Community Organizing

To strengthen the social fabric and increase resident participation in improving the quality of life, Banner’s Community Empowerment Initiative provides opportunities for residents to make their neighborhood a better place to live.
Banner’s Community Organizers:

• regularly attend community association meetings
• interact and collaborate with active residents interested in enhancing the quality of life in their neighborhood
• work with leaders to support their efforts in building strong, self-sufficient organizations
• identify and train new leaders
• provide research and technical assistance for projects and events
• recruit and encourage residents to become active
• build and maintain relationships between institutions, city agencies and service providers

Small Grants

The Small Grants Program affords residents with a simple means of obtaining funding for a variety of community building projects. Residents who wish to obtain a small grant must fill out a short application, get the approval of their community association, and write a short report upon completion of their project. In return, residents can receive up to $1,000 for community building projects.

A total of 27 Small Grants were funded to residents and neighborhood associations in 2010 for projects totaling more than $11,000.

Projects funded in 2010 were diverse, including block beautification, planning and sustainability events, community tools, community murals and school art events. Other highlights include vacant lot projects, community clean ups, Census events and new uniforms for a local wrestling club.