Community Development Grants for Nonprofits

Community development is the process by which communities use direct democracy and collective action to identify issues that face their members, and then take action to improve the lives of everyone within that community. Community development initiatives can be varied, including revitalization of neighborhood facilities, establishing of community gardens, operating economic development initiatives, running youth leadership programs and starting advocacy campaigns on local issues. 

Naturally, all of this takes time and funding, which is why community development often relies on the help of nonprofits, especially in communities that may not have many resources at hand. These nonprofits, in turn, are able to give aid thanks to the generous donations from community development grants. 

These community development grants can come from a wide range of sources. These traditionally included federal sources, such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Often, state and local economic development programs will provide grants in these areas - while many private and community foundations also are involved in this space. 

When preparing a community development grant proposal, it's essential that you gather localized, accurate and relevant data. You need to clearly demonstrate the issues your community is looking to tackle, and how you intend to tackle them. But to prove those issues you’ll need statistics. These could include data from sources such as the US Department of Housing and Urban Development reports, local government assessments, or regional economic studies. 

If you need further tips on how to write award-winning grant proposals, then make sure to check out our full overview on the topic. You can also start to browse plenty of excellent community development grants right here, all ready for applications.