The Department of Neighborhood Services and Community Development announced the availability of funding for the Neighborhood Partners Program (NPP). Limited funding is available for neighborhood projects that focus on development by attracting new and diverse membership, beautification and community pride efforts such as landscaping a neighborhood entrance, and reducing the City’s environmental footprint by planting trees. Proposed projects must demonstrate civic participation and create community-based solutions that will substantially improve neighborhoods as well as nurture relationships among neighbors. 

 Neighborhood associations and neighborhood-based groups located within the Chattanooga City limits are eligible to apply for these highly competitive funds. A neighborhood association or neighborhood-based group is defined as a voluntary group of residents and/or property owners who advocate for common concerns or organize activities within defined neighborhood boundaries. Projects will be evaluated by an independent selection committee based on a point system and the following criteria: capacity, impact, implementation/evaluation, and sustainability. 

 This program supports neighborhood associations and neighborhood-based groups in carrying out development activities and improvements using the cooperative efforts of a project team and voluntary contributions of neighborhood individuals, businesses, schools and other organizations. NPP responds to years of input from neighborhood and community leaders for increased direct resources to neighborhood associations and other community-based groups working on local neighborhood projects. In most cases, this program is the only source of funding for these small-scale neighborhood projects. 

Over the past seven years, 296 neighborhood and community organization projects have been funded through the Neighborhood Partners Program. Organizations interested in submitting proposals must attend a technical assistance workshop in order to be eligible for funds, to answer questions about the application process, the application and what projects are eligible for funding. 

The workshops will be held on the following dates:
 Monday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m.
 Monday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.
 Monday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. 

 All workshops will be held at City Hall in the 3rd floor training room. Pre-registration is not required. Guidelines and applications are available at the Department of Neighborhood Services and Community Development on the 2nd Floor of City Hall. The application deadline is Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 4 p.m. For more information, contact Lauren Lowery at 425-3718 or lowery_l@mail.chattanooga.gov.