2021 National Night Out Mini-Grant Applications

Background

United Way of Erie County has been a proud sponsor of local National Night Out (NNO) events since 2004. In the past, NNO events have taken many forms including but not limited to block parties, cookouts, parades, visits from emergency personnel, rallies and marches, exhibits, youth events, safety demonstrations, and seminars.  
 
Last year, in-lieu of in-person NNO events, United Way of Erie County opted to award Neighborhood Mini-Grants to foster safety and health efforts in the community in the form of projects or limited COVID-safe events.

As the vaccine rollout continues and COVID-19 cases in the community decrease, we are excited to announce that we will once again be providing support for National Night Out events that follow local Department of Health guidelines. National Night Out 2021 is on Tuesday, August 3rd.

If your organization is not comfortable holding an in-person event but would like to support continued neighborhood needs, we will again be considering awards for projects that address community resources this year. Projects that support Community Resources for Basic Needs should align with the following: providing resources to the community (e.g. food, health, and other basic needs distribution) and/or making the community aware of available resources (e.g. developing & distributing flyers to share local resources and outreach efforts to meet community need). Examples of projects awarded last year included PPE and basic needs drive-thru events, delivery of basic need bags to neighborhood residents, and neighborhood clean-up volunteer opportunities. Projects must be completed, and a post-project report must be submitted by August 31st, 2021.

Funding Priorities

Please note that funding for NNO events is limited. Preference will be given to groups that make a clear attempt to address Unified Erie’s priority risk and protective factors, and/or host an event in collaboration with a community school (where applicable).

National Night Out aligns with the prevention portion of the three-pronged Unified Erie Violence Reduction Initiative. Learn more about the Community Action Plan here.

If you are interested in coordinating an event in one of the following community school's catchment areas, please reach out to the appropriate community school director for planning purposes. Contact information for directors can be found here.

Edison Elementary School, Erie’s Public Schools
McKinley Elementary School, Erie’s Public Schools
Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary School, Erie’s Public Schools
Diehl Elementary School, Erie’s Public Schools
Perry Elementary School, Erie’s Public Schools
Harding Elementary School, Erie’s Public Schools
Strong Vincent Middle School, Erie’s Public Schools
East Middle School, Erie’s Public Schools
Iroquois Elementary School, Iroquois School District
Elk Valley Elementary School, Girard School District

Planning Assistance

The Neighborhood Resource Organization is a service agency created to provide resources, support and technical assistance to neighborhood groups throughout Erie County. This organization is committed to the ongoing fight against Community Disorganization. It does not have a yearly fee or membership. It is a service agency that offers regular trainings, assists with funding applications, notifies groups of funding opportunities, researches and communicates best practice information, educates on services available, connects groups with key community partners as well as each other, and serves as a fiscal agent for grant funds to individual neighborhood groups. These services are available to any neighborhood group that is organized or that wishes to organize and desires to utilize the services.

For more information, please contact John Villa, the Neighborhood Resource Organization Outreach Coordinator (814) 572-0755.

Grant Requirements

United Way of Erie County will not fund National Night Out events unless the organization commits to following appropriate safety and health precautions in line with COVID-19 guidelines. All National Night Out events must follow Department of Health guidelines in place at the time of the event; if guidelines change or new restrictions are added following approval of funding, grantees will be required to adjust their event to follow updated guidance.

Additional requirements are as follows:

Neighborhood groups/partners working together to partner on a collaborative project or NNO event must submit one joint application. Please list each partner organization on the application, if requesting more than $500 for your project. 
Projects and NNO events must benefit individuals and/or families with limited income.    
Grant recipients must have 501c3 status or have a fiscal agent.
Grant recipients must agree to and sign United Way’s Community Support Mini-Grant Funding Agreement. 
Events must address one or more of the risk factors identified by Erie’s Community Action Plan.
Show proof of commitment with a ½ match of the requested United Way of Erie County mini-grant amount. For example, an organization requesting $500.00 from United Way must show proof of a $250.00 match. Both monetary and in-kind donations qualify as matching funds. Please note -- volunteer hours do not qualify. Copies of checks or signed letters of commitment must be submitted before grant funds are released.
Display United Way banners at the event.
Use United Way of Erie County symbols/logos/etc. on all your public relations materials such as flyers, directories, etc. 
Conduct your project/event as described in your application. (United Way staff will conduct site visits.)
Submit receipts of purchases made using the grant monies to United Way.  
Submit the Post-Project Report to United Way which will include a detailed reporting of activities as well as photos and social media posts tagging United Way of Erie County.

Funding/Reporting Timeline

NNO Mini-Grant Applications Released – June 1, 2021
NNO Mini-Grant Applications Due – June 21, 2021 
NNO Mini-Grant Awards Announced to recipients – June 25, 2021
Funds and Supplies Available for Pick-Up – June 28, 2021
National Night Out – August 3, 2021
Deadline for Post-Event/Project Report – August 31, 2021

Receipts and Post-Event/Project Report Form are due by August 31st.

As we continue to navigate tough times as a community, we look forward to once again celebrating National Night Out safely. Thank you for everything you do for the community!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Erica Jackson, Community Impact Manager of Grant Administration. 

NNO Event Application Neighborhood Project Application

Contact Information:

Erica Jackson
United Way of Erie County
650 East Avenue, Suite 200
Erie, PA 16503

Or call (814) 456-2937, ext. 235
or email erica@unitedwayerie.org