A nonprofit working in Grand Rapids’ Boston Square, Cottage Grove, and Madison Square neighborhoods, Amplify GR, is funding Amp Up neighborhood mini-grants ranging from $100 to $1,000. To receive funding, projects must target an Amplify GR neighborhood, provide direct benefits to neighborhood residents, and include neighbors as leaders, planners, and implementers of the projects.
“We started out to listen to residents in the community, community leaders, and business owners in and around Cottage Grove,” says Willie Patterson, engagement director for Amplify GR. “We heard a lot of good ideas, many that could be accomplished with just a few dollars.”
As examples of potential projects, Patterson mentioned neighborhood cleanups, planting trees, and growing gardens in areas of abandoned buildings and empty lots. The target area for the grants is bounded by Hall Street to the north, Burton Street to the south, Fuller and Kalamazoo Avenues to the east, and Division Avenue to the West.
“We want people with good ideas that have a neighborhood focus, a solid plan, and realistic budget,” Patterson says. “...Those who don’t have the few dollars to make it happen, to do something very impactful in community.”
Funding facts
Amplify GR is funded by the Doug and Maria DeVos Foundation and the Cheri DeVos Foundation. Rockford Construction is its lead development partner. Amplify GR and Rockford Construction spent $10 million to purchase 32 properties on 35 acres in the nonprofit’s target neighborhoods. Rich DeVos, co-founder of Amway Corporation, lived in one of these neighborhoods as a boy.
Some residents living here now fear that Amplify GR may have a hidden agenda that will lead to gentrification, rising housing costs, and neighbors being forced to relocate—as has happened in other parts of the city. In 2017, when residents continued to express these concerns at Amplify GR’s town hall meetings, the nonprofit cancelled the public meetings for the rest of the year in order to, according to its Aug. 22, 2017 blog entry, “slow down, build deeper relationships, and gather more community perspectives.” This is the most recent blog post on the website.
Apply now
While the public meetings have not yet resumed, Amplify GR is encouraging neighborhood residents and organizations to apply for the mini-grants straightaway—and to expect a response within 45 days. Amplify GR has not set a deadline for the program, but Patterson notes that the grants are a limited time opportunity.
“Every neighborhood in Grand Rapids has room for improvement,” Patterson says. “In our community engagement, we heard residents that had great ideas but many lacked the cash to implement those ideas. We just want to put cash in their hands to see what is possible. Connect with your neighbors and make this thing something we can continue to do for years to come.”
Written by Estelle Slootmaker, Development News Editor
Photos courtesy Amplify GR
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