The Seward Spread Joy Fund (SSJF) has been made available by an anonymous donor for distribution by the Seward neighborhood Group. The SSJF is intended to help create unique and lasting experiences for members of the community. Each year the SSJF will award a grant of up to $1,000 to a Seward resident who yearns to do something that is just beyond their budget. The lucky recipient of this yearly grant will be drawn at the Seward Neighborhood Group’s Annual Meeting in November. The guidelines are as follows:
Guidelines
-Applicant must currently live in Seward and have been a resident for at least three years
-No age limit
-The grant must benefit the recipient in an experiential way, meaning limited physical gains. A grant application that includes physical gain that benefits the community may still be considered (see examples)
-The grant must fund something that would have been difficult for to the applicant to experience without the assistant of the SSJF.
-No more than one application may be submitted per individual each year.
Application Process
Application forms will be available at the Seward Neighborhood Group office and online. The brief application will include:
– a brief description (50 words or less) of how much money is being requested and
how the grant will be used
– applicant’s name, address and contact information
– confirmation that the applicant has lived in Seward at least 3 years
– agreement that applicant will allow the grant to be publicized
* If awarded the grant, the applicant must sign a contract agreeing to submit a report on their experience. The recipient will be expected to share with the Seward community how your project or experience turned out.
Examples of appropriate application ideas for Seward Spread Joy Fund include:
-A person living in Seward wishes to take a language course
-A person living in Seward would like to fulfill a personal dream by taking a hot air balloon ride over the Twin Cities
-A Seward youth hopes to have a wilderness experience in the BWCA.
-A person who lives in Seward wishes to have a bench built on their block for neighbors to use (an appropriate exception to the physical gain rule.)
Examples of unacceptable ideas include:
-A Seward youth wants to buy an iPhone.
-A Seward homeowner needs funds to make repairs to their home.
**Seward Neighborhood Group retains the right to deny an application it does not appropriately adhere to the grant’s guidelines.
No board members or SNG employees are eligible to apply.
Note: Seward is the area bounded by I-94 on the north, the Mississippi River on the east, the Midtown Greenway on the south and Hiawatha Avenue on the west.
***Click here to fill out an application! Once finished, you can email your application to info@sng.org OR send to The Seward Neighborhood Group office at 2323 E Franklin Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406. You can also drop your application off at the SNG office from 10am-2pm Tuesday-Friday. DEADLINE October 18 by 3pm.
