Neighborhood Beautification Grant
Fiscal Year 2024-2025
The Neighborhood Beautification Grant (NBG) initiative, a component of the City’s Community Partnerships & Engagement Division (CPED), is designed to engage and encourage residents to work with their neighbors on an enhancement and improvement project that promotes healthier, safer, and cleaner neighborhoods, while strengthening community connections and the social fabric within them.
The NBG objective is to cultivate healthy and resilient neighborhoods, support engaged and informed residents, stimulate a thriving community, and properly manage shared assets and spaces to achieve a collective impact in the development of neighborhood communities and service delivery strategies to improve the overall quality of life in Salinas.
Building partnerships and relationships with Salinas residents is a priority to the City of Salinas staff and elected officials. The NBG supports in building the desired connection with residents and helps with fostering long-term relationships, as complimented by the community. To carry on with the program, the City council approved an allocation of funds for beautification projects in the amount of $42,000, to be equally distributed at $6,000 to each Council District and the Mayor’s office. Each council district representative is given the opportunity to identify and select an eligible proposed community project to allocate funds to.
The NBG was established to encourage community groups, organizations, and/or individuals to unite and plan a community project that will be considered for funding upon approval. Proposed projects must have a minimum budget of $1,000 and not exceed $6,000. Applicants may only apply to one Council District or the Mayor’s office. You must apply to the district where your project will take place and/ or is visible. If your project will take place and/ or is visible in more than one district, then we recommend you apply for the mayor’s allocation. All submitted applications will go through a cross departmental review team and be rated for funding using a scoring rubric.
Who Should Apply?
Any resident, group, and/or organization with a new or established community project in Salinas is eligible to apply. The group project must focus on beautification, restoration, neighborhood improvements, fostering neighborhood leadership and/or address neighborhood problems. Each group must include at least five volunteers or members to be eligible.
The following groups working on a project that will directly benefit their community are encouraged to apply:
- Residents
- Community-led groups
- Advocacy groups
- Art organizations
- Apartment or community associations
- Neighborhood watch groups
Project Criteria
Projects submitted should:
- Be able to be completed within the grant established timeline.
- Promote neighborhood self-help efforts.
- Promote neighborhood improvement and beautification.
- Provide health and safety benefits as well as improvements for residents.
- Have confirmed neighborhood support.
- Be visible and accessible to all city residents.
- Support a neighborhood need.
Suggested Activities
Beautification Projects:
- Planting and landscaping in public spaces
- Community garden
- Engaging in weed abatement efforts
- Graffiti abatement
- Neighborhood clean-up
- Restoration efforts
Neighborhood-led Events and Support:
- Community building events
- Community festivals or activities
- Community projects
- Neighborhood contests
- Neighborhood celebrations
- Public safety activities
- Neighborhood watch organization activities or support
- Free art lessons, experiences, exhibitions, and more
Mandatory Information Session
Groups interested in applying for a Neighborhood Beautification Grant must attend one of the below information sessions or schedule an appointment with a Neighborhood Services Coordinator. The session will help answer questions about the application, the review process, and how the funds can be used.
- Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - 12:00PM – 1:00PM
- Tuesday, July 23, 2024 - 6:00PM – 7:00PM
- Wednesday, July 31, 2024 - 6:00PM – 7:00PM
- Thursday, August 8, 2024 - 12:00PM – 1:00PM
The below link will be used for all pre-scheduled information sessions. Please feel free to join us!
Upcoming Important Deadlines
- Monday, August 12, 2024 - Deadline to submit completed draft application
- Monday, August 26, 2024 - Deadline to submit final application
Please follow the below link to access the complete grant guidelines, more important deadlines and the application: