Training & Information

Neighborhood Training Programs and Resources

The City of Charlotte has a rich history of neighbors coming together to enhance their communities. To this end, we are committed to offering training and resources to empower residents to reach their full potential. Please reach out to your service area representative if you have any questions about these events or resources.

Neighborhood resources are found at the bottom of this page.

Neighborhood Trainings & Events

Please click on the event title for more details and a registration link.

Neighborhood Resources

We have compiled online resources that we hope will assist you in achieving any goals you may have for your neighborhood. Links and contact information are provided for information only and are subject to change.

Beautification: curb appeal, landscaping, community cleanups, etc.

Funding Resources

Neighborhood Matching Grants (NMG)

Charlotte's NMG Program can provide grants to eligible neighborhood organizations for community improvement projects. To determine eligibility or to review program details please visit the program website or call 704-336-3380.

Home depot provides grants to communities
Wells Fargo offers grants that support projects that revitalize and stabilize communities

Code Enforcement and Housing

Locate your code enforcement inspector
Tips on how neighbors can help prevent code violations
Mecklenburg County Permitting & Code Enforcement Customer Service (980-314-CODE (2633))
City housing programs
LeadSafe Charlotte Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control

Little Free Libraries

Neighborhood Cleanups

Keep Charlotte Beautiful (KCB) volunteers have been helping to keep Charlotte clean & beautiful since 1974. Visit the program website or call 704-353-1235 to learn how to Adopt a City Street, participate in a Great American Clean-Up event or to learn tips and borrow supplies for your next neighborhood clean-up.
Tips for organizing a community cleanup
Adopt-A-Stream
What you can do with waste in your home

Projects

City of Charlotte Placemaking Hub: one-stop shop for public realm enhancement tools
101 small ways you can improve your city
Habitat for Humanity
How-to lessons at Lowe's
Home Depot Workshops
Charlotte Community ToolBank is a great place to borrow tools for projects
Arts and Science Council (704-333-2272)

Explore opportunities for collaboration
Help identify local artists

Trees and Landscaping

Undergrounding Utility Lines

Sheldon Sanders of Duke Energy is a great first contact for exploring the process: Sheldon.Sanders@duke-energy.com

Helpful Hints

Need a Speaker: choose a topic you want to address and invite a speaker
Signage on City/County-owned property and/or within the public right of way (ROW) requires CDDOT Decorative Signage Agreement or Encroachment Agreement

CDOT ROW approval for signage contact: Kathy Dennis, 704-336-7527

Other projects on City-County-owned property and/or within the public right of way requires a CDOT encroachment agreement

CDOT ROW approval contact: Casey Mashburn, 704-336-8348 casey.mashburn@charlottenc.gov or Esteban Valverde, 704-432-0961 esvalverde@ci.charlotte.nc.us

Projects on private property require written permission from the property owner
Nextdoor & Facebook

Use Nextdoor and Facebook to discover neighbors who might be able to volunteer, donate materials, create a landscape design and more. See helpful video here.

Environmental & Sustainability: conservation, community gardens, etc.

Funding resources

Neighborhood Matching Grants (NMG)

Charlotte's NMG Program can provide grants to eligible neighborhood organizations for community improvement projects. To determine eligibility or to review program details please visit the program website or call 704-336-3380.

Duke Energy Foundation
Grants for school-based community gardens

General sustainability

Livable Meck: learn about sustainability plans in your neighborhood
Sustain Charlotte
Keep Charlotte Beautiful (KCB) volunteers have been helping to keep Charlotte clean & beautiful since 1974. Visit the program website or call 704-353-1235 to learn how to Adopt a City Street, participate in a Great American Clean-Up event or to learn tips and borrow supplies for your next neighborhood clean-up.
City of Charlotte Placemaking Hub: one-stop shop for public realm enhancement tools

Air sustainability

Clean Air Carolina: education resources about how to keep the air clean

Contact june@cleanaircarolina.org

CATS bicycling tips for safe bike rides
Charlotte B-Cycle^TMbike sharing program

Land sustainability

NC Department of Environmental Quality Brownfield Resources
City Brownfield Grant Program (704-336-3380)
LeadSafe Charlotte Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control
Community gardens

Community Garden Handbook
American Community Gardening Association
Garden checklist
NC State Extension resources

Staff resource: Steven Capobianco, sjcapobi@ncsu.edu (704-336-2082)

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation resources (704-336-2082)

Staff resource: Timothy.Turton@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov

REAL School Gardens
Note:

Gardens on City/County –owned property requires written permission from the City/County
Gardens on private property require written permission from the property owner
NMG funds gardens in public parts in partnership with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation; Park and Recreation approval is required
The NC Cooperative Extension maintains a community garden inventory; consider joining an existing garden before beginning a new community garden
Mulch, training and other resources may be available

Irrigation

Do-it-yourself rain barrels
Saving water in your landscape
Search "Farm+Graden" on Craigslist for free or low-cost soaker hoses, rain barrels, etc.

Helpful hint

Need a Speaker: choose what topic you want to address and invite a speaker

Board Development: forming, managing and enhancing your organization

Funding resource

Neighborhood Matching Grants (NMG)

Charlotte's NMG Program can provide grants to eligible neighborhood organizations for community improvement projects. To determine eligibility or to review program details please visit the program website or call 704-336-3380.

Neighborhood finances

Board/organization formation

Neighborhood association toolkit (Archived from the City of Providence, Rhode Island)
Does my organization need nonprofit status?

North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, State Corporations (919-807-2225)
Writing community bylaws
How to organize a committee
Recruiting potential board members
Board development online resources
How to promote diversity on boards

Planning and implementing

Helpful hints

Need a Speaker: choose what topic you want to address and invite a speaker
Give a discount to those who pay early dues
Mention those who have already paid their dues on website or in newsletter and/or at a community meeting

Communication: electronic, print, survey methods, etc.

Funding resource

Neighborhood Matching Grants (NMG)

Charlotte's NMG Program can provide grants to eligible neighborhood organizations for community improvement projects. To determine eligibility or to review program details please visit the program website or call 704-336-3380.

Subscribe to Charlotte through Citygram and receive important notifications.
Communication 101

Types of neighborhood communication

Internet connection and education

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Wi-Fi hotspot checkout program

Electronic communication

Print communication

Polling/ survey options

Neighborhood Identity: branding, connecting with special interest topics, etc.

Funding resources

Neighborhood Matching Grants (NMG)

Charlotte's NMG Program can provide grants to eligible neighborhood organizations for community improvement projects. To determine eligibility or to review program details please visit the program website or call 704-336-3380.

4Imprint One by One Program provides grants for promotional items

Branding

City of Charlotte Placemaking Hub: one-stop shop for public realm enhancement tools
Use Nextdoor to find a local designer to help create a logo or to host a "vote for your favorite design" campaign with your neighborhood.
How to brand your neighborhood

Helpful hints

Create a Facebook page for your neighborhood (it's free!)
Invite your Charlotte City Council member to engage with your community
Need a Speaker: choose what topic you want to address and invite a speaker

Partnerships: connecting with businesses, consortia, engaging stakeholders, etc.

General engagement for neighborhoods

Building neighborhood coalitions

Starting a coalition
Meet successful Charlotte neighborhood consortia

Interacting with City staff and officials

Response area summary

Need a Speaker: choose what topic you want to address and invite a speaker

Partnering with businesses

charlottebusinessresources.com

Networking

NorthWest Chapter

Business Link North Carolina entrepreneur resources

Public Safety: crime, transportation, emergency awareness, National Night Out, etc.

Funding resource

Neighborhood Matching Grants (NMG)

Charlotte's NMG Program can provide grants to eligible neighborhood organizations for community improvement projects. To determine eligibility or to review program details please visit the program website or call 704-336-3380.

Transportation and pedestrian safety

CDOT offers lighting upgrades
CDOT Pedestrian Program
Block closing for events
Report street light outages to Duke Energy
Charlotte Department of Transportation can help you assess pedestrian safety: Kathy Dennis, 704-336-7527
Ideas for decorative crosswalks
Contact CATS customer service with any concerns related to service by calling 704-336-RIDE(7433) or emailing telltransit@charlottenc.gov
Subscribe to Charlotte through Citygram and receive important notifications.

Crime prevention

CMPD tips on organizing a neighborhood watch
Request a security survey through CMPD to find out where trouble areas may be in your neighborhood: crimepreventionunit@cmpd.org
Tips from the National Crime Prevention Council
Use Nextdoor to recruit block captains, send crime alerts and more
Find your community police officer

Response area summary

Request free LEDs from Duke Energy (1-800-943-7585)

Emergency preparation

General programming ideas

Recreation: programming, facilities, etc.

Funding resources

Neighborhood Matching Grants (NMG)

Charlotte's NMG Program can provide grants to eligible neighborhood organizations for community improvement projects. To determine eligibility or to review program details please visit the program website or call 704-336-3380.

Programming opportunities

Welcoming & Engaging Neighbors: volunteers, involvement, engagement, etc.

Funding resource

Neighborhood Matching Grants (NMG)

Charlotte's NMG Program can provide grants to eligible neighborhood organizations for community improvement projects. To determine eligibility or to review program details please visit the program website or call 704-336-3380.

Welcoming neighbors

Building an inclusive community

Community Relations Committee (704-336-2424)
Community Building Initiative (704-333-2595)
Charlotte Lesbian and Gay Fund
Mecklenburg County Seniors' Assistance Programs
Opportunity Task Force (sign up for events, host discussions, or write for their blog)
AARP
Blumenthal Foundation
UNC Charlotte Urban Institute
Training Opportunity through The Homeownership Center of Charlotte (service of The Housing Partnership)

Ralphine Caldwell, 704-342-0933, rcaldwell@cmhp.org

Need a Speaker: choose what topic you want to address and invite a speaker

Volunteer engagement

Involvement

Neighborhood event planning toolkit
Charlotte Department of Transportation for street closure and approval
Sound permit (CMPD/ Neighborhood and Business Services Code Enforcement)
City of Charlotte Placemaking Hub: one-stop shop for public realm enhancement tools
Increase neighborhood participation
Subscribe to Charlotte through Citygram and receive important notifications.

Helpful hints

Submit events to local digital newsletters
Research other events going on in the same area and couple yours with theirs

Youth & Education: mentoring, wellness, afterschool, etc.

Funding resources

Neighborhood Matching Grants (NMG)

Charlotte's NMG Program can provide grants to eligible neighborhood organizations for community improvement projects. To determine eligibility or to review program details please visit the program website or call 704-336-3380.