Westwood Works is an asset–based community development organization that celebrates the Westwood community. We do this by building on strengths that exist and connecting people to create a vibrant future. Westwood Works advocates for a positive, collaborative, and meaningful approach to community building.
In a neighborhood 30,000 strong we have lots of neighbors with great ideas to make Westwood the best neighborhood to live, learn, work and play. Our neighbors have the ideas, Westwood Works mini-grants are our opportunity to provide community members with the resources to bring those ideas to life. In 2022 / 2023 we are focusing on connection to people, places, and health.
Mini-grants are small grant resources of no more than $1000 awarded to individuals, associations, and nonprofit organizations. Requests must focus on the Westwood neighborhood in one of the following focus areas:
Anyone who lives, works, worships, or goes to school in Westwood can apply. Applicants under 18 years old are eligible and encouraged to apply with the permission of their parents or guardian.
Employees and Members of the Westwood Works board of directors are not eligible to apply for a mini-grant.
Mini-grants may not be used to fund alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or vaping products, someone’s salary, firearms or ammunition, and capital expenditures such as building, plans, construction, or renovation.
Theresa Devine
Amount: $1,000
Theresa will be opening a Social Enterprise Food Truck. Some days the food truck will be selling to customers, and other days the food truck will be offering free food to our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. Westwood United Methodist Church is offering Theresa fiscal sponsorship while she works to create an LLC.
East Westwood Improvement Association
Amount: $1,000
The mini-grant will be used for an event called East Westwood Springfest. This event will include the painting of a mural, a community barbecue, and trail improvements as a way to build community pride and camaraderie.
Westwood United Methodist High School Youth
Amount: $1,000
Westwood UMC’s youth group is 85% BIPOC, with most members being the children of African immigrants. They will use their mini-grant for service projects in the neighborhood. Students will plan these projects to assist neighbors with household repairs, neighborhood beautification, litter abatement, and work in the community garden.
Senior Self Care Week at Western Hills High School
Amount: $1,000
Senior self-care week will allow all senior class members to receive self-care packages and a 30-minute massage to help relieve the stress and realities of three school years that the pandemic has touched.
You can apply for our mini grant program online or submit a hard copy. If you’d like to submit a hard copy, you’ll need to print both the application + report form (linked).
Mail It
Westwood Works
C/O John Eby
3315 Dartmouth Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45211
Drop It Off
Grant application opens! There will be an information meeting at the August Westwood Works meeting. 7:00 PM @ Frond (3126 Harrison Ave)
Grant Applications due at 5:00 PM ET
Mini-grant review process begins and grant awards will be announced on 11/29.
Mini-grant awards will be presented at our Annual Meeting on January 25, 2023. Grantees will have until October 31, 2023 to implement their idea.
Applications should be for no less than $100 and no more than $1000. If your project costs more than $1000, you must verify that the other funds have been secured.
Yes! Applicants from both East Westwood and Westwood are eligible to apply.
Grantees have one year to implement their project. For example, if your idea works best in warmer weather, you can plan to complete it in Spring/Summer 2023. Projects must be completed by 10/31/2023.
The Westwood Works Mini-grant committee will meet and review each grant. They may ask you to provide more information to help them decide.
All applicants will be notified of their application status no later than 11/19/2022.
Grant application reviewers will include the board of directors of Westwood Works, community members, volunteers, and business owners from the Westwood neighborhood. Each reviewer will understand community needs and consider the unique assets of Westwood to evaluate all applications. They will be given instructions to ensure a just and fair review process.
Mini-grant applications will be reviewed by the appointed mini-grant application review committee. The committee shall consist of:
The review committee will be formed in the first week of November and will meet to review mini-grant applications in the second week of November.
Each proposal will be reviewed to ensure the application meets the minimum requirements. Incomplete applications or those that do not follow instructions will not be accepted. There is no guarantee that the submission of a proposal will result in funding at the requested level.
All applications will be scored based on the following Scoring Rubric. Please review your application to make sure you answer all the questions as thoroughly as possible.
Organization/Individual’s name will be blacked out of each proposal during the scoring process.
Reviewers will independently review and score each application using a rubric based on the RFP. The review team will discuss each application, determine final scores, and make funding recommendations. Following recommendations from the review team, potential grantees will be asked to prepare 5-10 minute presentations. The recommendations and scoring rubrics will be presented to the Board of Directors of Westwood Works for final review and approval.
The Westwood Works Board will notify each grantee in writing, by email or a phone call and invite
them to the Annual Meeting to receive their grant packet.
Individuals or organizations that are awarded a mini-grant must agree to the following:
We want to see the awesome things you’re bringing to life in Westwood! We will work with you to coordinate a site visit during the implementation of the funded project. All Grantees that are awarded a mini-grant must agree to the following: