Macon Area Habitat for Humanity Sustainability Fund
Background
The Macon Area Habitat for Humanity affiliate was founded in 1986 with a mission of “seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.” Since inception, it has served over 100 working families in Bibb and Jones counties.
Macon Area Habitat for Humanity adopted a Neighborhood Revitalization model which entails focusing on a neighborhood to serve more families by responding to community aspirations with an expanded array of products, services and partnerships, empowering residents to revive their neighborhoods and enhance the quality of life. The Lynmore Estates neighborhood was the first “focus” neighborhood for Macon Area Habitat for Humanity. In 2017, the residents celebrated the launch of the Lynmore Estates Neighborhood Association marking a big step forward in sustainable leadership from within the neighborhood. In 2021, Lynmore Estates reached a homeownership rate above 60% surpassing the average in Macon-Bibb County. Macon Area Habitat for Humanity is continuing to address blight in the neighborhood with an ultimate goal to reduce the blight rate to 8%.
In 2018 Macon Area Habitat for Humanity began work in a second focus neighborhood, Pleasant Hill. By 2022 four new homes were constructed in the neighborhood with plans to begin a fifth within the next year. Macon Area Habitat for Humanity will continue to support homeownership in the neighborhood with their construction program and through the addition of other homeownership resources, such as an heirs property programs, to help existing residents and homeowners.
In an effort to continue to support the Lynmore Estates neighborhood initially, and eventually all other Macon Area Habitat for Humanity neighborhoods, MAHFH created the Sustainability Fund at the Community Foundation of Central Georgia through generous funding from The Peyton Anderson Foundation. Through this fund, Lynmore Estates, Pleasant Hill and all future Habitat focus neighborhoods will have access to funds to continue quality of life programs within their neighborhoods.
Eligibility
Applications must come from a neighborhood group or organization for a project in a Macon Area Habitat for Humanity focus neighborhood, currently Lynmore Estates or Pleasant Hill.
Funding Priority
This fund will consider applications for “qualify of life” programming which are open to all residents in Macon Area Habitat for Humanity’s focus neighborhoods. Projects must have a positive impact on the neighborhood and should have a plan for future sustainability if it is not a one-time event.
Geographic Restrictions
Grants will be made only for projects in Macon Area Habitat for Humanity’s focus neighborhoods, currently Lynmore Estates and Pleasant Hill.
Average Grant Amount
Grant amounts may vary, but will likely be less than $500.
Grant Award Schedule
After the application deadline, CFCG staff will perform due diligence on all grant applications. The due diligence process may include a conversation with the grant contact to gather further information that can help the Advisory Committee make their decision. Grant applicants are notified typically within two months of the application deadline.
How to Apply
You will need a User ID and Password to access the application. Click here to register. Please note that it will take at least one business day to process a new registration for the Web Portal; do not wait until the week of the deadline to register. Once your registration is processed, you will have access to the web portal where you will be able to complete the online application. For the project you are proposing, you will be required to also submit a one-page budget summary for the project. This should be uploaded as a PDF file on the application.
Reporting Requirements
If funded, your organization must submit a final report to CFCG along with detailed expenditures made with the grant funds within 60 days after depletion of the grant funds, prior to submitting a new grant application, or no later than one year from the deadline date of the cycle in which you applied for your grant, whichever is earliest.