• Donated materials and supplies (valued at retail prices).
• Borrowed equipment (valued at the cost necessary if it were to be rented). 

• Organizational structure of your group.
• Key contact names, including a statement identifying the individual who will lead the project and ensure that the funds granted will be used solely for the purposes identified.
• Project description, including how it reaches the goals of the grant outlined in section one.
• Details of the project demonstrating that it meets the criteria set out in section two and section three.
• Your plan to complete your project and proposed schedule (up to a 12 month time-frame).
• Budget, including any anticipated revenues, in kind contributions, and expenses. 

•  All grant requests will be reviewed and evaluated by the Love My Hood Matching Grant Selection Committee. The committee consists of a maximum of 10 members, including four City of Kitchener staff and six resident volunteers.
• The selection committee will begin reviewing applications after each quarterly grant deadline, which will occur in March, May, August and November. 
• Groups will be notified of the outcome of their application as soon as possible, but typically within 4 to 6 weeks of application submission. This will give City staff time to navigate internal processes and departments on your behalf and determine the next steps to make approved projects a reality.   
• To ensure multiple areas of the city benefit from this grant, preference will be given to awarding at least one grant per year for each of the city’s 10 wards, provided qualified applications exist.
• To ensure an equitable distribution of grants, priority will be given to new or emerging neighbourhood groups who will benefit the most from funding support. Applications from these new and emerging groups will be given priority consideration during each quarterly intake period over applications from neighbourhoods and groups that have previously received considerable funding through LoveMyHood.
• The selection committee may choose not to distribute the full funding amount available per intake period. Any remaining funds will be carried forward into the next intake period.
• A group may apply for multiple grants during each intake period, but may only receive one grant per intake.
• This is a one-time grant not intended to provide financial support on a recurring basis. Please note that this grant is not intended for ongoing maintenance costs.
• Each LoveMyHood Matching Grant applicant and project is unique, and these guidelines cannot address every possible project scenario. Please connect with City of Kitchener staff for additional information. 

• Financial Details
• Community Engagement
• Insurance
• Design
• Implementation
• Maintenance
• Communications
• Recognition and Sponsorships