Applications closed
Thank you for taking the time to apply. Metro received more than 75 applications from communities in the greater Portland region. Awards will be announced in late April.
2020 grant cycle information
Up to $190,000 will be awarded in next grant cycle. Learn more
Stay informed
Get email updates on placemaking projects and grant cycle news.
Subscribe
Metro’s Community Placemaking grants help people tackle community challenges or opportunities through arts-based, equity-focused projects.
What is Community Placemaking?
Community Placemaking projects have a few key ingredients. The idea comes from the community the project is intended to serve. Those community members, especially people of color or other historically marginalized communities, play a role in making the project happen. Arts or cultural activities bring people together to strengthen their connection to each other and the places they care about.
2020 grant cycle
Metro will award up to $190,000 in our next grant cycle. We accepted applications from November 22 to February 3. Metro received more than 75 applications from communities requesting more than $1.5 million to do important work around the region. Grant awards will be announced in late April. Learn more about the program by reading this year's application handbook.
Program objectives
Placemaking: People’s connections to each other and to places they care about are strengthened.
Equity: People of color and members of historically marginalized communities have power and resources to influence their neighborhoods and communities.
Partnerships: People’s efforts are maximized because they work in partnership with each other and with Metro.
Leadership: People participate in projects and decisions that affect them.
Project types
Community Placemaking projects are creative at their core and can take many forms. Get started thinking by looking at recipients of the 2017, 2018 and 2019 cycles to see the range of efforts this program has supported.
Funding available
Up to $190,000 is available for grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 for the 2020 cycle. No matching funds are required.
Who is eligible to apply?
Community Placemaking grants support community-driven initiatives, and partnerships are key to a competitive proposal. Given that, anyone meeting the following conditions can apply:
- Community-based organizations with nonprofit status.
- Community groups or individuals without nonprofit status must partner with a fiscal sponsor, such as a state certified, federally approved 501(c) nonprofit or a public agency. That fiscal sponsor must have must have a federal employer tax ID number and capacity to contract with Metro. Learn more about a fiscal sponsor’s role in the application handbook beginning on page 6.
- Public agencies must have community partners involved in the implementation of the project and a plan to involve the broader public.
- (New) If you are a past recipient of a Community Placemaking grant and your project was exclusively an event (spanning a single or multiple days), you may not reapply the year following your award.