To complete the application you will need information about your group, a plan for your activity, and an activity budget. You can view the full application here to prepare yourself and know what to expect. We use Submittable, an online platform to accept and review applications. Submittable allows you to save and edit your responses, message our team, and monitor activity on your application at your convenience.

Steps to apply in Submittable:

1. Create account or Log in: You must create a Submittable account to apply. If you already have an account, skip to step 3.

• The email you use will receive important communications from us regarding the status of your application as the primary applicant.
• Please ensure you log in using the email address where you want to receive updates on behalf of your team for the duration of the application and awarding process. If you do not respond, your application will affected.
• If you think you should have received a message during the process, check your spam folder. Be sure to add our email addresses to your safe sender list: notifications@email.submittable.com, sdaf@investstl.org.
• If you are completing this application on behalf of someone else, please enter their email address to avoid duplication and ensure the primary applicant receives all necessary communications.

2. Verify your login email: Check your email for a message from Submittable as soon as you sign up. Click the link to verify your email address and return to Submittable. You may now log in and view the Invest STL Submittable page.

3. Start applying: Choose the program called “Small Dollars Action Fund” with the current cycle. Once you start the application, your progress will be saved and you can return to the application link to complete your application.

You may also fill in the application PDF and email it to us at SDAF@investstl.org. with your supporting documents.

This fund is intended for activities that strengthen community, encourage connection and engagement among neighbors, and are ready to start within 90 days. Funded activities could include implementing neighborhood or block events, creating and sharing welcome kits, mailers, yard signs and other neighborhood pride swag, providing food and babysitting to attract folks to your community meeting, neighborhood beautification efforts like alley and street cleanups, among others.

This funding is not intended to fill gaps on large budget projects that have total budgets of more than $5,000. If you are unsure that your activity will be eligible for funding, reach out to us for more direct guidance. Send an email at sdaf@investstl.org with your questions or concerns. Funding is not intended for long-term programs that require extensive consulting, subcontracts or paid staffing. Examples of ineligible activities include semester-long after school programs, equipment for a regional youth sports team, purchasing personal property, and individual home improvement projects. We may decline applications requesting funds for uses that are not in alignment with Invest STL’s mission or vision.

Small Dollars Action Funding is intended for neighborhood-based resident groups likeNeighborhood Associations, Block Units, Tenant Associations, resident-led committees assembled as a part of a community development corporation, and informal collectives (a group of at least 3 residents, all residing in the same neighborhood) who are active in the eligible areas. Neighborhood groups must be led by volunteers who are residents of the area where the organization’s activities are focused. You can confirm that you and your team members live in the same eligible neighborhood by entering your home address on our eligibility map.

Please note: all members of the group must be aware of the application and will be asked to verify their participation via email/Submittable upon submission of the completed application. This fund is NOT intended for churches, regionally-focused nonprofits or foundations, issue-based nonprofits or for profit businesses (ie: daycares, salons, restaurants etc.)

Applicants cannot be awarded funding in consecutive cycles. Awardees must complete the follow-up survey from their previous award to be eligible in future cycles.

An informal collective is defined as at least 3 people who reside in the same neighborhood, and have the capacity (time, support, people) and ability to implement the action. The purpose of this grant is to encourage connection between neighbors and households. All members of the team must live in separate households. If you are unsure if you should apply as a collective, take a look at the STL Neighborhood Map and see who is active in your area that you can connect with.

The SDAF is intended to focus on residents in the earlier stages of activating and organizing their neighbors and neighborhood. These individual groups may not have the same access to funding as organizations like churches, schools, businesses, and regional or issue-based non profit organizations.

SDAF fills this gap, supporting every day people in their willingness to create, activate, and sustain their community. Not all neighborhoods have an organization, but may still want/need to mobilize action in their neighborhood. Informal collectives create a point of entry for everyday people to access funding for their neighborhood, while the eligible entities we fund have a specific focus on improving their neighborhoods.

No, your organization can only be awarded once per funding cycle and cannot be awarded for consecutive funding cycles. An organization or individual can only submit one application for consideration per cycle. This allows more neighborhoods and groups from across the region to access funding. Awardees must complete the follow-up survey from their previous award to be eligible in future cycles.