Austin Announces Grants To Address Inequities And Prevent Violence

Press release from the City of Austin:

July 8, 2021

The City of Austin’s Equity Office is accepting applications from the community for two new grant funding opportunities to address inequities and prevent violence.

• The Immigrant Integration Grant fund is focused on eliminating structural barriers and improving the quality of life for the City’s immigrant communities.
  
• The Equity Mini-Grant Fund seeks to help the City pilot new, community-centered approaches to safety and violence prevention.

The City will distribute a total of $350,000 through the new grant programs. Organizations are encouraged to apply here by July 30, 2021. Funds will be awarded by the end of September.

“As a City, we face a deep challenge in addressing the many serious quality of life disparities within our community,” Chief Equity Officer Brion Oaks said. “What we hope to do with our grant programs is to provide flexible funds in the hands of organizations rooted in the expertise and resiliency of those most impacted by these disparities.”

There is no prescribed scope of work for either grant fund. Projects funded through Equity Office grants are varied and include the development of a community garden to crisis intervention for Black transgender Austinites. A full list of past awardees can be found on this grant dashboard.

“In funding projects that are developed directly by our community’s leaders, we can learn and grow and become more effective in everything we do,” Oaks continued. “We can move forward with the message to community that we don’t have all the answers and aren’t necessarily the experts. We as a City need to operate in partnership with our community members to make these important changes and further our goal of making Austin the most livable city in the nation for all.”

Immigrant Integration

The Immigrant Integration Grant Fund seeks projects that are focused on eliminating structural barriers and improving the quality of life for the City’s immigrant communities. The goal in providing grant funds is to increase the sense of welcoming and belonging for immigrant communities. Projects that work to bring the diversity of the immigrant community together in the spirit of collaboration and solidarity will be prioritized for award. A total of $100,000 is available through this fund, with award amounts up to $10,000.

This new Immigrant Integration Grant funding reflects the overall commitment to make Austin a welcoming community that encourages and supports the growth and wellness of all immigrant communities.

The grant funding builds on work that began in 2019 when the City of Austin reviewed the function of other Immigrant Affairs Offices based in peer cities. This review determined Austin was one of the cities with the largest immigrant communities without a central office to plan programming and services. As a result, City Council directed the creation of an Immigrant Affairs Office. In March 2020, the City hired its first-ever Immigrant Affairs Program Manager Rocío.

Since then, the Immigrant Affairs Office has focused on understanding the conditions and needs of Austin’s immigrant communities. This work includes contracting for a “Welcoming Cities Report,” as well as a partnership with the New American Economy to conduct a survey measuring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Austin’s immigrant communities.

Equity Mini-Grant Fund

The Equity Mini-Grant Fund seeks applications from community organizations to help the City pilot new, community-centered approaches to safety and violence prevention. A total of $250,000 in funding is available, with award amounts up to $50,000. Apply here.

This is the fourth iteration of the Equity Mini-Grant Fund. These funds have been provided as flexible resources for grassroots organizations working to address quality of life disparities. Last year, the grants focused on community-led responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Projects considered for award under the Mini-Grant fund are broad. In the past, a wide variety of projects have been funded, ranging from establishing a community garden to crisis intervention funding. Any work that aims to build on the experiences of communities most impacted by violence are eligible for award.

This press release was produced by the City of Austin. The views expressed here are the author’s own.