If you have a great idea for a community improvement project, apply for a New Yorkers for Better Neighborhoods (NYBN) Award from Citizens Committee for New York City. (CCNYC). They award grants of $500 to $3,000 to volunteer-led groups to work on projects that bring neighbors together and that have a positive impact on the community. They also offer project planning assistance and skills-building workshops.
Recent awards have enabled neighbors to come together to make healthy food available in their communities, transform empty lots into community gardens, organize tenants to advocate effectively for better housing conditions, and start school recycling programs.
The deadline for applying for the next grant is January 31, 2012. For a grant application and more information, click here or call or e-mail Arif Ullah at (212) 822-9580 or aullah @
Upcoming NYBN Grant Application Workshops (None of them are in Brooklyn.)
Downtown Manhattan (CCNYC Offices):
Monday, December 12th, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 11th, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Queens (Queens Borough Hall, Room 213), Kew Gardens):
Thursday, December 8th, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The Bronx (Bronx Library Center):
Thursday, January 12th, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Room C21)
To attend a workshop, RSVP to Wilfredo at (212) 822-9568 or send an e-mail to wflorentino @ citizensnyc.org.