Interested in getting money for your idea to make Detroit a more vibrant city? The Knight Cities Challenge will be making grants totaling $5 million for just those kinds of ideas. And on Wednesday, Oct. 15, local and national representatives of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will lead a dialog that will provide information to those interested in applying for Cities Challenge funds.

The Q&A session will take place this Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the NextEnergy building in New Center, which is located at 461 Burroughs St. Carol Coletta, the Knight Foundation's vice president of community and national initiatives, and Katy Locker, the Knight Foundation's Detroit program director, will lead the forum, offering tips on how to best prepare an application to meet the Knight Foundation's goals, as well as how applicants can improve their odds of winning funds for their projects.

Knight Cities Challenge is open to everyone, from city government to local activists, and will grant money to innovators in 26 cities throughout the United States, including Detroit. Applications opened Oct. 1 and will be accepted until Nov. 14.

"No project is too small -- so long as your idea is big," says Coletta. "Our hope is to inspire people -- even those who have not previously thought of themselves as civic innovators -- to get involved in shaping the future of their cities."

The challenge is specifically crafted to be accessible to the general public and not just professional grant writers. Everyone is encouraged to apply as long as their project occurs in the city of Detroit and addresses one or all of the issues of talent, opportunity, and engagement. The Knight Foundation is looking for ideas that address how Detroit can attract and keep the best and brightest population, how the city can boost economic activity for everyone, and how to better connect and involve citizens in their collective future.

Source: Knight Cities Challenge press release
Writer: MJ Galbraith

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