Hey everyone,

This is a friendly reminder: tomorrow is the deadline to get our comments to Dwayne regarding changes to the Neighborhood Improvement Grants Program! Does everyone have a copy of the most current program description? If not, let Dwayne know by e-mailing him at Dwayne.Patterson@ci.raleigh.nc.us.

Please post your comments to RCAC@eastraleigh.org, so that they may be seen by everyone and perhaps spark more comments from others.

To get the ball rolling, a couple questions:

At the March workshop we discussed whether or not CACs should be eligible to apply for funds through the Neighborhood Improvement Grants Program. There was a lot of debate regarding this. Some people felt that CACs should NOT be eligible because they aren't technically "neighborhood organizations" and that the money should go directly to neighborhoods. Many of those same folks also felt that CACs shouldn't be eligible for grant funds because they don't have a structure in place for dealing with money.

Others thought that unorganized neighborhoods, which would otherwise be ineligible for city funding, could benefit from grant funds secured by a CAC. A CAC could use the funds to help the neighborhood organize and thereby directly help the neighborhood establish its own organization while also solidifying that neighborhood's connection with the CAC to which it belongs.

What do y'all think about this issue?

If CACs were allowed to apply for city grant funding, how do you think the money should be administered?

If CACs are not eligible for these grants, what are some other routes by which grant funding can be made available to help unorganized neighborhoods get organized?

What about the requirements for checking accounts and tax ID numbers? Is that too much of a burden for unorganized, low-income and/or aging neighborhoods, or will the grant funds be impetus enough for those neighborhoods to self-organize?

I look forward to hearing folks' responses!

Ana Duncan Pardo
Chair, Hillsborough CAC
Chair, RCAC
(919) 818-5933