05/15/2012

Citizens Bank Foundation announces Growing Communities initiative

Program provides grants to foster neighborhood revitalization efforts; Deadline for applications is June 15th

Manchester, N.H. (May 15, 2012) – The Citizens Bank Foundation today announced its new Growing Communities initiative will support economic development to help build strong neighborhoods across New Hampshire.T hrough the Growing Communities initiative, the Citizens Bank Foundation will award grants ranging from $15,000 to $35,000 for projects that foster neighborhood revitalization in distressed communities, support local economic activity and create jobs. The application deadline is June 15, 2012.

“As a company that strongly believes in contributing to the health of our local communities, we are proud that the Growing Communities initiative will help promote neighborhood-based economic development activities,” said Joe Carelli, President of Citizens Bank in New Hampshire. “We look forward to investing in collaborative partnerships that have a strong impact on neighborhoods, spur additional investment and demonstrate measureable and meaningful results.”

Eligible community development activities include:

  • Job creation
  • Workforce development activities
  • Small business development
  • Neighborhood revitalization
  • Activities to encourage patronage of local businesses
  • Activities to make an area more livable

Projects eligible for the Growing Communities initiative must meet the following criteria:

  • Be focused on improving the quality of a specific neighborhood within a New Hampshire town or city where Citizens Bank has a presence.

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  • Establish clear goals that will demonstrate measureable outcomes.

Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations and meet all the eligibility requirements of the Citizens Bank Foundation. A complete list of requirements can be found on the Citizens Bank website: http://www.citizensbank.com/community/corporate/grants.aspx

Interested applicants must complete Citizens Charitable Foundation’s online application located at http://www.citizensbank.com/community. In addition, applicants must submit a supplemental Growing Communities narrative to the following address:

Citizens Bank
Public Affairs Department, NE 5-2
875 Elm Street
Manchester, NH 03101

The deadline for applications is June 15, 2012. For questions about the program or application process, please contact Kathleen Reardon at 603.634.7232 or [email protected].

About the Citizens Bank Foundation
Citizens Bank Foundation is a subsidiary of the Citizens Charitable Foundation, which is a charitable contributions vehicle of RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc., RBS Citizens, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. The foundation’s support is focused on human services, affordable housing and economic development. RBSCFG’s website is citizensbank.com.

Application Process

1. Applicants must complete Citizens Bank Foundation’s online application located on its website:http://www.citizensbank.com/community/corporate/grants.aspx#grants

 

2. Applicants must submit a supplemental Growing Communities Application narrative to the following address:

    Citizens Bank
    Public Affairs Department, NE 5-2
    875 Elm Street
    Manchester, NH 03101

3. The deadline for applications is June 15, 2012.

 

4. Site visits will be conducted with select applicants the week of July 16.

 

5. All applications will receive written notification of the outcome of their requests in September.

 

6. Grant recipients will be required to submit impact reports bi-annually.

 

2012 Growing Communities Application Narrative

  • Clearly identify the following information:
    • Agency name
    • Project name
    • Contact name
    • Contact’s phone number
    • Contact’s email address
  • Include a narrative about the project that addresses the following:

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    1. Describe the conditions in the neighborhood in which the project is proposed. Identify both the challenges and opportunities for economic development in the community. Include demographic information that demonstrates the need for support, as well as factors such as access to resources and assets in the neighborhood.

    2. How will this project address the problems or improve conditions identified in question No.1?

     

    3. Does this project address community development priorities identified by the municipality (i.e. city’s master plan, Economic Revitalization Zone)?

     

    4. Identify the organizations that are collaborating on this project and explain each of their roles.

     

    5. Describe the project’s proposed timeline/milestones.

     

    6. Provide specific outcomes expected by this program within the next 12 months (please include quantitative information).

     

     

  • Attach a detailed project budget including income and expenses.