HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-2025-261 - Reallocation of Capital Funding for Festival of NeighbourhoodsStaff Report
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Community Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: June 16, 2025
SUBMITTED BY: Mark Hildebrand, Director, Neighbourhood Programs and Services,
519-783-8583
PREPARED BY: Josh Joseph, Manager, Neighbourhood Development Office,
519-783- 8200
Kelsey McLaren, Project Manager, Design & Construction (NDO),
519-783-8579
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: May 23, 2025
REPORT NO.: CSD -2025-261
SUBJECT: Reallocation of Capital Funding for Festival of Neighbourhoods
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City's annual Capital Budget allocation of $40,000 for Festival of
Neighbourhoods, be redirected to increase the City's support of resident -led
neighbourhood initiatives through the LoveMyHood Grant.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
• The overall purpose of this report is to recommend the reallocation of $40,000 in annual
capital funding—previously awarded through the Festival of Neighbourhoods (FON)—
to the City of Kitchener's LoveMyHood Grant program. FON partners are aware of this
report, and agree with staff's recommendation.
• This recommendation follows a strategic shift by FON away from neighbourhood
capacity building, including the capital improvement grants, towards a new focus on
supporting neighbourhood connectors as builders of the social infrastructure.
• As a valuable tool for encouraging community participation, placemaking, and
neighbourhood cohesion, staff suggest that the FON grant can continue to support this
work through the LoveMyHood Grant.
• Over the last 3 years, the LoveMyHood Grant program has seen almost $1.1M in
funding requests, surpassing the available allocated amount of $550,000. Eligible grant
requests are consistently exceeding available funding amounts.
• This report supports the increased delivery of resident -led neighbourhood initiatives
through the existing LoveMyHood Grant program.
BACKGROUND:
The Festival of Neighbourhoods (FON) was established in 1994 with the goal of encouraging
Kitchener residents to host inclusive events—such as picnics, potlucks, and street parties—
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that welcomed all neighbours within a local area. The festival's early founders recognized
the value of celebrating everyday community spirit, often overlooked in traditional civic
recognition, and sought to "celebrate the ordinary" across Kitchener's diverse
neighbourhoods. A collaborative initiative between John MacDonald Architect, the Social
Development Centre Waterloo Region (SDC), and the City of Kitchener, FON provided
practical resources, public recognition, and capital grants of up to $20,000 to
neighbourhoods that organized inclusive gatherings. Over the past three decades, FON has
served as a vehicle for building social capital and fostering community bonds through
informal, grassroots engagement.
REPORT:
In 2024, the Festival of Neighbourhoods marked its 30th anniversary, offering an opportunity
to reflect on the program's evolution and its long-standing role in cultivating neighbour -to -
neighbour connections throughout the city. In their 2024 Tier 1 Grant application, FON
proposed a shift away from traditional outreach and event -based supports, opting instead
to suggest and undertake a year-long research initiative focused on exploring broader social
trends and their implications for community -building in Kitchener. A comprehensive report
outlining the findings of this research, accompanied by a staff report, is anticipated in Q3/Q4
of 2025.
Preliminary recommendations from the FON research include a proposed redefinition of the
program's mission—from a focus on supporting specific neighbourhood -led initiatives to a
broader emphasis on individual capacity building of neighbourhood connectors. In alignment
with this shift, FON has recommended the discontinuation of the annual $40,000 in
Neighbourhood Capital Improvement Grants, which have traditionally been awarded at the
October Finale Celebration. These grants—two $20,000 awards—were distributed by
random draw to neighbourhoods that had hosted and registered qualifying gatherings and
were present at the celebration. The funds supported physical infrastructure improvements,
often serving as a visible symbol of community participation and pride. Completion of these
projects in the past has proved challenging, given that neighbourhoods do not need a project
idea to qualify for or receive the grant funding. Residents have expressed frustration with
this process, and the resulting timelines for implementation, leaving awarded funding
sometimes unspent for several years.
The recommendation to sunset the FON capital grants also acknowledges the ongoing
success of the City's LoveMyHood Matching Grant (LMHMG) program, which supports
resident -led initiatives citywide. Eligible grant requests in recent years have continued to
surpass available funding with almost $1.1M being requested over the past 3 years,
exceeding an available amount of $550,000. Since its adoption in 2017, LoveMyHood has
encouraged residents to take the lead in shaping their communities, with the City acting as
a supportive partner. The LMHMG, administered by the Neighbourhood Development Office
(NDO), offers matching funding for new resident -led projects and serves as a one-stop point
of contact to guide groups through internal approvals and city processes. Through the award
of over 200 resident -led grants, the LMHMG has seen over $1M in funding distributed
towards supporting over 160 new resident groups.
Given the alignment between the original intent of the FON capital grants and the success
of LoveMyHood in enabling resident -driven infrastructure improvements, staff recommend
that the $40,000 traditionally allocated to FON capital awards be reallocated to the LMHMG
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program. This transition will preserve support of the original grant for grassroots capital
projects while aligning with the City's broader strategy of empowering residents to lead
change in their neighbourhoods through LoveMyHood.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports the delivery of core services.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The proposed reallocation of the $40,000 annual capital budget from the Festival of
Neighbourhoods to the LoveMyHood Matching Grant program is cost -neutral and does not
require any additional funding.
This funding shift maintains the City's existing investment in community -led capital projects,
aligning it with, and enhancing the impact of the LoveMyHood program, which continues to
experience high demand, with eligible requests exceeding available funding each year.
By consolidating capital support under the LoveMyHood framework, the City can leverage
the administrative infrastructure and technical expertise of the Neighbourhood Development
Office to efficiently and effectively deliver grassroots infrastructure improvements citywide.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM — This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of
the council / committee meeting.
CONSULT — This report has been shared with Festival of Neighbourhoods in advance of
the council / committee meeting for awareness and alignment.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
There are no previous reports/authorities related to this matter.
APPROVED BY: Michael May, DCAO
ATTACHMENTS: N/A
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