The Office of Neighborhood Empowerment offers a wide variety of activities, programs, and services to support resident led, resident controlled, democratically run neighborhood organizations in the City of Knoxville.
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GRANTS
The Neighborhood Small Grants Program provides competitive grants to neighborhood organizations in the city. The goal of the program is to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood while building the capacity of the neighborhood organization to better serve the community. To be eligible to apply for a grant through this program, a representative from your organization must attend one of the three mandatory pre-application workshops. For information about placemaking and other project ideas, check out ONE's Placemaking Guide
If you would like someone from the Office of Neighborhood Empowerment to review your Grant Application for completeness, it needs to be in our office by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 7, 2025.
All final Neighborhood Small Grants applications were due on Monday, July 21, 2025 by 4:30 p.m. This current grant cycle is now closed.
LEAVE THE LEAVES!
One of the most valuable things you can do to support pollinators and other invertebrates is to provide them with the shelter they need to survive the winter. Thankfully, that’s pretty easy; all you need to do is do less yard work.
Leaves, brush piles, fallen logs, plant stems, and flower heads might not be growing anymore, but they aren’t trash, they are natural homes for wildlife! A layer of leaves is vital insulation from the cold for the many animals that hide within (or in the soil beneath), like quite a few butterflies. Others, like many native bees, nest within stems, flower heads, or pieces of wood. Throwing out all of your leaves and other plant material isn’t just taking away options for shelter, there’s a good chance you’re tossing out many animals that have already settled in!
That’s why this year and every year, you should make the case for leaving the leaves. That’s not to say you can’t do any tidying up. We have tips for thoughtful autumn cleanup that still leaves space for nature. You’ll also meet just a few of the many animals you’ll be saving.
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