The Create Columbus Commission launched a new grant program in July that planned to fund local initiatives with a goal of better engaging young professionals in the city to assist with attraction and retention efforts. The group announced on Friday the eight recipient organizations of the 2013 grant funding and how each program would best engage with the community.
“The commission spent a significant amount of time reviewing applications from several great organizations looking to make an impact in the Columbus young professional community,” said Steven Michalovich, co-chair of the Create Columbus Commission. “We believe the eight groups awarded grants in this first year are representative of the diversity within the YP community, and we look forward to seeing the impact of their work on Columbus.”
Those recipients include:
Besa – $10,000 – Besa will engage a larger number of young professionals with local community service through a new “Capital City Impact” program. The program works with partners to develop volunteer opportunities in targeted neighborhoods.
Community Research Partners – $10,000 – In partnership with OSU, CRP will develop and execute a community visioning process with a day-long collaborative workshop event.
Mt. Vernon Special Improvement District – $10,000 – The Mt. Vernon SID will be funding a week-long “Near East Side Hop” event to support its mission of cultivating a cohesive network among area businesses and residents to help stimulate economic development and community investment on the Near East Side.
Transit Columbus – $10,000 – Transit Columbus is launching a “Good Ideas Columbus” program, which seeks to facilitate a discussion about new ideas in transportation among young professionals and civic leaders.
Short North Alliance – $7,500 – The SNA is creating a public art mural project called “Viewpoints: Mini Murals by Working Artists Under 40”. These displays will be located all throughout the Short North neighborhood.
Founders Factory – $5,000 – The Founders Factory’s 10xXelerator program focuses on high-growth tech startup businesses in Columbus, and their grant funding will continue the support work and funding that the group does with these new tech ventures.
Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District – $4,450 – The Downtown Capital Crossroads SID is launching a Young Entrepreneur Recruitment Initiative that aims to help increase the number of signed office leases by young entrepreneurs in Downtown Columbus.
Columbus Soup – $3,510 – The Columbus SOUP organization seeks to connect and cultivate creative projects in the region. The grant will help the organization with identity building and capacity increase to more broadly appeal to YP audiences.
For more information about the Create Columbus Commission, visit createcolumb.us.