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2026 Neighborhood Business Grant Application

CitizensNYC, founded in 1975, is one of the nation’s oldest micro-funding organizations, providing financial and capacity building support to thousands of neighborhood leaders across New York City who are making their communities more connected, resilient, and healthier.      


We believe that small businesses are the backbone of our local communities. NYC businesses are more than just a place of commerce: they are often a gathering place where neighbors come to enjoy a sense of community.  Small businesses preserve and sustain local culture, serving as anchors and meeting places where community members make connections, share values, strengthen culture, and support local leaders.  As a small business leader, when you get involved in your local community, you both create enormous goodwill and set up your business for greater success. 


We support small businesses who are “doing well by doing good” in their neighborhood by making annual grant awards of up to $5,000.  These awards can provide funding to support the wide range of initiatives your business undertakes to positively impact your community in the areas of arts and culture, education and youth, environment and climate, health and wellness, economic development, and public safety. 


Please remember projects must take place between June 2026 and May 2027. 


The application is intended to be accessible.  We estimate it will take 2 to 3 hours to draft a thoughtful submission.  Please submit your application by Monday February 2, 2026 at 5pm. If you have any questions, please email businessgrants@citizensnyc.org. 


ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 


To be eligible for a grant: 

  • Business must be located in one of New York City’s five boroughs. 
  • Active for-profit business that has generated revenue for two years 
  • Business must employ no more than 10 full-time employees. They CANNOT be part of a franchise
                 - Grant funds CANNOT support business overhead costs, including rent or employee salaries beyond a $250 per person stipend.
  • They must be able to provide proof of business, such as bank statements, tax documents, or POS terminal statements. 

BENEFITS OF APPLYING


Grantees will:


  • Receive updates on available resources for small businesses
  • Be connected with other Neighborhood Business Grant recipients to exchange information and strategies for resilience
  • Be able to join a network of groups across the city, contributing year-round to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods
  • Experience increased business awareness! Doing good for the community is good for business. Customers often show loyalty to businesses that care about the community they serve.

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APPLICATION

 

SECTION 1: BASIC INFORMATION

Business Information

80 character limit


Please write your TIN, EIN, or SSN without hyphens.

Business Address (Location of business)



Example: NY for New York



Business Social Media










Primary Contact





Primary Contact Home Address



Example: NY for New York

Primary Contact Social Media










The demographic information you provide is confidential and will not be used in the grant selection process. Instead, it helps us create an accurate picture of our applicant pool and ensure our efforts engage all New Yorkers. This data is shared only upon request to our supporters to ensure transparency and accountability in our goal of serving all New Yorkers equitably in our application process. 
Primary Contact Demographics








Secondary Contact





Secondary Contact Home Address



Example: NY for New York

Secondary Contact Social Media










The demographic information you provide is confidential and will not be used in the grant selection process. Instead, it helps us create an accurate picture of our applicant pool and ensure our efforts engage all New Yorkers. This data is shared only upon request to our supporters to ensure transparency and accountability in our goal of serving all New Yorkers equitably in our application process.  
Secondary Contact Demographics








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SECTION 2: BUSINESS INFORMATION

200 word limit

500 word limit

up to 3 choices (Hit Control/Command)





(enter without decimal places, commas, or symbols - ie 10000)

(enter without decimal places, commas, or symbols - ie 10000)

(enter without decimal places, commas, or symbols - ie 10000)




(enter without decimal places, commas, or symbols - i.e. 10000)






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SECTION 3: GRANT REQUEST INFORMATION
Please note that from this point forward, all the questions relate to the one specific project for which your business is submitting this application.

Please only apply for projects that are taking place between June 2026 and May 2027. Projects completed before June 2026 will not be considered.
Grant Request







up to 3 choices (Hit Control/Command)

Please complete the attached budget template below. Tell us how much your project will cost - list all the items you will need to carry it out, including accurate estimates. If awarded a grant, the grant may not equal the amount requested, depending on whether budget items and amounts fall within our guidelines. 
Item Cost ($) Notes
No special character or hyphens
No special character or hyphens
No special character or hyphens

up to $5,000
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ALMOST DONE

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Please remember to click 'CONTINUE' to review & submit your application! (Please do not hit 'Continue' twice or hit the back button after hitting 'Continue'.) We will notify you of the grant decision in May 2026. Please follow us on social media for ongoing updates and information.

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Citizens Committee for New York City