Neighborhood Grant Program
The 2025 Neighborhood Grant application period is now open. The deadline is November 13, 2024.
The City of Waco’s Neighborhood Grant Program assists neighborhood associations in Waco with beautification, identity, and community-based projects.
Before starting your application, please review all the information on this page and the Neighborhood Grant Program Guidelines to learn about the program requirements. If you have any questions about the program or the application, please contact us at (254) 750-5774 or neighborhoods@wacotx.gov.
Start Your Application
Program Overview
The Neighborhood Grant program awards up to $7,500 per grant year. Neighborhood associations can apply for a second grant project, if eligible. For the 2025 grants no more than $7,500 total may be awarded to any association. If two grant applications are submitted, they must be for different projects and cannot combine for a total more than $7,500.
The Neighborhood Grant Program is a matching grant, so that means the neighborhood association must put some investment into their neighborhood project. The match requirement can be cash, in-kind donations, and/or volunteer hours. Any projects that will be owned by the City of Waco, such as new identity signs or park benches, do not need a match. Review the information below before starting your application.
Neighborhood Eligibility
In order to be eligible for the Neighborhood Grant Program, neighborhood associations must:
- Be a City of Waco neighborhood association.
- Have up-to-date bylaws.
- Have Articles of Incorporation or Certificate of Formation filed with the Secretary of State and be in good standing. (Check your status here: https://mycpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/).
- Have membership open to all those living within their boundaries (and per the bylaws).
- Have a Federal Tax Identification Number to complete IRS Form W-9.
- Have a bank account in the name of the neighborhood association.
- Submit the application by the deadline.
- Agree to complete the project by the end of the calendar year.
- Agree to submit the required project progress reports and final report.
If your neighborhood association needs help with any of the administrative requirements or documents, please contact the Office of Neighborhood Engagement.
Project Eligibility
As long as the project is open to the neighborhood and provides some public benefit, most events and projects are eligible. However, please contact the Office of Neighborhood Engagement before starting your application, so that we can make sure your project is eligible.
Projects can include:
- Neighborhood identity signs
- Sign toppers
- Park benches
- Membership drives
- Neighborhood celebration events
- National Night Out parties
- Neighborhood parades
- Neighborhood association professional development
Ineligible projects:
- Equipment or other items for individuals
- Political events
- Private, exclusive or by-invitation-only events
- Improvements to private property
- Duplication or expansion of an existing program or service
- Ongoing services or requests that support organization's budgets
- Maintenance of projects built with previous grants
Neighborhood Grant Guidelines
The Neighborhood Grant Guidelines are your primary resource in preparing your application. It includes program requirements and other important documents. Please review the guidelines before starting your online application.
Read the Grant Guidelines(PDF, 452KB)
Guidelines approved by Waco City Council, October 19, 2021, RES 2021-767. Latest version updated on September 12, 2024.
Resources & Documents
Grantee Resources include all the documents neighborhoods may need throughout the course of the grant project. You can access the forms here or in the Grant Guidelines.