By Abigail Sibilski, Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara Neighborhood Association

It’s grant season for the SASY Neighborhood Association. What does this mean?

Each year, the Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara Neighborhood Association awards grants to a number of applicants representing local organizations, businesses and projects. Grant applications are due at the beginning of February, followed by an in-person presentation to the SAYNA Board that same month. The 2026 grant process has ended.

During the summer of 2016, there was talk amongst the board of directors regarding how the neighborhood association could give back to its community using some of the funds raised at AtwoodFest. The idea was to deepen SASYNA’s engagement with the community, as well as boost neighborhood members’ ideas of what improvement in the community might look like. The amount awarded has generally increased over the years, with AtwoodFest being the fuel to make it possible.

How it works

All applicants are asked to attend the board’s February meeting to present their ideas for a number of reasons. This gives the board members a chance to get to know the applicants in a more personal manner. This model often fosters collaboration between neighbors and applicants whilst prompting suggestions for other sources of overall support.

Board members vote independently by scoring applicants based on a set of questions:

Does the applicant reside in or have an office located in SASY’s boundaries?
Has this applicant received a grant from SASY in the recent past?
How will the project impact residents and businesses in the neighborhood?
Is the project inclusive, accessible and equitable?
Does the project foster collaboration amongst other businesses, organizations or individuals in the neighborhood?
Is the project’s budget clear, realistic and achievable?

The board members who are present at the meeting award grants to a range of causes — including wellness, youth programs, schools, community-building, arts, sustainability and more. Some applicants are awarded the full amount requested, while others may receive a portion of their request. Applicants who do not receive an award are often supported by the board in other ways. Community members can expect to hear which projects were granted the awards sometime in the summer.

The board hopes to continue to make improvements in the future in order to be able to offer opportunities to a wider range of applicants. They also continuously strive to form other collaborative efforts across neighborhood associations and to support causes in unique and curated ways.

Information on the next application deadline and the grant criteria become available at the beginning of each year. In the meantime, community members are encouraged to reach out when in need of support and are always welcome to attend SASYNA’s monthly meeting.

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