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| MVP Grant |
Most Valuable Partnership
Awards--Neighborhood Matching Grant Program
The basic premise of the MVP Awards is to
improve the quality of life in Ocoee by
assisting Ocoee residents and organizations in
making improvements to their neighborhoods or by
creating programs that benefit our citizens.
Financial grants of up to $2,000 are made to
qualified organizations. The grant opens each
November.
Applicants may submit projects that beautify a
neighborhood, address public safety concerns, or
foster cultural, recreational, or educational
wants and needs of the neighborhood or
organization. Applications are judged on how
well they meet the criteria, the amount of
involvement from the neighborhood or
organization, whether they have a partner or
partners to contribute to the project, and the
feasibility of the project.
Applicants should try to match the City's
contribution with a combination of cash, in-kind
work, donations of goods and services, and
volunteer time. The value of the applicant's
contribution should, in most cases, be equal to
or greater than the City's grant.
The City is highly supportive of neighborhoods
who have organized themselves with or without
benefit of a legal homeowners' association. The
City also knows the importance of other
community organizations. The City Commission is
hopeful that the MVP Awards Program will empower
neighborhoods and community organizations to
take advantage and take responsibility for
planning and implementing projects that address
their specific needs. These groups are
encouraged to partner with other neighborhoods,
local businesses, churches, and community
agencies. It is hoped that these partnerships
will strengthen the sense of community in Ocoee.
Educational, Cultural, and Recreational
Projects:
· Literacy Programs
· Computer Labs
· Family learning centers
· After school enrichment programs
· Dance, music, art or theater training programs
Physical Improvement Projects
All physical improvement projects must meet all
City Codes and are subject to City review and
permitting procedures. Exact site location with
the size and measurements of the proposed
improvement must be submitted in detail with the
application.
· Playground equipment
· Neighborhood beautification
· Neighborhood identification
· Improved lighting
· Benches and other park improvements
Pubic Safety Related Projects
- Family Safety training
- Senior Citizens Home Safety programs
- Neighborhood watch programs
- Drug prevention programs
- Fire prevention programs
Grant Application Guidelines and Requirements
Besides being an eligible
neighborhood/organization and having an eligible
project, applicants must have the support of
their general membership. For formal
associations or organizations, this means a vote
to approve the grant application before
submitting it. Minutes reflecting the vote must
accompany the application as well as
incorporation papers. For groups who are not
formally organized, a petition is required with
two-thirds of the homeowners/organization
members signing in approval of the project.
The applicant must create a Project Team
consisting of at least seven (7) members. The
purpose of this team is to plan, manage, and
ensure the project's completion if awarded a
grant.
The team must have a Project Leader and should
have a Historian, a Report Coordinator, and a
Partner/Volunteer Coordinator. The Project
Leader serves as chairman of the team. The
Historian is responsible for ensuring that
photographs are taken to describe the project
from beginning to end. The Report Coordinator
completes reports under the direction and
assistance of the Project Team. The
Partner/Volunteer Coordinator makes sure that
the partners are invited to project activities
and kept informed of progress, and keeps track
of partner in-kind services and project
volunteer hours. Other team members may include
"work day" managers or research people.
Schedule
MVP Grant Cycles open each November.
Neighborhoods or organizations considering
applying should contact the Community Relations
Department in October. Applications are due
November 30 and grant awards are made in
December or January. Applicants then have until
September to complete their projects.
Grant Amount and Application Match
MVP Grants are matching grants. The match is
generated by a combination of the following
three sources. Verification of the match must be
submitted with the application.
· Volunteer hours from the applicant (mandatory)
To ensure applicant involvement, at least 25
percent, but not more than fifty percent, of the
matching amount must be volunteer hours from
residents who reside in the defined neighborhood
or organization members. Volunteer labor is
valued at $10 per hour for the purpose of
calculating the match. Volunteer Hours Pledge
Sheets are required for itemizing volunteer time
commitments.
In-Kind donations
These donations include supplies, equipment,
space, or professional services. The dollar
value is based upon the reasonable and customary
value of the item or services rendered. A letter
from the donor is required describing each
donation and the proposed market value.
· Cash donations
These may be from the applicant, partners, or
other contributors.
· Community partners
Applicants are responsible for recruiting
partners to meet the match for MVP Awards funds.
Partners are an important component of the
program. They provide cash, in-kind services,
supplies, and/or space to support a successful
project. They may also benefit directly or
indirectly from the project. A Letter of Intent
must be included for every partner recruited and
attached to the grant application to verify the
applicant match.
Groups Awarded MVP Program Grants
Each recipient is encouraged to have a kick-off
event to publicize the project and to recruit
additional neighborhood/organization
involvement. Groups are encouraged to invite
residents, community partners, and the City
Commission.
In order to document each phase of a project,
grant recipients should provide color photos,
newsletter articles, newspaper clippings, etc.
These will be used to highlight the projects in
various publications.
Once the grant is awarded and then completed,
there is a standardized Final Report form, which
the grant recipients must complete.
Corresponding receipts, invoices, and other
paperwork must accompany the form to provide a
complete financial accounting.
The MVP Awards Program is designed to provide a
one-time grant for projects that can be
completed within the grant period. Any programs
designed to be ongoing need to identify other
funding sources to continue the program after
the first year. Applications may be submitted
for phased projects. However; each phase must be
such that it can stand on its own since funds
cannot be guaranteed for subsequent years.
Applicants may not be awarded a second grant
until their first project has been successfully
completed and a satisfactory Final Report is
provided to the City.
Eligible Neighborhoods/Organizations
Neighborhoods, civic clubs, religious groups,
and other organizations may apply as long as
they can demonstrate that their project provides
a benefit to the community. These groups should
be located in Ocoee and serve the Ocoee
community.
Groups without a formal structure should
actively seek to include all relevant
individuals. A minimum of seven residents must
participate in the MVP Awards project. A
petition must be circulated for those groups
without a formal association.
Eligible Projects
Projects should benefit a certain segment of the
population in Ocoee whether it be a neighborhood
or other group. Neighborhood residents or
organization members should be directly involved
in all phases. Projects should be completed
within six months of funding. Grant funds may
not be used to supplement regular operating
budgets.
MVP Awards projects will be conducted in
accordance with all applicable federal, state,
and local laws. Applicants having projects
involving public property must receive written
permission from the appropriate government
agency. Those projects involving private
property must have the written permission of the
property owners involved. It is the
responsibility of the grant recipient to obtain
required permits.
All organized homeowners association
applications must have an IRS W-9 form on file
with the Finance Department. Any application
that does not have an organized homeowners
association may still apply for the MVP Grant;
however, all purchases will be made by the City
of Ocoee and follow the City of Ocoee Purchasing
Policy.
MVP Grant Information:
Most Valuable Partnership Award Brochure
Most Valuable Award Final Report
Most Valuable Partnership Application
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Joy Wright |
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
MANAGER |
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© 2008 City of Ocoee |
150 N Lakeshore Dr, Ocoee, FL 34761 |
(407) 905-3100 |
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