Aurora residents interested in improving their neighborhoods can get funding from the city with grants for projects to help build community pride and better communication. 

Applicants for the neighborhood improvement grants can apply for up to $5,000 per project. In 2023, the city funded nearly $60,000 of projects, according to a city newsletter. 

There are two upcoming virtual meetings about the grants, one at noon Thursday and another at 6 p.m. Tuesday. 

The applications are open as of Monday and applicants’ projects must include at least three neighborhood households. 

The city has a list of ideas for improvement grant projects, which can include neighborhood clean-ups, community message boards, community benches, placemaking, such as murals, little free libraries and community gardens. 

Last year, one of the grants went to the Del Mar Parkway neighborhood, where resident James Grevious owns an urban farm and marketplace — called Rebels in the Garden — to sell the food, according to the city’s website.

Grevious told AuroraTV that the garden is a place for the community to come together over food and learn how to grow food. The market, where they sell the freshly grown produce, brings their community together each week.

The idea behind the grant, the city said in its newsletter, is to improve neighborhoods both visually and socially.

Scott Campbell, the community engagement coordinator for Aurora’s Housing and Community Services, said the grants help build neighborhood resilience and display efforts behind community building.

“The goals of the grant are building up strong relationships and bonds within the community and it spreads out from there,” Campbell said. “When you build neighborhood resilience, people watch out for one another and help each other out.”

The city offers three other “mini-grants” to residents, which can be applied for in conjunction with the neighborhood improvement grant.

The Know Your Neighbor mini grant is for a $100 gift card toward a small neighborhood block party or a $100 gift card for a clean-up event. 

Applications for this grant must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event and grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. 

The Printing Assistance mini grant covers the cost of flyers and posters to promote neighborhood events for participants of the Aurora Neighborhood Registration Program. 

The Small Neighborhood Activity mini grant is for up to $250 to develop a neighborhood group and organize events. The money can be used for things like neighborhood t-shirts, sports tournaments or supplies for a front lawn happy hour with neighbors.