Neighborhood Improvement Program

The Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP) is a grant available to communities registered with the Neighborhood Group Leaders Association (NGLA) that fulfill minimum criteria for participation and attendance at NGLA meetings. The grant supports large-scale community improvements managed by the applying community group. Grant eligibility ranges from $3,000 to $9,000 based on the number of households in the community and requires a community contribution.

NIP grant packets are available in the summer each year, and eligible Neighborhood-Based Community Groups must submit a proposal and budget for a complete project by the September deadline, followed by a final application that responds to staff feedback in January.

Interested communities are supported by proposal and implementation workshops through the Neighborhood Leadership Series each year.

2023 NGLA NIP Application Evaluations

The 2023 Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP) final applications and community presentations are available below for review and evaluation by NGLA representatives.

Each NGLA registered neighborhood is expected to complete one NIP evaluation form, but only one evaluation will be accepted per registered neighborhood. At least fifty-percet of registered neighborhoods must submit an evaluation before grants can be awarded.

Please evaluate each of the five projects by scoring them each on five separate criteria explained in the evaluation packet below. You will also provide an evaluation of the overall project and have an opportunity to provide supportive feedback to the applicant.

Please complete evaluations online using the button above. Alternately you can submit the fillable PDF evaluation, downloadable below, to NGLA@longmontcolorado.gov. Results will be revealed at the February NGLA meeting.

*Please note that all contact information and supplemental information not necessary for NGLA review, such as required water audits and contact information, have been removed from the public applications, which may leave lost references in some narratives.

NGLA Representative/Community Leader Evaluation Documents for Download

• 2023 Evaluation Packet and Guide
• 2023 Evaluation From

NIP Timeline

The 2023 NIP funding cycle and deadlines are outlined below and in more detail in the 2023 Overview and Guidelines document. There are five steps to the NIP application schedule:

2022 Milestones

1. Project Proposal and Budget
   • July 13: Proposal Workshop
   • September 28: Proposal and budgets and due
2. Staff Review and Comments
   • November 16: City comments to neighborhood proposals

2023 Milestones

3. Final Applications
   • January 12: Final Applications are due
4. Final Review and Approval
   • January 19: Community Presentations
   • February 9: Projects Evaluations are due
   • February 16: Projects Selection
5. Implementation, Payment, and Final Report
   • March 8: Implementation Workshop (required of awarded communities)
   • April to November: Project Implementation
   • December: Project Final report and Payment requests are due

NIP Important Documents

• NIP 2023 Proposal Memo (PDF)
• NIP 2023 Overview and Guidelines (PDF)
• NIP 2023 Proposal and Budget Fillable (PDF) Due September 28
• NIP 2023 Final Application Fillable (PDF) Due January 12

NIP Projects

NGLA communities have completed a diverse array of projects utilizing NIP grants. A few previously funded project examples are included below and please visit the project library for additional project details and inspiration.

Visit the NGLA Project Library to see projects from previous years.

The NIP facilitates improvements that enhance quality of life and bring neighbors together. Projects that benefit only individual people, properties, or organizations, are for maintenance, or fail to fulfill all of the evaluation criteria detailed below cannot be funded. Proposals must designate one on the following categories based on the primary purpose of the project:

• Sense of Community & Connection: Neighborhood identity signage, community message board, tree planting, landscaping enhancements
• Infrastructure & Safety: Installation of a playground, Water conserving irrigation upgrades, Community gazebo, Safety lighting
• Sustainable Neighborhoods: Create a pollinator habitat, a little free library
• Community Assessment and Planning: Historic district survey

Questions?

For more questions and you can contact our team via email at NGLA@longmontcolorado.gov