Capital grant project
The Hawthorne Grove Park acquisition and development project will support the acquisition and development of a small neighborhood park in a park deficient, low-income community adjacent to permanent affordable housing.
Metro
503-797-1700503-797-1804 TDD
503-797-1797 fax
Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants
Planning and conservation › Natural areas, parks and trails › Protecting habitat and water › Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants
Metro is seeking applications for projects that re-green and re-nature neighborhoods.
Program status
The Metro Council approved four projects for grant funding in August 2009. The next review of full applications is planned for November 2009.
The Portland metropolitan area is expanding. This growth increases pressure on water quality and fish and wildlife habitat. How can our region achieve a balance between development and conservation? What are the best ways to improve ecological functions within our growing urban areas? How can existing neighborhoods increase the presence of nature? The Metro Council is seeking creative answers to these questions through the Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants program.
The Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants program is funded by Metro's natural areas bond measure, approved by voters in 2006. Learn more
Who can apply
Neighborhoods and community groups, nonprofit organizations, schools, cities, counties and public park providers are invited to apply.Download the application handbook below
Project eligibility
Projects must either purchase land or make improvements to real property that result in a capital asset with a life of at least 20 years and with a total value of at least $50,000. See the handbook for more information.
Match criteria
The applicant must match grant funds with outside funding or in-kind services equivalent to twice the grant request.
Begin the application process with a letter of inquiry
A letter of inquiry is an essential first step in the application process. A clearly written letter will help Metro staff understand how well a proposed project matches the key criteria of the grant program. There are no deadlines for submission. See program handbook for instructions and forms.
Completing the application process
Metro staff will evaluate letters of inquiry and invite full applications if key criteria, eligibility requirements and the overall intent of the program are met. The Metro Council's grant review committee will evaluate full applications at least once yearly. The deadline for the next review cycle of invited applications has been set for November 1, 2009.
How will applications be evaluated?
Metro staff will screen full applications, conduct site visits and present the proposals to the grant review committee. The committee will make award recommendations to the Metro Council for those applications that meet the current deadline. The Metro Council makes all final grant awards. Learn more about the review committee
Key threshold criteria
- "Re-nature" neighborhoods by increasing the presence and function of ecological processes.
- "Re-green" urban neighborhoods to enrich peoples' experience of nature and help strengthen a physical connection to the region's ecology.
- Demonstrate multiple benefits for people and natural systems.
- Demonstrate cost-efficient ecological design solutions.
- Increase the region's fish and wildlife inventory.
- Restore and/or improve habitats of concern.
- Provide universal access to the public.
The program handbook has more detailed information about the key criteria as well as supplemental criteria and project success factors.
Need assistance?
Mary Rose Navarro
503-797-1781
maryrose.navarro@oregonmetro.gov
Related Documents
To view PDF files, download free Adobe Reader. To translate PDF files into text to assist visually-impaired users, visit Access.Adobe.com.
Files that are downloadable from this page
- Capital Grants Application Handbook 2009 98K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 9, 2009
- Capital Grants Application Forms -- Cover Sheet 283K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 31, 2008
- Capital Grants Application Forms -- Match Form 149K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 31, 2008
- Capital Grants Application Forms -- Acquisition Budget 20K MS Excel | Published October 31, 2008
- Capital Grants Application Forms - Project Budget 27K MS Excel | Published October 9, 2009
- Capital Grants Application Appendix -- Habitats of Concern criteria 7K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 31, 2008
- Capital Grants Application Appendix B -- Grants Review Committee 16K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 31, 2008
- Capital Grants Application Appendix C -- Sample Agreement 20K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 31, 2008
- Capital Grants Application Appendix D -- Sample IGA 46K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 31, 2008
- Capital Grants Application Appendix E -- Metro Council Res. No. 06-3672B 352K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 31, 2008
Related Links
Nature in Neighborhoods 2009 capital grant awards
Read about the projects awarded $1 million in funding from Metro's voter-approved natural areas bond measure. Find out how residents are re-greening and restoring nature in their neighborhoods.
Nature in Neighborhoods 2008 capital grant awards
See the projects awarded funding from Metro's voter-approved natural areas bond measure. Find out how residents are re-greening and restoring nature in their neighborhoods.
Capital grants review committee
The Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants review committee evaluates capital grant applications and makes award recommendations to the Metro Council.
Nature in Neighborhoods
