Create Columbus Commission Announces Grant Selections
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 18, 2013
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John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798
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Create Columbus Commission Announces Grant Selections
The Create Columbus Commission (CCC) announces selections
for its inaugural grants program. A young professional (YP) organization
established by the City of Columbus and Columbus Chamber in 2007, CCC is
distributing grant funds for local YP initiatives through its new Create
Columbus Grants Program. In the first year of the program, $60,460 was
distributed among eight organizations.
As an organization of over 30 young professionals dedicated
to identifying and implementing strategies and tactics to help Columbus attract
and retain young and talented individuals, CCC established this grant
opportunity to support initiatives that further the development of the young
professional community in Columbus.
The goals of the Create Columbus Grants Program are to:
1. Encourage
and support residents to launch innovative, community-based initiatives with a
specific young professionals component;
2. Provide
strategic financial support for one-time costs for events, initiatives or
programs that impact young professionals;
3. Improve the
young professional experience in the areas of arts, sports and entertainment,
careers, neighborhoods, and transportation.
“The commission spent a significant amount of time reviewing
applications from several great organizations looking to make an impact in the
Columbus young professional community,” said Steven Michalovich, co-chair of
the Create Columbus Commission. “We believe the eight groups awarded grants in
this first year are representative of the diversity within the YP community,
and we look forward to seeing the impact of their work on Columbus.”
With support from Mayor Michael B. Coleman and Columbus City
Council, all grant selections suggested by the commission were approved.
“I am extremely proud of the work being done by the Create
Columbus Commission to help transform the way our city interacts with its young
professional community,” said Mayor Michael B. Coleman. “This new grants
program is essential to our efforts to attract and retain the young and
talented in Columbus.”
The City of Columbus continues to have high hopes for the
new program.
“The Create Columbus Grants Program is a great step forward
for Columbus young professionals,” said City Council President Andrew Ginther.
“The initiatives supported by these grants will undoubtedly add to the vibrancy
of our city, but will also help further establish Columbus’ position as one of
the best cities in America for young adults.”
The $60,640 dedicated to the CCC’s grants program was
distributed to eight organizations for the described projects as follows:
Besa Community Inc., Capital City Impact
$10,000
Connecting young professionals to community service opportunities
through its volunteer portal, Besa Community Inc. seeks to engage a larger
number of professionals to local community service via its new Capital City
Impact program. The program will work with partners to develop volunteer
opportunities in targeted neighborhoods to be launched with a grand marketing
push, and has a goal of adding 100 volunteers to Besa’s database during its
first year of progress.
Community Research Partners, Envisioning Columbus
Communities of Tomorrow
$10,000
In partnership with The Ohio State University (OSU),
Community Research Partners (CRP) acknowledges the importance of attracting
young and talented individuals, and seeks to ask them what they want in a
neighborhood. CRP and OSU will develop and execute a community visioning
process, culminating in a day-long collaborative workshop. The event will bring
together young professionals to engage in a series of exercises focused on
active participation and creative visualization.
Mt. Vernon Special Improvement District, Near East Side Hop
$10,000
The Mt. Vernon Special Improvement District created the Near
East Side Hop to support its mission of cultivating a cohesive network among
area businesses and residents to elevate the impression, encourage businesses
and entrepreneurs, and stimulate economic performance of the Near East Side
Community. The Hop will be a weeklong series of events in the historic Near
East Side community of Columbus geared towards the interests of young
professionals, demonstrating to them that the neighborhood is a viable option
as they decide where to live, work, play and raise a family.
Transit Columbus, Good Ideas Columbus
$10,000
Transit Columbus’ Good Ideas Columbus program seeks to
facilitate a discussion about new ideas in transportation among young
professionals and civic leaders while fostering an environment where creative
solutions can emerge. Transit Columbus and partner organizations will connect
Columbus’ brightest young minds, such as designers, architects, engineers,
students and artists, and pair them with civic leaders to work on real
transportation problems affecting Columbus.
Short North Alliance, Viewpoints: Mini Murals by Working
Artists Under 40
$7,500
To celebrate and publicly showcase diverse viewpoints of
working young professional visual artists, the Short North Alliance created
Viewpoints: Mini Murals by Working Artists Under 40. Eleven public mini murals
will be created and displayed throughout the Short North area of Columbus and
curated by local galleries and museums, further instigating the development of
the local young professional art industry.
Founders Factory, 10Xelerator
$5,000
Focusing on catalyzing high-growth technology business in
Columbus, Founders Factory’s 10Xelerator project will strive to convert
promising entrepreneurial ideas into viable businesses and sustainable
companies. Partnering with Ohio’s New Entrepreneurs (ONE) Fund, TechColumbus,
The Ohio State University, Columbus2020 and others to support and accelerate 10
early-stage technology businesses with significant growth potential each year.
Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, Young
Entrepreneur Recruitment Initiative
$4,450
The Young Entrepreneur Recruitment Initiative program is
intended to directly impact young professionals starting or expanding
businesses in central Ohio. The ultimate project goal is to increase the number
of signed office leases by young entrepreneurs in Columbus’ Downtown area.
Greater Columbus Arts Council, SOUP Capacity
$3,510
Columbus SOUP was founded to better connect and cultivate
creative projects that make Columbus a great community. For SOUP’s Capacity and
Identity Building project, SOUP seeks to develop an image that is YP-focused
and contract a professional graphic designer and website builder to help create
a cohesive brand and identity for Columbus SOUP that reflects the mission and
appeals to YP audiences.
All grant recipients are expected to update the CCC on the
progress of their projects. Applications for the next round of the Create
Columbus Grants program are expected to open in March 2014.
For more information about the Create Columbus Commission,
visit createcolumb.us