Upcoming Events and Engagement Opportunities

 

Apply for a Neighborhood Matching Grant by March 1 and you could get up to $25k for your neighborhood!

The Neighborhood Matching Grants Program (NMG) awards up to $25,000 to eligible neighborhood-based organizations to complete projects including art, beautification, signage, festivals, sustainability, safety improvements, community gardens, recreational features and more! Applications are accepted March 1, June 1, and September 1, annually. Organizations match funds received with at least 50% volunteer labor, the remaining match may be in the form of more volunteer labor, cash, or in-kind donations (equipment, supplies, professional services, etc.).

To get started, view the pre-application workshop presentation and program guidelines online at www.charlottenc.gov/nmg or call 704-336-4594 for more information.

 

Keep Charlotte Beautiful offers Beautification Microgrants

Have an idea for a beautification project in your community? Keep Charlotte Beautiful wants to hear about it! The program is currently accepting applications for this competitive grant opportunity to go towards neighborhood and community projects that fall within KCB’s main tenets: litter prevention, waste reduction, community greening, and beautification. Projects related to litter prevention and waste reduction may apply for up to $1000, and projects related to community greening and beautification may apply for up to $750. The grants are open to organizations citywide.

Want to learn more about this opportunity? Visit KCB's beautification grant website for more information on the grant, examples of potential projects, scoring criteria, and a link to the application page. Applications are due by March 18. For additional information, contact kcb@charlottenc.gov

 

Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance Community Assessment | March 16 Deadline

Mayor's Mentoring Alliance (MMA) wants your feedback! Please complete our assessment survey which seeks your thoughts on our current programming and services, in addition to requesting information on your vision for MMA programming in the future.

Your input is vital to our path forward in providing impactful programming of high quality that transforms the lives of mentors and mentees. The assessment is estimated to take three minutes to complete. Demographic information is only captured for the purpose of representation and will not be identified in the final report.

The deadline to complete the survey is March 16. Be sure to have your voice heard!

 

Join the Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance Listening Session on March 10 at 12 p.m.

In addition to the Mayor's Mentoring Alliance (MMA) sharing our Community Assessment Survey, we invite you to have your voice heard through a virtual listening session. It will serve as an opportunity for you to be seen while exploring the current impact of operations and the reach of MMA. This event will be conversational, and we encourage you to bring your best ideas and insights to aid the advancement of the Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance!

Register to participate.

 

TreesCharlotte - Central | March 5 

 

TreesCharlotte is holding a TreeAdoption event on Saturday, March 5, from 9 to 11 a.m.  Residents of 28202, 28203, 28204, 28206, & 28216 zip codes are invited to register to pick up two free trees and two free bags of mulch to plant in your own yard. There are a variety of tree species to choose from and all trees come in 7-gallon containers, ready to be planted!  Pre-registration is required.

 

If you are new to TreeCharlotte and a first-time adopter registration opens at 10 a.m. on Monday, February 28. 

 

Registration for returning adopters begins at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1. You can find more information and registration details online.

 

Questions? Contact TreesCharlotte at info@treescharlotte.org or call 704-336-8141.

 

Applications are now open for the 2022 Placemaking Grant and Placemaking Creative Pool

The City of Charlotte’s Placemaking Program launched in 2018 with the mission of using urban design and placemaking to transform underutilized public spaces into vibrant places for people. Applications for the 2022 Placemaking Grant are now open!

Charlotte’s Placemaking Grant Program provides project funding and technical support to create and enhance community vibrancy, safety, and creative identity through:

  • Activating leftover and/or underutilized spaces
  • Streetscape improvements
  • Art and beautification efforts
  • Creating community gathering spaces

 

Eligible Applicants:

  • Neighborhood and homeowners associations
  • Community organizations
  • Businesses or merchant organizations
  • Individuals with written support from the community or private property owners as appropriate
  • Applicant groups must be significantly composed of people who live within the City of Charlotte limits

 

Find out more and apply for the Placemaking Grant. 

In addition, the City is accepting qualifications from local professional creatives (visual artists, performing artists, fabricators, photographers, poets, etc.), teams of creatives, and artist management businesses/organizations for potential inclusion in the Prequalified Creatives Pool (Pool). The Pool will be used to match local creatives on a rolling basis, with opportunities throughout Charlotte.

Find out more and apply to part of the Creatives Pool. 

Applications for both the Placemaking Program and Creatives Pool are due on Friday, March 4.

 

42nd Annual Police Community Relations Awards

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee is now accepting nominations for the 42nd annual Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police-Community Relations Awards.

The awards recognize officers and work teams from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department who are building positive, problem-solving relationships with individual residents and neighborhood groups.

Residents are invited to submit nominations online at the Community Relations nominations page or by mail.

Nominations by mail should include:

  • Name, phone number and email address of the person making the nomination.
  • Names of officer or officers being nominated.
  • District where the officers work.
  • Characteristics that qualify them for an award.

Mail to:

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee
Belmont Regional Center
700 Parkwood Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205

The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 18.

A subcommittee of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee will review the nominations and select awardees.

Officers selected will be honored at an awards ceremony on May 19 during National Police Week.


The City of Charlotte wants your input on the fiscal year 2023 budget

Join the City of Charlotte on Tuesday, March 1, from 6 to 7 p.m. for a virtual budget listening sessions to receive input from Charlotte residents concerning fiscal year 2023 budget priorities.

During this session, residents will be able to engage with staff, learn about the city's budget process and provide real-time feedback on the city's budget priorities. Interested residents who would like to speak directly to city staff during the sessions must complete the listening session sign-up form or contact the City of Charlotte Strategy & Budget Department at strategyandbudget@charlottenc.gov.

The session will be streamed on the city's Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as the GOV Channel.

Residents also have the opportunity to rank their priorities and share their thoughts by completing the FY 2023 Budget Survey (which is also available in Spanish) and by using the Balancing Act simulator. Balancing Act is a tool that allows residents to test their budgeting skills and balance the more than $2 billion budget.  

 

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Community Read program kicks off March 1 

Community Read is the Library’s month-long effort to have the community read (or listen) to books on current and relevant topics and participate in discussions, book clubs and events hosted by the Library and community partners. The 2022 selected titles explore themes such as gentrification, women’s empowerment, immigration and more. The signature title, "Tomorrow’s Bread" by Anna Jean Mayhew, is a novel that explores the impact of urban renewal on Charlotte's Historic Brooklyn Neighborhood. Selected companion titles for children and teens are also available. 

There are several ways to participate in Community Read, including reading a book, sharing perspectives, attending a program, and engaging on social media.

Visit the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library website to see a list of featured book titles and related events for all ages.

For your consideration

City Releases Recommended Final Draft of the Charlotte Future 2040 Policy Map

 

Grand Opening Set for Five Points Plaza 

 

City of Charlotte and Truist Financial Announce Partnership in Minority-Owned Business Growth Program