40 projects receive grants through Project Neighborly

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Idaho Community Foundation announced 40 community projects in east Idaho, north Idaho and the Treasure Valley have received Project Neighborly grants totaling $135,000, including $45,000 in east Idaho.

Project Neighborly is an ICF program aimed at fostering inclusion and inspiring neighborliness in local communities by providing grants for hyperlocal projects such as community gardens, neighborhood dinners and community festivals.

Project Neighborly is led by the Idaho Community Foundation with support from community partners Battelle Energy Alliance, manager and operator of Idaho National Laboratory; Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health, Idaho Central Credit Union and Innovia Foundation.

Grantees were selected by local community members.

“It has been inspiring to see the care and commitment that east Idahoans have for their neighbors and communities,” said Misty Benjamin, Project Neighborly grant reviewer and INL Community Relations & Philanthropic Program Manager. “The funding will make a visible difference and offer opportunities for collaboration between new and established community members.”

“I loved getting to see all the great work our nonprofits and community groups are doing to serve our neighborhoods and communities,” said Project Neighborly grant reviewer Laura Smith, Vice President of Community Development at Idaho Central Credit Union.

Project Neighborly was piloted in the Treasure Valley in 2021 and expanded to communities in east Idaho and north Idaho this year. This year’s recipients in east Idaho are:

• Bonneville Neighborhood Association (Bannock) – $5,000 to commemorate and revive interest in and contributions of multi-ethnic members of the Triangle Community in Pocatello.
• Butte Soil and Water Conservation District (Butte) – $3,500 to build a sense of community through increased participation from vendors and shoppers at the local farmer’s market in Arco.
• College Neighborhood Association (Bannock) – $3,475 to have a holiday tree lighting celebration in the neighborhood park as a get-together for the residents and improve/expand the bi-annual newsletter.
• Eastern Idaho Jazz Society (Bonneville) – $1,000 to support a free full-day, jazz and blues music festival in Idaho Falls, featuring eight of the best regional jazz and blues bands and a nationally recognized headlining artist.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (Bannock) – $650 to support a neighborhood festival to introduce the activities and groups that meet in the church building to each other, as well as allow the congregation to meet their neighbors and find out how they can be of service to them.
• Family Services Alliance of SE Idaho, Inc. (Bannock) – $5,000 to host a special event to support and lift stories of people affected by domestic violence.
• Growling Garden (Bannock) – $1,900 to buy organic vegetables, fruit plants and organic compost.
• Idaho Falls Arts Council (Bonneville) – $2,500 to support the River Concert Series, which includes free concerts at the Greenbelt Stage on the Idaho Falls River Walk every Tuesday evening from mid-June through the end of August.
• Life, A Center for Independent Living (Bannock and Bonneville) – $1,675 to support a social gathering and networking opportunity for disabled service agencies, their clients and others in the community to build awareness of the services available for the disabled community and promote strong bonds and relationships.
• New Day Products and Resources (Bannock) – $2,300 to develop a southeast Idaho community leadership book club.
• Senior Activity Center (Bannock) – $5,000 to provide a free activity for the community, including a pancake breakfast, car show and social gathering.
• United Way of Idaho Falls and Bonneville County – $5,000 for the United Way Bike Project, a community event held at elementary schools to repair school-aged kids’ bikes and teach bike safety to prepare them for a safe and fun summer.
• United Way of Southeastern Idaho (Bannock) – $5,000 to bring together local businesses, diverse volunteer groups and the community to provide household items to families in need that are not covered by SNAP benefits.
• Valley Mission with PWCC (Bannock) – $3,000 to support a program for the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center to teach marketable skills to women to prepare them for release.