Love Your Block, Newark! Mini-Grant

Love Your Block, Newark! is a resident-driven mini-grant initiative that supports neighborhood-level sustainability, climate resilience, and community revitalization efforts within the City of Newark, New Jersey. Launched in 2019 and administered by the City of Newark’s Office of Sustainability, Resilience and Community Transformation, the program empowers local individuals, resident groups, and Newark-based organizations to transform their communities through small-scale, high-impact projects. By providing up to $5,000 in reimbursement-based grants, the program fosters civic pride, environmental stewardship, and collaboration across Newark neighborhoods. In alignment with the City’s strategic sustainability goals, the 2026 Love Your Block, Newark! grant cycle invites proposals that create or enhance green spaces, expand tree canopy coverage, mitigate urban heat, address food insecurity, and reduce environmental harms such as air and soil pollution or flooding. Projects must demonstrate innovation, community leadership, and the capacity to promote equitable climate resilience. Special emphasis is placed on youth-led projects, those based in Newark Housing Authority properties, and initiatives led by neighborhood or tenant associations. All applicants must secure property owner permission before implementation, including if the project site is city-owned. Applications for the 2026 cycle will open on February 14, 2026, and are due by March 31, 2026. Proposals must be submitted either electronically or in person and include key documentation such as a project budget, itemized materials list, step-by-step plan, business registration certificate, tax forms, partner list, and a photo of the project site. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis by anonymous trained reviewers, and grantee notification will occur in April 2026. The application portal was preceded by a public release on December 1, 2025, and a community celebration event on February 11, 2026. The project implementation period begins on May 6, 2026, following a mandatory grantee orientation. Projects must be completed by September 2, 2026, and all final documentation is due no later than September 15, 2026. The reimbursement structure requires grantees to maintain and submit receipts, invoices, and supporting documentation such as bank statements or digital payment confirmations. The program mandates a minimum of two site visits by City representatives to ensure accountability and compliance. Applications that do not include the required materials will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. To support applicants, the City offers brainstorming and orientation sessions throughout February and March 2026. These sessions aim to assist residents in refining project ideas, building partnerships, and navigating application requirements. For more information or assistance, applicants may contact the program manager via the provided email or phone number. Love Your Block, Newark! reflects a citywide commitment to community-led transformation, sustainability, and neighborhood equity—block by block.

Secure property owner permission; submit complete documentation; reimbursement only upon approved receipts.