The Community Relations Innovation Small Grant Program was established in 2022 to support community-based, innovative approaches to fulfilling the Community Relation Committee’s (CRC) Purpose, Mission and Vision.

That year, two grants were awarded – to Rainbow UA for their UA Pride event, and to the Upper Arlington Schools for their Longest Table community discussion. The 2023 grant program grew in both interest from the community and the number of grants awarded – the UA Historical Society for its History Speaks Series; the UA Civic Association for its Neighbors Night Out event; St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for its Culture & Artisans Fair; Rainbow UA for the Pride event; and the UA Schools for their hUmAn Connection Festival.

A total of 12 grant applications were submitted for the 2024 grant cycle, with the following five groups to be awarded grants:

The Leadership UA Program will receive a $1,500 grant to support a facilitated Non-Profit Governance Workshop to be scheduled for the 2024 program participants as well as for representatives of the UA non-profit community, helping to engage and strengthen the community’s network of services organizations that, in turn, work to foster a welcoming and supportive community.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church has been awarded a grant of $3,000 to help the Culture & Artisans Fair planning team build upon the success of their 2023 event. Plans for the 2024 St. Mark’s Culture and Artisans Fair will further expand support of refugee and immigrant populations in Central Ohio, while providing an opportunity for the UA community to welcome, learn from and build positive connections with the participating artisans and other visitors who attend this event. Since the goals and potential outcomes from the Fair align so closely with the goals and purpose of the CRC, the Fair will also be included and promoted as part of the CRC’s UA Welcome Series.

A CRC Innovation Grant of $2,500 will be awarded for the hUmAn Connection Festival, which is expanding to include a March 6 evening event that will be open to families, community leaders and CRC affiliates, in addition to a school day full of activities on March 7.

The UA Historical Society’s 2024 History Speaks Series will receive a grant of $2,000. The 2023 series successfully presented a diverse series of educational events that were well attended by community members and non-residents, and the planned schedule for 2024 will continue goals for sharing varying perspectives on the community’s history and appealing to a broader audience, with plans to videotape each session and make the videos available on the Historical Society’s website.

The Upper Arlington Civic Association will be awarded a $3,500 grant for its second annual Neighbors Night Out event. The success of the inaugural event in 2023 indicates that Neighbors Night Out has the potential to become a community tradition, with new neighbor welcoming components that support the information and inclusion goals of the CRC Innovation Grant Program. In awarding this grant, the Civic Association has been asked to further develop appropriate strategies for attracting and welcoming new residents to this event, and to consider instituting a process that addresses ticket affordability for residents who may be experiencing financial constraints.

Click here for additional details on the Community Relations Innovation Small Grant Program.