New American Civic Integration Seed Fund

The City of Columbus is offering the New American Civic Integration Seed Fund, a new initiative under its New American Program. This grant program aims to increase funding access for organizations serving New Americans, fostering community building, youth engagement, and strengthening their capacity to effectively serve new arrivals. The program aligns with the city's mission to support and assist the unique and emerging needs of the growing immigrant and refugee community in Columbus, providing supportive services that meet their cultural and linguistic requirements. Funding is provided through the City of Columbus Department of Neighborhoods' New American Program. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are New Americans, immigrants, and refugees residing in the city of Columbus. The program's impact goals include creating access to funding, fostering community building, promoting youth engagement, and strengthening organizations to better serve newly arrived residents. It also seeks to support and assist with the unique and emerging needs of this community and provide culturally and linguistically appropriate supportive services. The grant prioritizes new and existing projects or programs, as well as services that support integration, civic participation, and the pursuit of the citizenship process. Special interest is given to newer organizations focusing on communities not fully represented and in urgent need of community programming. Key focuses include capacity building, civic integration, youth and civic engagement, and emergency situations. Expected outcomes include enhanced capacity of New American serving organizations, increased civic participation among new arrivals, and improved integration into the Columbus community. Measurable results could include the number of organizations supported, the number of New Americans served, the types of programs implemented, and progress in civic engagement and citizenship processes. Applicants can request up to $10,000.00. The City of Columbus's strategic priorities for this fund revolve around fostering an inclusive environment for its diverse population. The theory of change suggests that by providing targeted financial support to organizations that directly serve New Americans, the city can facilitate greater integration, self-sufficiency, and overall well-being for this demographic. This, in turn, contributes to a more vibrant and equitable community for all Columbus residents. Eligibility criteria stipulate that applying organizations must have 501(c)(3) status, serve New Americans, immigrants, and refugees, and primarily serve city of Columbus residents.