"What If...?" Neighborhood Mini-Grants
This neighborhood initiative helps empower Rensselaer County residents to make positive changes in their communities.
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What are these grants for? – “What If” grants are one-time grants offered to encourage neighborhood growth and to support residents who have an idea to make their community a better place to live and work.
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Who can apply? – We believe that the people who live in a community should decide what happens in their community. We are looking for projects driven by neighbors, grassroots organizations, and others who want to make Rensselaer County a better place to live and work. We believe that there are many people who have insightful ideas about our communities, and that not all may have the tax-exempt status necessary to qualify for most philanthropic grant programs.
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What projects or ideas will be considered? - We are looking for requests that encourage creativity, collaboration, and innovation. It should be a project that builds community engagement, encourages comradery, and solves a problem that you and your neighbors are facing. The cost of the project cannot exceed $5,000.
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How do I apply? – All applicants to the “What If . . .?” grants program must attend a Community Information Meeting before applying. To register for a Community Information Meeting, please complete our Contact Form to discuss your project idea. If the idea looks to be a good fit for a “What If” grant, then you will be registered for an upcoming Community Information Meeting.
During the community meeting, we will have a light dinner together and applicants will learn about the grant application process. For applicants who do not represent a 501c3 tax-exempt organization, information will be provided about identifying a fiscal sponsor for their project.
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Who will review my application for funding? – All “What if” grant requests will be reviewed by a committee made up of community members from within Rensselaer county.
"What If...?" Neighborhood Mini-Grants FAQs