NOTE: Grant application workshops will not be conducted for the 2010 Neighborhood Block Watch Grant year.  Instead, the workshop presentation will be linked on this website in eight (8) separate sections that will be available for download.  This will afford applicants the opportunity to view the presentation multiple times, which will assist in the understanding of the 2010 grant application changes.   If you have any questions, feel free to contact grant staff at 602-262-6543.

WELCOME
to the
2010 Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program

Thank you for participating in the 2010 Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program (NBWGP).  The NBWGP provides an opportunity to enhance the safety and the quality of life in our city through empowerment of community groups that work to prevent and solve crime-related problems in their neighborhoods.  The NBWGP was created to provide funding to neighborhood groups to undertake new and innovative programs and activities aimed at preventing and reducing crime in the community.  The aim and purpose of the Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program are to detect, deter, and/or delay crime.  This is done by educating individuals to work together to solve problems, encouraging citizens to develop a sense of ownership for their neighborhoods, developing and addressing common neighborhood goals, coordinating pertinent neighborhood/community meetings, and teaching crime prevention and safety techniques.
Funding shall be provided on a competitive basis for proposals that demonstrate the potential to produce the greatest measurable results for a definable population or area.  Your comments and constructive criticism throughout the course of the program will be greatly appreciated. 

The Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program Oversight Committee wishes to thank you for showing an interest in the Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program and your community.  We wish you the best of luck and hope your hard work and efforts result in a safer and cleaner neighborhood in which to live.

Please read all materials very carefully.  Several changes have been made to the grant program and application.
NOTE:  If you have any questions, please call the NBW Grant staff at 602-262-6543 for assistance as information provided by other sources may not be accurate.

APPLICATION OPENS
Starting Friday, January 1, 2010, copies of the Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program application can be downloaded from the following website:  http://www.phoenix.gov/police/nbwgrant.html.  For the long form application ($10,000) there are two forms that must be downloaded and completed—the main application and the budget section.  For the short-form application ($1,000) there is just the one form, two pages. All applications must be submitted on forms provided by the City of Phoenix.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
Grant applications and grant budgets must be submitted by e-mail to nbwgrant@phoenix.gov by 4 p.m. on Friday, February 5, 2010.  Late submissions and submissions delayed through e-mail will not be accepted.  Please do not wait until the last minute to submit your application.  Incomplete applications and neighborhood/homeowners/Block Watch organizations failing to list with the Neighborhood Services Department or Block Watch groups not registered with the Phoenix Police Department by Friday, February 5, 2010, at 4 p.m. WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

When e-mailing your grant application and grant budget, please include one of these key words in the Subject line:  grant, NBWG, application, or 2010.  Use of one of these key words will generate an auto-reply message to you stating that the Phoenix Police Department has received your grant application.  Once grant staff receives your application and grant budget, you will receive a second e-mail message stating that your application has been received and assigning you a grant number.  If you do not receive this second e-mail message and grant number within three business days, please contact grant staff immediately at 602-262-6543.

Once you receive your assigned grant number, clearly print it onto copies of your required neighborhood meeting agendas and any other documentation to be submitted through the U.S. Post Office no later than Friday, February 12, 2010.  Late submissions and submissions delayed through the mail will not be accepted.

If you do not have e-mail, you must submit one SIGNED original and one paper-clipped copy of the grant application, grant budget, neighborhood meeting agendas, and other required documentation to the following address:
Phoenix Police Headquarters
Planning and Community Relations Bureau
620 West Washington Street, Suite 326
Phoenix, Arizona  85003
Deadline requirements (Friday, February 5, 2010 at 4 p.m.) for hard copy applications are the same as for e-mail applications.

No facsimile (faxed) applications will be accepted.

GUIDELINES

Definitions of Eligible Applicants:
PRIMARY APPLICANT – ONLY neighborhood/homeowners/Block Watch organizations listed with the City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department or Block Watch groups registered with the Phoenix Police Department by Friday, February 5, 2010, at 4 p.m.

CO-APPLICANT - Any educational or religious organizations, non-profit agencies within a specific geographic area, and City of Phoenix departments by section or division.
The Citywide category has been eliminated for the 2010 application process.

Application Quantity and Restrictions:
PRIMARY APPLICANTS may submit TWO applications in the following ways:  ONE application as the PRIMARY APPLICANT for its own neighborhood program and ONE as a partner with a CO-APPLICANT, as defined above.   If a PRIMARY APPLICANT does not apply by itself for a grant, it may submit TWO applications as a partner with TWO different CO-APPLICANTS.

Primary applicants must submit copies of neighborhood meeting agendas from four neighborhood meetings held in separate months during the previous year where crime prevention topics were discussed.  These agendas must indicate the number of people who attended each meeting.  Please see section on Grant Dollar Limitations for more details on this requirement.

PRIMARY APPLICANTS that are formal Homeowners' Associations (HOAs), incorporated neighborhoods, or neighborhood associations with a 501(c)3 need to complete the HOA Checklist.  If one of these organizations applies as a co-applicant, they must still submit the required documents listed on the HOA Checklist.

NOTE:     If your organization (Block Watch/ neighborhood association) resides within the existing boundaries of a formal Homeowners Association (HOA), your group must apply with the HOA as a partner ONLY if your project requests any item that the HOA would normally be responsible for or could be perceived as an improvement to HOA property (e.g., dusk-to-dawn lighting, additional light poles, fencing, gates, etc.)  If your group is requesting items strictly for Block Watch or Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol (e.g., newsletters, fuel reimbursement, etc.), you do not have to have the HOA as a co-applicant.

CO-APPLICANTS, as defined on the previous page, CANNOT APPLY BY THEMSELVES AS A SINGLE APPLICANT.  They must co-apply with a listed or registered neighborhood/homeowners/Block Watch organization (PRIMARY APPLICANT).

Boundaries:
The geographic area and/or population to be served must be identified in the grant application.  The service area shall be within the corporate limits of the city of Phoenix or the impacted population must be Phoenix citizens. 

Grant Dollar Limitations:
Grant amounts may vary, but the maximum grant amount that can be applied for is $10,000.  Budget estimates should match your proposal and should not be inflated to reach the maximum figure.  Please round estimates to the nearest dollar amounts and be sure that you have included taxes for each item in your budget.

Organizations that have been in existence for six months or less may only apply for a maximum of $1,000.

The short-form application for maximum grant amounts of $1,000 has been reinstated for the 2010 application year.

In order to apply for a grant amount of more than $1,000, Primary Applicants (neighborhood/homeowners/Block Watch organizations) must submit copies of agendas from four neighborhood meetings held in separate months during the previous year where crime prevention topics were discussed.  It must be indicated on each agenda the number of people who attended that meeting.

Eligible/Ineligible Use of Funds:
Eligible Items
Grant funds shall be used to fund new or existing programs and activities with an identifiable anti-crime component or safety program.  Eligible uses include, but are not limited to, crime prevention programs, neighborhood crime-fighting workshops, and crime-fighting/prevention educational programs.  Proposals to expand a current program or activity into a new geographic area where no similar programs or activities exist will be considered.  Once the program and budget are approved by City Council, funds may only be used for services/commodities listed in the grant budget.

Restricted Items
Cellular phones purchased with Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program (NBWGP) funds for the purpose of Phoenix Neighborhood Patrols and Block Watch activities can be funded up to a maximum limit of $480 per phone for the grant year.  Additionally, groups must justify the need for the number of phones requested.  Grant funds cannot be used to pay phone charges for long distance or special fee (900 numbers) phone calls.

Fuel reimbursement for Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol and graffiti abatement programs can be funded up to a maximum limit of $1,000 per group.  Grant funds can only be used to reimburse for fuel when PNP members' patrol or for graffiti abatement activities; this does not include attending training, meetings, or running errands.

Lawful traffic mitigation devices must be specifically tied to crime prevention.  Contact the Street Transportation Department at 602-495-0242 for information on the Speed Hump Program or visit their website at http://www.phoenix.gov/STREETS/speedhmp.html.

Camp fees (in-state only), clothing/uniforms, craft/gardening supplies, games (indoor/outdoor), sports equipment/supplies/bicycles, transportation, tournament entry fees (in-state only), and overtime costs for two non-educational field trips per year (does not include entrance/admission fees) can ONLY be paid for in conjunction with youth-related programs.

Block Watch and/or PNP clothing, cell phones/service ($480 per phone per year; number of phones must be justified in application), two-way radios/police scanners/walkie-talkies/binoculars/bicycles, equipment/supplies (helium, port-a-johns, and promotional/marketing tools, PNP magnetic signs, and rentals can only be purchased/rented in conjunction with Block Watch or Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol (PNP) programs.

Internet services are restricted to a maximum limit of $750 per year for service provided to community organizations/centers and a maximum of $500 per year for service provided to an individuals residence.

Ineligible Items:

• Administration of the grant itself, including payment to an accountant or individual to complete quarterly reports
• Alcoholic beverages, including wine and beer
• Awards and raffle prizes
• Bulletproof vests
• Entertainment, parties, and recognition dinners
• Entrance or admission fees for any in-state or out-of-state non-educational field trips, including water and amusement parks
• Food or beverages of any kind, including consumable prizes or incentives in the form of food or beverages
• Motor vehicles
• Out-of-state field trips or travel (educational or non-educational)
• Surveillance equipment, including night vision and listening devices
• Vehicle overhead emergency light bars
• Weapons of any type, including firearms, pepper spray, mace, knives, stun guns, etc.

Insurance Requirement:
Grant programs, events, and/or activities may require insurance coverage.  Grant applicants should be aware that THEY are NOT COVERED by the City for ANY TYPE OF INSURANCE OR LIABILITY ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR program, event, and/or activities.  The City recommends you contact your insurance agent to ensure you have appropriate coverage for your programs, INCLUDING AUTO LIABILITY, GENERAL LIABILITY, WORKERS COMPENSATION, OR PROPERTY INSURANCE.

Banking Requirement:

All recipients’ grant funds will be deposited into a bank checking account with the City of Phoenix listed as a co-signer on the account.  All checking accounts will be centralized at one banking facility that will be chosen by the City.  For the last few years this location has been the Downtown Chase Bank.  Please note that Chase will be charging monthly service fees and check order fees starting with the 2010 application year.  You will need to include in your grant budget approximately $200 in the Operational Expense category for banking services and fees.

COMPLETING THE APPLICATION

Preparation of Application:
Computer applications are preferred, but if you must submit a handwritten application it must be legible.  Illegible applications will be disqualified.   

You are encouraged to review the on-line workshop presentation for assistance in completing the application.  If you have further questions, please call the Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program staff at 602-262-6543 for assistance as information provided by any other source may not be accurate.

Question 9, Project Description, of the grant application must not exceed 150 words.

There is a maximum of five pages for optional attachments; e.g., newsletters, pictures, and crime statistics.

Preparation of Budget Section:
There are four budget categories—Personnel, Operational Expenses, Equipment/Supplies, and Consumables. The Budget section must include a narrative for all budget items requested. When completing the Budget section, rather than requesting miscellaneous office supplies, list the type of items (paper, mailing labels, stamps, clipboards, etc.) to be purchased.  When requesting funds for salaries or overtime for individuals, please use terms such as salary, overtime, stipend, or hourly wages.  Do not use terms such as compensate, sponsor, or subsidize.

Budget estimates should match your proposal and should not be inflated to reach the maximum figure.  Please round estimates to the nearest dollar amount.   Do not forget to include sales taxes on each item in your budget estimation.

If requesting lawful traffic mitigation devices, you must complete the Budget Supplement – Lawful Traffic Mitigation Devices page.

Information for volunteer contributions must be provided, including information for partnering organizations.

Please include costs for monthly banking and check order fees in your budget under the Operational Expense category.  We recommend approximately $200 for these fees.

Preparation of Required Documentation:
If your group is a Primary Applicant, please include copies of neighborhood meeting agendas with crime prevention topics.  The number of people present at the meeting must be included with your agendas.

If your group is a homeowners' association (HOA), incorporated neighborhood, or neighborhood with a 501(c)3 designation, please include the required documents listed on the HOA Checklist.
Note:  If your group has Block Watch or PNP program activities only, you do not need to apply with the HOA and may apply on your own.

COMPLETING THE APPLICATION (continued)
Signatures:
A minimum of two individuals must sign the Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program application.  If this is a collaborative/joint application, a representative from each organization must sign the application.  If your grant application is approved for funding, the same individuals must sign the NBW Grant contract.  These individuals will be responsible for fulfilling all grant requirements, including quarterly, financial, and program reports for the term of the contract. 

Note:  Applications submitted by e-mail do not require signatures.   E-mailed applications only require the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of the signers listed on the application. 

Members of the Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program Oversight Committee CANNOT BE SIGNERS on NBW Grant applications.

Individuals who reside or work at the same physical address or who are related (including by marriage) CANNOT SIGN THE SAME NBW GRANT APPLICATION. 

EVALUATION OF APPLICATION
Judging:
The allocation of Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program (NBWGP) funds is an annual process.  This process includes submission of applications by the public, review of applications and recommendations by the NBWGP Oversight Committee, Public Safety and Veterans Subcommittee approval, City Council action, and grant awards.  The NBWGP fund is administered by the City Manager through the Police Department.  The 20-member NBWGP Oversight Committee is responsible for reviewing and evaluating grant proposals and forwarding a recommendation for funding to the Public Safety and Veterans Subcommittee.  All meetings of the NBWGP Oversight Committee are open to the public.  Each grant application is evaluated on how well it fulfills the purpose of the Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program.

Scoring Criteria:
The NBWGP Oversight Committee will evaluate grant applications based on the following scoring criteria:

Quality of Life Factors / Crime Prevention Potential (50%)
Budget Evaluation (20%)
Project Viability / Feasibility / Experience (15%)
Ability to Complete the Project (15%)

Funding:
The NBWGP Oversight Committee may also recommend a grant be awarded for less than the amount requested on an application if they feel that portions of the proposal are ineligible or unworkable.  Applications recommended by the NBWGP Oversight Committee for funding will be forwarded to the Public Safety and Veterans Subcommittee for its review and acceptance and then to the City Council for final approval and grant awards.  The City Council makes the final determination in the acceptance, denial, or alteration of the funding level of each application.  Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program staff will notify applicants of funding results.  It is anticipated that grants will be awarded and funded in July 2010.

POST-AWARD PROCEDURE

Contract:
All approved grant recipients are required to execute a contract with the City of Phoenix regarding the use of grant funds in accordance with NBWGP rules and regulations.

All grant recipients must open a separate checking account with a bank designated by the City.  A representative for the City will also be a signer on the account with all authorized grant representatives.  Grant checking accounts must contain grant funds ONLY.

POST-AWARD PROCEDURE (continued)

Reporting:

Quarterly reports to evaluate project performance and progress must be submitted by grant recipients on forms supplied and within the timelines set by the City.  All records and documents related to project activities, expenses, bank statements, receipts, equipment, or other personal or tangible property purchased with grant funds must be maintained by the grantee for a period of at least two (2) years from the date of expiration of the grant contract. 

Groups that do not submit quarterly and final reports in a timely manner, that submit fraudulent applications, and/or do not return all unused grant monies WILL NOT be considered for future funding.

Neighborhood/homeowners/Block Watch organizations must be responsible for tracking and reporting of expenditures when co-applying with a partnering organization.

Checks must be made for exact dollar amounts of items purchased.

Checks cannot be made out to Cash; cash CANNOT be withdrawn from the grant checking account.

If co-applying with a partnering organization, reimbursements must be for the exact dollar amount of each expenditure.

Auditing:
Grant recipients must agree to allow the City Auditor and/or Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program staff complete access to all records related to the project for auditing purposes.  City representatives must be allowed access to all locations where grant activities are being conducted for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of the grant project.  Grant recipients must adhere to any other requirements deemed necessary by the City for the proper operation of projects.

Conclusion/Termination of Project:
At the conclusion or termination of a project, any group with equipment and other personal or tangible property purchased with grant funds will automatically have their contract extended for two additional years.  During this extension, there will be no reporting requirements, but the group will be expected to use the equipment as specified in the original grant contract.  All unused grant monies must be returned to the NBWGP fund.

CHECKLIST FOR HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATIONS (HOA)

New grant requirements have been established for Homeowners' Associations, incorporated neighborhoods, or neighborhoods with a 501(c)3 designation to ensure that all legal representatives are aware and approve of the grant application.

Note:  Block Watch or other groups existing within the boundaries of a formal HOA must apply with the HOA as a partner ONLY if the grant project is an improvement to any HOA-related property; e.g., fencing, dusk-to-dawn lights, gates, etc.  If the grant application is strictly for Block Watch or PNP program activities, applicants do not need to apply with the HOA.  (Same limit of two applications applies.)

If you are an HOA, incorporated neighborhood, or neighborhood with a 501(c)3 designation applying as a Primary Applicant or Co-applicant for the Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program, this checklist serves as your guide to eligibility.  Make sure you have completed the following:

     Did not submit more than two applications. (You are allowed to apply once as a primary applicant and once with a partner.)

      Included document (minutes, resolution, etc.) reflecting that the Board of Directors or officers took formal and/or legal action to approve grant application and agrees to accept related program/financial responsibilities.

      Two board members or officers are signers on the application.  In the case of a partnership, each organization is represented by at least one signer.

      Included documentation showing that the two individuals signing the grant application and contracts have authorization to sign and act on the board's behalf.