Resources for Neighborhood District Leadership
Running a Neighborhood District requires building a strong team and fostering sustained member engagement over time. These resources can help Neighborhood District leaders manage operations, meetings, communications, and community engagement.
Resource Documents
Request a Neighborhood District Meeting
Need support for a neighborhood meeting? City staff are available to attend Neighborhood District meetings to provide information, answer questions, and connect community members with City services, projects, and programs.
Submit an Agenda Item
To submit an item for consideration at an upcoming Neighborhood District Chairs meeting, use the following form:
Reimbursement Requests
Community Engagement Grant money is given out as reimbursements, not as payments made before expenses happen. Use the link below to ask for reimbursement for costs you have paid out of your own pocket.
Eligible Uses of Community Engagement Grant Funding
- Meetings and Events
Costs for a venue or location, permit fees, food or catering, speakers or entertainment, set‑up, support, and take‑down for Neighborhood District meetings, block parties, and board meetings. This can also include prizes or giveaways. - Communications and Operations
Website hosting fees, post office box rental, postage, storage, meeting supplies such as markers, pens, and flipcharts, online survey platforms and virtual meeting subscriptions, business cards, promotional materials, fees for interpretation and translation services, design, and printing for general and special meeting notices, fliers, postcards, newsletters, and more. - Beautification
Tools, clean‑up supplies such as high‑visibility vests, gloves, trash bags, and grabbers, landscaping materials, graffiti removal supplies, paint, dumpster fees, and payments to artists for work meant to improve shared or common areas within a Neighborhood District. This can also include Neighborhood District street signs. - Community and Capacity Building
Educational and information‑sharing events hosted by a Neighborhood District for community members, including town halls or forums. It can also include attending community conferences or events to build partnerships and strengthen the effectiveness and long‑term success of neighborhoods. - Education and Training
Advance approval is required. Reimbursement is limited to registration fees and other costs allowed and approved by the City. Training is limited to board members and committee leaders when the material relates to their roles and supports the neighborhoods. Neighborhood Districts are encouraged to invite other boards to share costs and share what they learn.
- Alcohol
Money may not be used to buy alcohol. - Gift Cards
Money may not be used to buy gift cards. - Legal Fees
Money may not be used to pay legal fees for the Neighborhood District or any of its members. - Public Records Requests or Appeal Fees
Money may not be used to pay for Public Records Requests or Appeal Fees. - Donations
Money may not be used to donate to other groups or to buy items for them. Event partnership for capacity building is the only exception. - Advocacy
City grant money may not be used to support or oppose any declared candidate or ballot measure.
Money may also not be used for printing or mailing materials related to advocacy. Staff may ask to see a print sample before approving reimbursement or payment for printed items or mailings. Content must be limited to general event information.
Mailing Lists
The City maintains the following mailing lists of all deliverable residential and commercial addresses within each Neighborhood District.
These lists include unit numbers and do not include vacant properties, properties under-construction, utility service accounts, etc.
NOTE: It is against federal law to place anything inside a mailbox if you are not with the postal service. If you choose to hand-deliver materials, either use door hangers, or tape flyers to front doors.