(Indianapolis, IN) – Hoosier youth will soon improve or create community spaces if they reach their fundraising goals by March 28.
If successful, the projects will receive a matching grant as part of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s (IHCDA) CreatINg Places and My Community, My Vision programs.
One of the four projects is Oldenburg Academy’s “Beautifying the Burg.”
This project calls for resurfacing basketball courts in Oldenburg’s Maypole Hertiage Park to make them multi-use for hoops and pickleball. It will also build a community fire pit with added seating and landscaping.
OA is eligible for a 50-50 matching grant of $25,000 but is required to raise that same amount.
“Communities across Indiana thrive on vibrant, dynamic ideas that bring citizens together around the pursuit of common goals,” said Matt Rayburn, Chief Real Estate Development Officer at IHCDA. “We need young leaders to join these discussions, and through My Community, My Vision, future decision-makers can make their ideas a reality. We look forward to watching each of these projects unfold.”
The other projects are:
- Project Shoe City from the Mayor’s Youth Council, Mishawaka.
This project will place sculptures of the Red Ball Jet Shoe, a cherished piece of Mishawaka’s history, in spaces across the city. - Coy Park Renewed – Embracing the Future, Honoring the Past from the Mayor’s Youth Council, Terre Haute.
This project will build a new accessible playground at Coy Park. - Playground Paradise, from the Union City Youth Council.
This project will create an ADA accessible playground at Harter Park.
My Community, My Vision is a youth-driven placemaking partnership between IHCDA and Patronicity.
The CreatINg Places program, which provides matching grant funds, has raised over $12.2 million in crowd granting funds and $10.3 million in matching IHCDA funds since 2016.
My Community, My Vision is a youth-driven placemaking partnerships between IHCDA and Patronicity. With a vision of how to improve their cities and towns through social infrastructure projects, cohorts of youth council students participate in a semester-long program focused on asset-based community development, stakeholder engagement and placemaking.
Non-profit entities (with 501c3 or 501c4 status) and local units of government are eligible to apply.
Eligible projects must have a minimum total development cost of $10,000, where the recipient will receive $5,000 in IHCDA matching funds should it successfully raise $5,000 through Patronicity.
IHCDA will provide matching grant funds up to $50,000 per project.
