Improve Your Neighborhood with City Grants

The City of Bloomington Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND) invites residents to apply for City funding to improve their neighborhoods. Applications for funding through three types of neighborhood grants described below are now available for the 2025 application cycle. 

Neighborhood Improvement Grant 
The Neighborhood Improvement Grant empowers neighborhood groups to address their specific concerns and special needs by funding resident-driven projects with a broad neighborhood-wide benefit. In 2025, the City expects to award approximately $30,000 in grant funding.

Common projects include:

• Neighborhood Entrance Signs: Refurbished signs like those at Rockport Hills and Park Ridge East, or brand-new installations in neighborhoods such as EverGreen Village, Broadview, Woodlands-Winding Brook, and Gentry Estates.
• Traffic Circle Murals: Stunning, colorful designs like the recently completed murals in Near West Side.
• Public Art: Installations that beautify community spaces and tell the story of Bloomington’s unique neighborhoods.
• Playground Equipment: Providing children with safer, more engaging play areas.
• Historic Sidewalk Restorations: Projects that preserve Bloomington’s charm while improving accessibility.
• Community Benches and Landscaping: Spaces that encourage connection and pride among residents.

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Residents considering an application for this grant must attend one of two required virtual informational meetings:

• Thursday, January 30, at 6 p.m.
• Tuesday, February 4, at 7 p.m.

Letters of Intent are due by Monday, February 17, and completed applications must be submitted by Monday, March 27. More information, including program guidelines and the application link, can be found at bton.in/NIG25. 

Small & Simple Grants
These grants provide up to $500 annually and are available through September 1 for:

• Community Building: Funding for neighborhood newsletters, celebrations, or training sessions to strengthen neighborhood connections.
• Invasive Species Control: In partnership with Monroe County Identify and Remove Invasive Species (MC-IRIS), funding is available to remove invasive plants and replace them with native species.

Guidelines and applications are available at bton.in/Simpl.

Neighborhood Cleanup Grant
The Neighborhood Cleanup Grant provides an opportunity for neighbors to work together to build community and instill pride in their neighborhood. A cleanup is a one-day event during which volunteers from the neighborhood receive support from City staff and equipment assistance to dispose of trash, recycling, tires, scrap metal, electronics, hazardous materials, and brush. 

Through a competitive application process, two Neighborhood Cleanup Grants will be awarded in 2025. The deadline to apply is Monday, March 3. Please visit bton.in/Clean for program guidelines and application.  

For more information about these grant programs, please contact Neighborhood Services Program Manager Angela Van Rooy at [email protected] or 812-349-3505.