Neighborhood Mini-Grants

The Neighborhood Mini-Grants program is administered by the City of Fort Collins through its Neighborhood Services department. This initiative aims to promote positive neighborhood engagement, encourage community resiliency, and highlight diversity and inclusivity in neighborhoods across the city. The program supports small-scale, resident-led projects that foster connection, sustainability, and alignment with city priorities. These grants typically range from $150 to $1,000 and are offered in three cycles throughout the year—spring, summer, and fall/winter. The application platform used is Eproval, which helps applicants track their submission status and receive automatic notifications. Awards are announced shortly after the application deadline for each cycle, with grant funds usually disbursed within one to three weeks following award confirmation and completion of required paperwork. Projects eligible for funding include activities such as neighborhood clean-ups, Little Free Libraries, seed libraries, garden hubs, movie nights, and educational workshops. However, grant funds cannot be used for items like disposable decorations, alcohol or marijuana, political campaigns, HOA administrative expenses, or improvements to private property. The funds must be used strictly for approved expenses listed in the original application. Applications are reviewed based on inclusivity, planning, sustainability, and alignment with city goals. Additional consideration is given to project novelty, neighborhood size, underserved communities, and past performance on city-funded projects. The required post-award process includes signing a contract, completing a W-9 form, submitting receipts and a sign-in sheet, and completing an evaluation form. Events requiring street closures must obtain a special event permit at least six weeks in advance, and signed permission is needed for events on private property. Eligibility is restricted to residents within the Fort Collins city limits, and applications from outside the area or from City of Fort Collins employees are not accepted. Late applications and requests for retroactive funding are also not permitted. Assistance and inquiries can be directed to the program coordinator, Cole Herrera, via email at cherrera@fcgov.com.