City backs resident-led neighborhood projects with $40,000 investment

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- March 10, 2026

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The City has invested $40,000 to support 14 resident-led projects aimed at strengthening neighborhood connections and fostering a greater sense of belonging. The funding was awarded through the City’s Neighborhood Match Fund.

Each project is led or co-led by a Grand Rapids resident. Applications were reviewed by a jury for completeness and alignment with the program’s goals, including advancing social justice and inclusion. Approved proposals then moved into contracting, where project leads worked with the Neighborhood Match Fund team to clarify scope, requirements and outreach strategies to ensure broad and intentional community impact.

The City will accept proposals for the next round of Neighborhood Match Fund awards later this summer–from June 1 to 30–for projects scheduled from September through February.

NMF contract awards for 2026 Round Two projects went to:

  • Innovative Literacy Solutions – Innovative Code Cohort: This project is a three-week coding accelerator that teaches aspiring technologists from underserved communities the fundamentals of front-end web development in a fun, hands-on environment led by professional software engineers. Event begins in June.
  • Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. – Swim 1922: This project will educate and inform at risk youth and families about the importance of water safety. Date of event: June 20
  • Grand Rapids Initiative for Leaders – Cross Cultural Leadership Service Projects: This project brings together 25 students from across Grand Rapids for Community Capacity and Social Justice training, where they will design projects that promote awareness and strengthen community engagement. Date of event: March 29
  • Benevolent Whispers – From Scratch: This project is a one-night community dinner for 50 residents that reduces emotional isolation and builds neighborhood connections through shared food, live cooking and guided conversation. Date of event: May 17
  • Elohim Global Ministries – Annual African Cultural Music Celebration: This project hosts a community dinner celebrating African culture and sharing refugees’ stories of life in camps in Africa, their journey to Michigan and their experiences settling in Grand Rapids. Date of event: April 23
  • Fulton Heights Neighborhood Association – Fulton Heights Neighborhood Pancake Breakfast: This project is a community celebration in the Fulton Heights neighborhood featuring an inclusive pancake breakfast that brings neighbors together to share a warm meal. Date of event: April 1
  • GR Community Juneteenth Parade and Celebration 2026: This project is a daylong community celebration centered on the celebration of Black/African American freedom and culture, featuring a parade and cultural activities that promote unity, art, and music in Grand Rapids’ Third Ward. Date of event: June 19
  • I Live Here – Grand River Roundup: Fireworks Paddle: This project is a guided dusk kayaking event that brings community members together to enjoy Grand Rapids’ Independence Day fireworks from the Grand River, promotes river stewardship and accessible outdoor recreation, and concludes with participants gathering along the illuminated riverfront path at Canal Park. Date of event: July 4
  • Matthew 25:40 Heartside, Inc. DBA In The Image – In the Image SHOES 2026: This project provides free athletic shoes to K–5 students in Grand Rapids, helping local families prepare for the school year while connecting them with supplies, community resources and support services to ease back-to-school costs. Date of event: August 12
  • Aim to Inspire – A Prom for Me: This project is a dance for the special needs community, offering an inclusive, celebratory evening of music, fellowship, food and refreshments. Date of event: May 16
  • Conversations from the Heart: Soup, Salad, Sandwiches, and Solidarity: This project brings neighbors together over soup, salad, and sandwiches to build relationships and connection, while also building understanding, reducing stigma, and fostering a stronger, more supportive community. Date of event: May 2
  • Creston Neighborhood Backyard Art Crawl: This project is a neighborhood art market and series of interactive workshops hosted in residents’ yards, designed to spark neighbor-to-neighbor interaction, encourage movement through the neighborhood, and make creativity and art more accessible. Date of event: May 9
  • Exalta Health – Exalta Health Resource Fair: This project is a fun, family-friendly health resource fair that connects neighbors to critical healthcare services and information while promoting health equity and awareness in the community. Date of event: July 17
  • Sew Spring Break-Sewing Camp: This project is a spring break sewing camp where students explore artistic expression by designing and creating functional projects while learning essential sewing skills they can use at home. Date of event: April 7