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In many American cities, not only are public spaces inequitably distributed and poorly maintained—but the people in the communities with the least access also rarely have the opportunity to shape public spaces themselves.
Project for Public Spaces’ Community Placemaking Grants enable US-based nonprofits and government agencies to address this inequality of access by working directly with local stakeholders to transform public spaces or co-create new ones. We do this by providing direct funding, technical assistance, and capacity building facilitated by Project for Public Spaces.
Our Summer 2026 Grants application is now closed. Selected applicants will be invited to an interview in Mid-August.
A second application cycle for proposals will open in the fall. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive placemaking news and future grant opportunities.
Many BIPOC, rural, and low-income communities across the United States lack access to dedicated civic spaces where community residents can organize, engage in public dialogue, and work to address local issues. This gap in our civic infrastructure hampers efforts to foster community leadership, build social cohesion, address systemic inequalities, and ensure government accountability.
To help address this critical gap, Project for Public Spaces is excited to announce Community Placemaking Grants: Civic Spaces, a new initiative in partnership with CultureHouse and with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to create indoor pop-up spaces that promote civic and social life in both urban and rural BIPOC and/or low-income communities in the Northeastern United States.
The program will offer a total of two nonprofits or public agencies collaborating with nonprofits in the Northeast (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and/or Vermont) $60,000 each in direct funding, along with placemaking technical assistance and capacity building from the Project for Public Spaces and CultureHouse teams. Over the 18-month grant period, this initiative grantee organizations will not only implement a three-month, indoor pop-up community space, but also learn how to initiate and manage these spaces and promote civic engagement for the long term.
Each selected recipient will receive:
Eligibility requirements:
Informational Webinar Recording: Learn more about the selection process and grantee experience.
Applications are due by Friday, February 21, 2025 at 11:59pm EDT. Select applicants will be invited to a second round interview. If the applicant is not the owner of the project site, letters of recommendation from the site’s owner are required. Grant recipients will be announced in mid-April 2025, and grant activities will conclude by September 2026. To view the program’s full scope as well as the application questions, timeline, and evaluation criteria, please review our Application Booklet in advance.
Funding Partner:
Subscribe for updates to receive news on this partnership and other future grant opportunities.
Support Future Projects!
With the support of like-minded partners, Project for Public Spaces manages grant, technical assistance, and leadership programs that help local partners to transform their public spaces. Learn more about becoming a Social Impact Partner today.
The second grant cycle of our 2027 Community Placemaking Grants with Walton Family Foundation is now open. Four additional U.S.-based 501c(3) nonprofits or local government agencies located in Benton and Washington Counties in Northwest Arkansas will be chosen to receive $100,000 each in direct funding for physical and programmatic improvements to create welcoming third places that build a sense of belonging. They will also receive technical assistance and peer learning opportunities facilitated by Project for Public Spaces. This cycle’s four grantees will join those from the first cycle, totaling eight projects as part of this three-year partnership.
Join us on Friday, November 6, 2026 at 11am ET for an info session to learn more about the application process, the ideal candidate for this program, and for an opportunity to ask questions.
The selected applicants will have the opportunity to work with local residents and partners to facilitate a placemaking process in collaboration with Project for Public Spaces that results in physical and programmatic improvements to the space.
Each selected recipient will receive:
Eligibility requirements:
Applications close on Monday, December 7, 2026 at 11:59pm ET. Select applicants will be invited to an interview. If the applicant is not the owner of the project site, letters of recommendation from the site’s owner are required. Grant recipients will be announced in late January 2027, and grant activities will conclude by April 2028. To view the application questions, timeline, and evaluation criteria, please review our Application Instructions in advance.
Funding Partner:
Subscribe for updates to receive news on this partnership and other future grant opportunities.
Support Future Projects!
With the support of like-minded partners, Project for Public Spaces manages grant, technical assistance, and leadership programs that help local partners to transform their public spaces. Learn more about becoming a Social Impact Partner today.
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