Keep Durham Beautiful Awards Twelve Community Grants

Residents of Durham value the way this place looks. By a ratio of almost four to one, Durham residents rate appearance and physical upkeep a high community priority. Destinations hoping to attract visitors and newcomers understand that curb appeal is an essential investment that delivers a high rate of return. In the coming months, Durham will see a dozen new volunteer beatification projects accomplished thanks to grants from Keep Durham Beautiful (KDB).

Through its semi-annual community grant program, Keep Durham Beautiful assists those organizations and volunteers that take responsibility for their community environments and agree to engage other volunteers to create more beautiful and vibrant places in Durham.

Keep Durham Beautiful grants are funded entirely through individual and corporate donations and fundraising activities. Donors and volunteers share its vision for a litter-free, healthy community, filled with green and attractive spaces.

”The impact to roadside appearance and public spaces will make our city more welcoming for everyone. It is very gratifying to see so many dedicated volunteers working together to identify needs and complete projects with fantastic results for very little money,” says Tania Dautlick, Director, Keep Durham Beautiful.

Keep Durham Beautiful selected 12 projects from grant applications submitted in the fall of 2012, awarding a total of $5,683:

• Birchwood Heights Homeowners Association: Neighborhood: entrance signs and planting - $450 
• Bountiful Backyards Cherry Grove Park: edible garden, mulch, plants, seeds, soil - $500 
• Briggs Avenue Community Garden: 20 fruit trees for community orchard - $500 
• Build a Better Block with Tootie: planters, benches, trash cans, paint - $500 
• Creekside Elementary PTA: topsoil, sand and plants for school landscaping - $500 
• Durham Community Land Trustees: supplies and landscape materials for 2012 Make a Difference Day - $500 
• Epworth United Methodist Church: curbside landscaping - $250 
• Hope Valley North Neighborhood Association: entrance signs and planting - $400 
• Kestrel Heights School: courtyard beautification - $583 
• Ninth Street Bakery: planters, plants and compost for courtyard - $500 
• Scrap Exchange: soil and plants for landscape of building front - $500 
• Top Teens of America: sign, garden bed, landscaping for historic Pauli Murray House - $500

Each grant recipient completes a post-project report that measures success by detailing the project’s accomplishments, budget, volunteer contributions and time with Keep Durham Beautiful reimbursing grant recipients for expenses after project completion.

More information can be found on Facebook or on Twitter with updates and photos of completed projects.

The next deadline to submit applications for a Keep Durham Beautiful Community Grant is January 31, 2013 which will be preceded by a community information session (TBA) in early January.

To learn how to apply for a grant and other ways to make a positive impact in Durham, visit the KDB website and register to receive their newsletter.