Grants Program to Improve Accessibility Around Southern Indiana Opens July 1

Nonprofits Serving Clark & Floyd County Residents Encouraged to Apply for Quality of Place Grant, Worth Up to $150,000

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana is excited to announce the re-opening of the Quality of Place – Pathways to Progress Grants Program on Saturday, July 1.

For the month of July, interested nonprofits in Clark and Floyd counties can apply for grants — ranging from $50,000 up to a maximum of $150,000 — that focus on serving people with the least access to safe, high-quality public places and amenities. This includes those community members with income limitations, transportation and/or mobility issues, or physical and/or mental differences.

Linda Speed, president and CEO for the Community Foundation said, “Now that we’re in our third year of the program’s competitive grantmaking, we’re beginning to see the ripple effect these projects are having at improving accessibility to parks, trails, and other public spaces for all people throughout our region. While it has helped connect our Southern Indiana neighborhoods by improving our sense of community, the success of these quality of place grants has made it even more clear that this needs to be a priority for grantmaking moving forward.”

Interested nonprofits serving residents of Clark and Floyd counties can submit an Idea Application for their grant proposal, which can be found on CFSI’s website: www.CFSouthernIndiana.com.

In their Idea Application, successful applicants should:

• Identify a target population.
• Describe the priority result they expect.
• Consider promising approaches that work to accomplish their objectives.
• Identify indicators of success.
• Demonstrate the capacity needed to be successful in fulfilling their grant proposal.

Applications will be accepted electronically through Monday, July 31. If selected, full proposals would be due by Aug. 31, with grantee notification taking place by mid-September.

The Quality of Place – Pathways to Progress Grants Program began in May 2021, when CFSI awarded River Heritage Conservancy a $100,000 grant to begin their first project as part of the new Origin Park: Croghan Launch. Located in Clarksville, Ind., the Croghan Launch area allows paddlers of all experience levels to launch canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards into Silver Creek.

In October 2021, the Jeffersonville Township Public Library and the Floyd County Department of Parks & Recreation were awarded the program’s inaugural competitive grants, which totaled $150,000. The Jeffersonville Library constructed a pocket park with structures for active, imaginative play designed to accommodate all children. The Floyd County Department of Parks & Recreation added an inclusive playground – which meets the National Demonstration Site criteria for inclusion – and a splash pad to Kevin Hammersmith Memorial Park in New Albany.

Last year, the City of Charlestown received $150,000 toward their newest venture, the Greenway Glow Up. The project will update playground equipment in Greenway Park and replace it with ADA-approved equipment for children of all ability levels, with groundbreaking taking place later this year.

For more information on the Foundation’s Pathways to Progress Grants, previous recipients, or to fill out an Idea Application, visit www.CFSouthernIndiana.com.