How a Microgrant Improves Community

October 31, 2018 9:09 AM
by Naomi Urabe

This article originally appeared in the October edition of Seascape. 

Wellbeing Microgrants are a new effort from the City to engage and support Santa Monica residents looking to make a positive change in their community. The Office of Civic Wellbeing launched the Microgrants pilot program in Fall 2018, providing $500 to implement ideas that are focused on small-scale, residentdriven action to help people feel more connected to their neighborhood.

Through the application process, Microgrant applicants were encouraged to develop project ideas that would cross generations, build a sense of neighborhood belonging, and create opportunities for friends and neighbors to get together. The applicants were asked to address known community issues of trust, loneliness, inclusivity and social interactions. Findings from the Wellbeing Index informed the decision to focus the pilot program specifically on the Pico neighborhood of Santa Monica.

A total of eight projects were selected for the Wellbeing Microgrants pilot. Each offers a unique approach to community-building, though some common themes did surface, including amplifying intercultural dialog, using food as a way to bring people together, turning underutilized spaces into community resources, and using skill training as a way to combat loneliness. The leaders of each project also measure how well they’re meeting their goals by intentionally surveying participants and tracking progress.

We received many excellent applications this pilot round, and the level of interest expressed is a testament to the number of residents who are ready to take action to strengthen their community. Given this energy, we are optimistic about both the success of future resident-led projects and the opportunity to expand the Microgrants, so that Santa Monicans citywide can pursue innovative strategies to improve wellbeing. While the first group of Microgrants seeks to improve the Community dimension, future Microgrants may focus on different dimensions of the Wellbeing Index (Health, Place and Planet, Learning, Economic Opportunity).

For more information about current Wellbeing Microgrant projects and to find out about future opportunities, please visit wellbeing.smgov.net/microgrants.

Authored By

Naomi Urabe
Administrative Staff Assistant