Sample Application (applications now closed)

This is a fictional story. Joe Jones is not a real person and Riverside Chicago is not a real place. However, we thought you might want to see what a successful application would look like.

First Name/Last Name:
Joe Jones

E-mail address:
JJones@iheartamerica.org

The first step of making it your own is defining what "it" is. (required)
1) How will you and your community decide what "it" (the issue(s) to be addressed) is?  If you've already decided -- what is the "it" and how did you get to that decision?  (1500 characters max)

A few months ago, I decided to head to the neighborhood basketball court where I saw a few kids shooting hoops. While at first they were hesitant about letting me in, I started talking to them and finding ways to connect. I asked them about music, about school, their families, and what they thought was the cause of trouble in the neighborhood. I realized that in some instances, these young people didn't have adults to talk to -- and so we decided to coordinate informal games and discussions on the basketball court twice a week. This has been a transformative experience for me -- but more importantly its led us to discussions about what we think the community could look like if we take the "on court" conversations and move them to include others in the community. It occurred to me that these conversations were important, and there are a lot of people in the community who can use their skills and talents to help younger members of the community realize their potential. The hot topic right now is more development coming to the neighborhood but I want to bring the spirit of our informal discussions over hoops to a wider section of the community to decide together what issues we want to address. We'll start with small discussions in informal settings to come up with the top five issues and then come together in a bigger group to set priorities. (1358 characters)

Getting together with those in your community (whether it's a few blocks, a city or town, a group, or an online network) and discussing the issues you care about as a group are essential to making it your own. (required)  
2) Describe your community and tell us how you will work to solve problems together and encourage people with different backgrounds and viewpoints to participate. (1500 characters max)

I moved to a small neighborhood south of Chicago last year that is undergoing transition. Crime rates were falling and property values were rising. The changing landscape prompted an even greater divide between the locals and the new young professionals moving in. I still saw problems like graffiti, drugs, and vandalism. I knew these problems were rooted in the fact that the community feels it's being driven out and replaced by "yuppie" things like Starbucks and dog spas. I also knew that if we didn't do anything, my friends and I could well be the target of the next incident. In order to make a difference, brave members of the old community have to be willing to come together with the new residents and decide what kind of community we want to live in together. While this part isn't an easy one, it's vital that all voices have an equal opportunity to be heard. The collective voice includes young and old, all races, and crosses the economic divide that is becoming more evident throughout this community. To ensure that a wide cross section of the community participates, my neighbors Pam and John, who have lived in Riverside for 20 years, and I will develop allies at each of the local cultural centers, youth centers, senior centers, and veteran associations. We will hold "mini-parties" with our allies at each center to explain what we're doing and encourage people to get involved. We will also blast messages through free radio advertising and several active community Web sites. (1490 characters)

It really all comes down to having a plan. What's yours? (required)
3) Tell us about what you want to do with others in your community -- or what you have done and want to do more of. How will this initiative make a lasting difference and create an ongoing space for your community to connect, form solutions, and act together? (1500 characters max)

The developers are building high-rises and commercial property and recently announced that the basketball court is going to be turned into a new restaurant. Since trust has been built between the young people and several adults, we have a core group to get things started. The community needs a space where it can feel safe, connected, and free to come together to discuss issues and solutions. We'd like to develop a series of discussions that lead us to a plan to reclaim a safe community space in our neighborhood. Since I have a background in IT, I am building a Web site where community members can post messages, leave ideas, and schedule meetups to discuss their plans. They were excited to learn that they had an equal say in what was going to happen. $10,000 could mean a lot to this community and our effort to reestablish a safe community space -- it will help us support the online system, host a series of planning meetings, create publicity and fliers, and maybe even pay a few of the kids to spend the summer working on this initiative. The local community development center is so excited about our plans that they have agreed to permanently host the Web site and provide an ongoing space for us to meet and organize. They see our work becoming a permanent part of what they do. Since they have been around for 50 years, I think our Web site and meetings will become a permanent new space that may start with development issues but next year be a space for an entirely new topic. (1483 characters)

We want to know about you. (required)
4) Please tell us about your background, why you are interested in this grant, and how you will be able to bring people together to get things done. Also, if you know the other key members of your passionate team already, tell us a bit about them too. (1500 characters max)

I am a 27-year-old black man who grew up in a small community where I could thrive. I have been blessed to pursue and obtain a degree in finance, but I have always dreamed of having the opportunity to give back. When I came across Make It Your Own, I was amazed that there is an opportunity to take what I'm doing now and make it more permanent. With my newfound relationships with my neighbors, Pam and John, and the local kids, we are well on our way. Pam is a respected guidance counselor at the local high school, who has lived in the community for over 20 years. She and her husband John, a former local basketball star and current cook, are thrilled to have new energy in the neighborhood and have committed to making this project a success. On the youth side, Tyree will be critical. He was convicted of several misdemeanors as a minor, but has now become somewhat of an entrepreneur with his barbershop and street fashions shop and is often asked to give motivational speeches to youth. There are several kids who will follow his lead and participate just because he is there. Not to toot my own horn, but I have an uncanny ability to motivate people and make things happen. I have started two successful organizations in my former neighborhood -- 100 Black Men of Metro Springfield and Brothers for Peace -- both of which are still running on their own, have large memberships, and have received much attention from local press and business leaders. (1456 characters)

Summary (required)
5) Please name your project and give us a one-sentence and one-paragraph summary of your proposal. This information, when needed, will be used to summarize your project to the public.

Project Name (25 characters max)
The New Side of Riverside
(25 characters)

Sentence (220 characters max)
Near Chicago, a group of unlikely neighbors unites to create a safe space to discuss issues and take action.  (108 characters)

Paragraph (295 characters max)
Near Chicago, a group of unlikely neighbors unites to create a safe space to discuss issues and take action. With a Web site and conversations over music or hoops, we're putting differences aside and creating the community we want together. (240 characters)

Etc.
6) The Case Foundation hopes to highlight a diverse group of finalists, whose stories represent multiple ways that people are making it their own in their communities. Please tell us a little bit more about you and help us ensure the stories we lift up are as wonderfully diverse as the communities we live in.

Gender (required):

• Male
• Female

Age Range (required):

• 14-17
• 18-24
• 25-34
• 35-44
• 45-54
• 55+

Ethnicity (required):

• Hispanic or Latino
• Asian
• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• White/Caucasian
• Black/African American
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Other/Mixed Race

City (required):
Riverside

State (required):
Illinois

Zip (required):
00000

Please provide your address below if you would like to receive GOOD Magazine.

Street Address:
15 Elm Street

Street Address 2:
No 108