What We Fund

Beginning in 2025, Rockwell Fund will primarily target funding to grant partners providing services to residents of Super Neighborhood 52 (SN52). Rockwell Fund will consider grant requests in alignment with existing and prospective plans developed by a recognized community planning process for the area, such as the Complete Communities Action Plan for Kashmere Gardens.

Issue areas for our Community Development Docket include:

Community Leadership

Effective community leadership is aided by communication and organizational skills, collaboration methods and techniques, and physical resources.  When appropriately resourced, community leaders can uplift local challenges, identify possible solutions, and bring community members into projects and processes that improve the quality of life for the residents of SN52.    

Rockwell Fund will make grants that:

1. Support community-driven convenings of local leaders.
2. Support leadership training for community leaders and area nonprofit staff.
3. Support civic responsibility, education, and training.

Capacity Building 

Investing in nonprofit organization capacity building, including management, financial, and technical assistance tools for organizations from SN52, or serving SN52 residents, will lead to a more effective local nonprofit ecosystem and improved services for residents. 

Rockwell Fund will make grants that:

1. Support organizations and programs that offer guidance on grant applications, administration, record keeping, and programmatic and operational best-practices for nonprofit organizations.
2. Support data gathering, analysis, and research benefiting human service needs relevant to SN52 residents.
3. Support operational grants for emerging organizations based in, or operating within, SN52.

Flood Resilience

A community that works together to proactively develop and act on resilience plans will be able to mitigate flooding risks, enhance resilience and accelerate recovery.

Rockwell Fund will make grants that:

1. Support the creation, increase in capacity of, and preparedness of neighborhood and community-based resiliency centers.
2. Support flood mitigation and weatherization of homes prone to flooding in the area.
3. Support permaculture solutions to prevent or minimize flooding.
4. Support the education of SN52 residents to prepare, respond to, and recover from flooding events.
5. Support advocacy for public and private resources to enhance the ability of area homes, buildings and infrastructure and recover from wind and flood related events.

Housing

High quality housing that is safe, free from flood risks, well-maintained and accessible to people with diverse needs and incomes is key to a complete community.

Rockwell Fund will make grants that:

1. Support the creation and maintenance of owner-occupied housing affordable to SN52 residents earning below 80% AMI.
2. Support the creation of single family and multi-family rental properties affordable to SN52 residents earning below 80% AMI.
3. Support the utilization of community ownership models that offer longstanding affordability for SN52 residents.
4. Support the education and preparation of generational wealth transfer for SN52 residents.
5. Support programs to educate homeowners and renters on available services, financial assistance, real estate and title maintenance, mortgage financing and other related skills.
6. Support advocacy for the development and maintenance of affordable housing, rental assistance, protections and resources for renter support, and supportive housing services, including the establishment of a Homestead Preservation District.

We will announce our remaining quarterly issue areas and strategies for our 2025 Community Development Docket on March 21, 2025. Applicants can then consider grant opportunities based on our complete quarterly grant review schedule.