Here in New York City, 'Occupy Queens' (in Jackson Heights) is attempting to mobilize folk in preparation for Participatory Budgeting [PB] (now in 8 NYC districts...but not yet Jackson Heights) and, in the process, also attempting to start first community mapping and then the full ABCD process.

While PB funding is handled by NYC (residents get only to choose and plan the capital projects to be funded) our Working Group believes ABCD can/should lead to residents' associations also handling all aspects of the whole project cycle of at least some of the projects that arise from the (as yet anticipated) community development planning exercises that the ABCD appraisal process may be expected to lead into.

These community-driven / community-managed (rather than NYC managed) projects will likely require (some) funding to be raised from within the community and, in some cases, from other sources, such as secondary stakeholders, who will be invited to participate as partners...and who may respond with funding (paid through an appropriate bank account and subject to appropriate controls, including auditing) or with technical assistance. (Tried and tested models for doing this exist elsewhere but have not yet been adapted/adopted for use in Jackson Heights).

Meanwhile, what we are looking for is advice from anyone who has had (or who knows of) any success in obtaining Federal funding (most likely in the form of Community Development Block Grants....but possibly from other sources) for the purpose of supporting bottom-up, grass-root, planning activities such as may come out of the ABCD process.

There's an entire bureaucratic maze of information out there on government websites. It's very daunting and time consuming to travel there without a map. So, any assistance that will help us find our way through that maze to potential funders will be gratefully received.

If you've received CDBG funding, for example, what route did you take?

updated by @bill-knight: 10/24/16 04:45:35PM