Rise began developing 46 new single-family homes in East Alton, Illinois in March of 2014 in partnership with Southwestern Illinois Development Authority (SWIDA), the Village of East Alton and Madison County. The neighborhood now goes by the name Emerald Ridge.

We are pleased to report that residents have been moving in since August, 2014. We had the opportunity to speak with the first three residents: Doris Fentress, Jean Mize and Mary Nance.

Here are a few quotes from the ladies:

Doris Fentress:  “I never lived in a brand new home.  Moving down here into a brand new home is so much better than a four-plex.”  There used to be a lot of drugs and they are not here anymore. “

Jean Mize: “I feel very safe.   I’ll say the first night I spent the night here I felt better than I have in about three years.”

Mary Nance: “I could hardly get out of my old house with my wheelchair.  Now, I have freedom, I can go anywhere I want.”

The project is a part of the Village of East Alton’s effort to revitalize the community, and is replacing obsolete housing in a community formerly known as the ”Defense Area.”  The Defense Area was built by the Federal government as temporary housing in the early 1940’s to accommodate workers at the nearby Olin ammunition plant that was running 24-hour shifts for the war effort.  After the war, these barracks-style buildings were not dismantled as originally planned.  Over the years they were re-sold multiple times the condition of most of the buildings became more and more deteriorated and social conditions in the community declined.

The long-term dedicated commitment of the Village of East Alton to transform the area is being realized by the Rise development that is surrounding the existing park and Keasler Recreation Complex with new, attractive single-family homes.  This is a new beginning and a different world for the neighborhood.

“We’re committed to revitalizing communities and neighborhoods in the Greater St. Louis area,” said Stephen Acree, president of Rise. “The redevelopment of the Defense Area in East Alton is being built on strong partnerships that will reinforce a resilient and healthy community.”

In November, 2014, 16 new Emerald Ridge homes will be completed and occupied.  We will keep you updated as the community progresses.

New Emerald Ridge residents with John Nuernberger , Rise Asset Manager.

Rise’s mission is to work in partnership with community-based and other organizations to redevelop and strengthen neighborhoods and communities.  By providing capacity-building assistance, housing development services and access to financing, we make the connections between non-profit community organizations, financial institutions and government that make successful neighborhood revitalization possible.  Our CDC Capacity Building and Collaborative Grant Program is designed to build the capacity of local community development corporations (CDCs) through a combination of organizational development initiatives and financial support.

Rise recognizes that the financial support necessary for CDCs to build organizational capacity and achieve community development goals is not as widely available as it might be.  To address this need, we have allocated funding in 2014 to provide a limited number of competitive Collaborative Grants to selected community development corporations.  Collaborative Grants will be outcome-based and awarded to help CDCs complete a specific goal or neighborhood objective.

Applications are being made available on a competitive basis to CDCs serving St. Louis County, the City of St. Louis, Madison County, IL and St. Clair County, IL.

A grant workshop for CDCs that may seek to apply for a 2014 Rise Collaborative Grant will be held Friday, October 3, 2014 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am at the Thomas Dunn Learning Center. It is not required but it is strongly encouraged that eligible CDCs attend the workshop.  Please contact Brian Hurd ([email protected]) to RSVP for the workshop.

Letters of Intent are due October 17, 2014.

Fully completed applications must be delivered to Rise by 4:00 PM Friday, November 21, 2014, 1672 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63103, attention Rick Bonasch ([email protected]) or Brian Hurd ([email protected]).  Email submissions are encouraged.

Award announcements will be made Monday, December 15, 2014.

Grant Instructions & Application Forms

Collaborative Grant Application Instructions 2015

Collaborative Grant Letter of Intent Form 2015

Collaborative Grant Program Application Form 2015

Training Workshop Materials

Collaborative Grant Training Workshop 2015 – Announcement

Grant Frequently Asked Questions

To submit questions e-mail Noel McKay [email protected]

Questions about the budget requirement:

Question: Does the 2015 budget that we submit (with the Collaborative Grant amount included) need to be approved by our board?

Answer: No. We understand that this will be a preliminary budget, contingent upon being awarded a grant.

Question: Must we include profit/loss statements?

Answer: The profit and loss statement is not required for submission. However, the organization’s 2014 approved operating budget is required.

Question: Do these grants need to be spent in 2015 or 2016?

Answer: 2015

Collaboration Questions:

Question: My CDC has formed a collaboration with another agency for this application. If my partnering agency has the stronger capacity to serve as the fiscal agent for the grant, should they serve as the lead applicant?

Answer: No. The CDC should serve as the lead applicant and the fiscal agent. Remember that Rise will support you through the process.

Questions about Measuring Outcomes:

Question: Do proposals need to be restricted to smaller geographic areas? (For example, would an organization be eligible if it wants to provide financial counseling to low-income residents throughout St. Louis city?)

Answer: This grant program is for place-based initiatives, so proposals need to be able show how they would affect measurable outcomes to benefit a defined geographic neighborhood or community. The example in the question does not meet this criterion, and would not be eligible.

Question: What happens if I achieve outcomes that are unexpected?

Answer: Track them! Often there are unexpected outcomes but they still help to show the effectiveness of your efforts.

General Questions:

Question: Should I submit my application via email or as a hard copy?

Answer: Submit the Letter of Intent via email, but the Full Application may be submitted by email or as a hard copy. Each must be received no later than the stated times and dates.

Question: Does the amount of technical assistance that a grantee receives depend on the size of their financial award?

Answer: No

Question: Is a client-based project appropriate for this grant program?

Answer: It depends. The focus of the Collaborative Grant Program is on place-based initiatives, so we want to be able to see how the project outcomes will extend beyond the individual to benefit the community as a whole.

Additional Resources

Below are links to materials from a Saint Louis University School of Law Legal Clinic training on collaboration in the non-profit sector. These materials are not a formal part of the Collaborative Grant application package, but may be useful to applicants.

SLU Law Clinic Presentation Slides

SLU Law Clinic Collaboration Checklist