Norfolk Summer/Fall Mini-Grants

The City of Norfolk (City) is working with the Newark Community Street Team (NCST) to design and implement a community violence intervention program. A key near-term recommendation is to create a mini-grant program while longer-term activities are in-progress.
The City will offer a Summer/Fall mini-grant program to provide low-barrier funding to Norfolk communities most impacted by gun violence. The goal of the program is to promote recovery, healing, recreation, and community-building.

The City will partner with the Norfolk Police Foundation (Foundation) to distribute the funding the program.

Funding will be considered for incorporated entities (e.g., 501c3) and organized community groups, such as civic leagues and violence intervention advocacy organizations. Grant awardees must be registered, and in good standing, with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (scc.viriginia.gov) and have an organizational banking account where grant funds will be held. Applicants must also provide a current (dated this calendar year) IRS W9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification).

Funding will not be considered directly to individuals; however, an individual can partner with a community group to jointly apply for funding.

Program funding will be available citywide but with priority to supporting events and activities in and for communities experiencing disproportionate levels of gun violence. Priority zip codes include 23504, 23508, 23510, 23517, and 23523, where Norfolk has experienced the relatively highest levels number of gun violence incidents over the last 12 months. Additional neighborhoods will be considered as available grant funds allow.

An example of an eligible activity is a neighborhood picnic or concert that addresses gun violence prevention and provides an outlet for community fellowship and healing. Successful applications must clearly articulate which community/communities will be served and the activity to be funded.
Funding will not be considered for general operating support, on-going programming, or capital expenses. The City reserves the right to conduct financial auditing for all grant recipients.

Each application will be reviewed by the grant committee and awarded up to five points for each of the following criteria:

Overall program funding will be $200,000, organized into two rounds. Each round will have $100,000 in total award funding, and the maximum award per application is $10,000.
Applicants can partner to increase impact. More experienced groups can serve as fiscal agents and mentors for groups with less grant funding experience and capacity

Grant awardees will be required to provide the following reporting to the Norfolk Police Foundation:
No later than 30 days following the grant-supported event/activity/program, a report summarizing goals, activities, communities served, and any associated media products (e.g., photo imagery, video)
No later than 45 days following the grant-supported event/activity/program, a final, self-certified grant expenditure report accounting for all awarded funds. This includes a narrative of how funds were spent with receipts and cancelled checks.

Round #1 will open for applications on Monday, July 25th at 12:00 p.m. and close on Friday, August 12th at 11:59 p.m. Due to the high number of applications award notifications will be made no later than Friday, August 30th. Round #1 funding must be executed no later than Monday, November 14th.

Round #2 will also open for applications on Monday, July 25th at 12:00 p.m. and close on Friday, September 16th at 11:59 p.m. Award notifications will be made no later than Friday, October 7th. Round #2 funding must be executed no later than December 31st.

Applicants can indicate round preference on the application but cannot receive funding in both rounds. The application review committee will work to balance grant awards with applicants’ timing preferences.

Who can apply?

Funding will be considered for incorporated entities (e.g., 501c3) and organized community groups, such as civic leagues and violence intervention advocacy organizations. Grant awardees must be registered, and in good standing, with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (scc.virginia.gov) and have an organizational banking account where grant funds will be held. Applicants must also provide a current Federal Tax ID number (EIN).

What kind of grant opportunities are available?

Overall program funding will be $200,000, organized into two rounds. Each round will have $100,000 in total award funding, and the maximum award per application is $10,000.

When are the funding rounds for this grant?

The funding rounds are mid August through end of October 2022 and beginning of October through end of December 2022. Applicants can indicate round preference on the application but cannot receive funding in both rounds. The application review committee will work to balance grant awards with applicants’ timing preferences.

Online applications are strongly encouraged and can be completed here (Please download and read this RFP before filling out the form):

Mini-Grant application window has closed out for 2022

Online Application

Web:   www.norfolkpolicefoundation.org/contact/

Email:  support@norfolkpolicefoundation.org 

Phone: 757-328-4606

The following attributes were present in the applications that were more favorably viewed by the selection committee reviewing them during Round 1:

Specifics in the proposed spending plan. It is essential to explain how the money will be used in the application. A proposed budget in table format with specific items listed, grouped into categories, nest to their estimated costs is an excellent way to do so without needing to write a long narrative.

Explain the specific impact the requested grant dollars have on your project/event. While the spending plan tells what you will buy, you should also explain to the selection committee the impact those things you buy will have on your project’s success. Tying these two concepts together is quite helpful in conveying what you are trying to accomplish.

Sustainability and Viability of your project. Mention any partnerships with other organizations you have planned. Include other sources of support (financial or non-financial) that enhance the overall likelihood of an on-time and successful execution of your project. If you have prior experience with similar projects, mention them and share success stories.

Format and Readability: Use bullet format in narrative sections to convey more information in less space when appropriate

Request for Proposal: Read it closely and focus on areas where it explicitly discusses areas of preference (Priority zip codes; measures of success; types of events; specific needs of the community being served; goals of the program, i.e., promote recovery, healing, recreation, and community-building healing). Tie your project to these priorities and state precisely where that linkage occurs. Be aware of areas with less emphasis and preference for funding (i.e., capital spending, ongoing programming, and general operating support).

Execution: Discuss the overall timeline and scale of the event. Single day or multi-day? How many hours? How many attendees? Single venue or multiple venues? Is there a media plan for covering the event? Security arrangements (government provided or private)? An event that appears well thought out in advance and has evidence of pre-planning in place will stand out more than one written up as a “conceptual” idea.