Partnerships for Parks - Bronx Newsblast January 2025

HIGHLIGHTS Mulchfest Say fir-well to your holiday tree at NYC Parks Mulchfest and join us in the NYC holiday tradition of recycling Christmas trees!   Bring your tree to a Mulchfest location and NYC Parks will chip it into wood chips to nourish trees and make NYC even greener. Chipping Weekend is Saturday, January 11 and Sunday, January 12 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Bring your tree to a chipping site and leave with your very own bag of mulch to use in your backyard or make a winter bed for a street tree. To participate, look for a chipping site here. Native Plants Initiative We rolled out the Native Plant Initiative at the end of 2023 to benefit our city’s local ecosystems and wildlife. In 2024, the first full year of the initiative, volunteers installed over 1,000 native plants at about 50 It’s My Park projects across our city. 62 distinct species were planted, including wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees. We thank all of you who worked with us on the Native Plant Initiative last year, helping to provide food, nectar, and habitat for insects, birds, pollinators, mammals, and more. We look forward to creating and caring for our native ecosystems with you in 2025 and beyond. To get involved, email adam.blachly@parks.nyc.gov or your local community engagement coordinator.  COMMUNITY EVENTS Mulchfest 2025 at Starlight Park Bring your tree to the parking lot at Bronx River House (near southern entrance of Starlight Park) and we will “Treecycle” it with our woodchipper. The chips from your tree will be used as mulch throughout the Starlight Park. Take home a christmas tree smelling sachet or a bag of NYC finished compost (while supplies last) to feed your plants.  SPECIAL Raffle entry with each tree brought to the chipping event (ONLY at this Starlight Park location).  Date/Time: Saturday & Sunday, January 11th &12th, 10:00AM to 2:00PM Location: River House, Bronx River Alliance, 1490 Sheridan Blvd, Bronx, NY 10459 More info: https://bronxriver.org/visit-the-river/calendar Contact: Nathan.Hunter@parks.nyc.gov. Intro into Urban Soils Workshop Is soil alive? What’s the difference between soil vs dirt? Explore these questions and more as we dig deep into soil during Mulchfest 2025!  Date/Time: Saturday, January 11th, 11:00AM to 12:00PM Location: River House, Bronx River Alliance, 1490 Sheridan Blvd, Bronx, NY 10459 More info: https://bronxriver.org/event/intro-into-soil-101 Contact: Rodney@bigreuse.org. TRAININGS Introduction to Proposal Writing Candid Are you new to proposal writing or want a quick refresher? If so, you don't want to miss one of our most popular classes! This class will provide you with an overview of how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation. It will include: The basic elements of a proposal The "do's" and "don'ts" of writing and submitting a proposal How to follow up whether the answer is yes or no 30-minute hands-on exercise to develop a proposal outline (in-person classes only) Upon completion of this course, you'll be able to: Understand how to write a standard project proposal to a foundation Know how and when to follow up with funders after submitting a proposal Location: Online Cost: Free Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025 from 2:00-3:30pm Link: Enroll here! Is Starting a Nonprofit Right for You? Candid Starting a nonprofit can seem terrifically complicated -- is it worth it?  This class can help you decide. In this session you’ll learn the legal and logistical elements necessary to start a successful nonprofit.  You’ll also learn about possible alternatives to starting your own nonprofit that you may not have considered.  Finally, you’ll be introduced to a tool that will help you assess your own readiness to move forward. Upon completion of this course you should be able to: Outline the steps required to start a nonprofit Assess the alternatives to starting a nonprofit Complete the nonprofit startup assessment tool to determine where you are in the startup process and identify the next steps you should take Access additional resources to help you in your journey Location: Online Cost: Free Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 from 2:00-3:30pm Link: Enroll here! Nonprofit Leaders Speak on Founding a Nonprofit as a Black Leader Candid Research has shown that Black nonprofit leaders face unique challenges, particularly in securing adequate funding for their organizations. A study by Candid found that nonprofits with Black CEOs are more likely to have smaller revenues than those with white CEOs, and Black leaders didn’t really need that study to know this was the case.   Despite the challenges Black nonprofit leaders face, they are still working to meet the needs in their communities. These leaders use knowledge, partnerships, and ingenuity to get the work done because they are passionate about the role they play in the world.  As part of Candid’s "Nonprofit leaders speak on..." series, join us to discuss founding a nonprofit. Attendees will gain valuable insights and leave with actionable strategies for building a nonprofit from the ground up.  Outcomes Meet three Black-led nonprofits and learn about their work Describe the steps founding executive directors take from securing start-up funds through getting paid as a full-time employee for their work Discover pro-tips on starting, then growing, a nonprofit including how to generate a variety of revenue streams Recognize the gaps in philanthropy, how these leaders fill them, and what we can do as champions of good work to help close gaps Location: Online Cost: Free Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025 from 2:00-3:30pm Link: Enroll here! GRANTS AND RESOURCES Daily Grants  The Pollination Project The Pollination Project offers seed funding of up to US$1 thousand to compassion-driven individuals, informally organized groups and organizations, and formally registered or incorporated non-profit organizations based anywhere in the world. Topics for projects include education, clean water, afforestation, animal advocacy, and many others.  Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Link: Learn more The Resiliency and Recovery Fund The Pollination Project The Resilience & Recovery Fund (RRF) will provide fast, small one-time grants of $1,000 to support grassroots volunteer responses to natural disasters, pandemic, humanitarian crises, or similar emergent events. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and existing TPP grantees in good standing who have not previously received RRF funding are eligible to apply. Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Link: Learn more Gardens for the City Program New York Restoration Project Is there a community space in your neighborhood you’d like to see transformed? If so, apply for NYRP’s help. NYRP provides support for projects of various scales — from building a few vegetable beds to large-scale restoration work. NYRP helps provide materials, horticultural knowledge, environmental education, and construction expertise in order to help create community gardens and accessible landscapes in under-resourced neighborhoods.  Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. (Due to the high volume of applications, all future GFTC inquiries will be considered for 2025.) Link: Learn more The Awesome Foundation  The Awesome Foundation The Awesome Foundation is a global community advancing the interest of awesome in the universe, $1000 at a time. Each fully autonomous chapter supports awesome projects through micro-grants, usually given out monthly.  Deadline: Reviewed monthly Link: Learn more For questions or concerns, contact your borough community engagement coordinator: Robert Madera | Bronx Community Engagement Coordinator Community Districts: 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12 718.430.1815 | Robert.Madera@parks.nyc.gov Ashley Santos | Bronx Community Engagement Coordinator Community Districts: 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 11 718.430.4667 | Ashley.Santos@parks.nyc.gov