March 20, 2015
By: ioby
Memphis, TN
Livable Memphis, a program of the Community Development Council of Greater Memphis and ioby, an online platform for citizen-led, neighbor-funded projects announce $85,000 in match funding for 78 projects across 40 Memphis neighborhoods. These small-scale projects are poised to have a huge impact on making the city’s neighborhoods and blocks safer, greener, more livable and more fun. The projects include colorful seats at 24 bus stops citywide, handbuilt bat houses in East Buntyn, and much more.
The leaders of the 78 projects, which range from community gardens to collaborative art projects to block parties, will launch their campaigns on ioby’s crowd-resourcing platform ioby.org on March 30. Then on April 11, these leaders will rally support from their friends and neighbors at MEMFix: The Pinch, a daylong event designed to rethink and reactivate streets and vacant storefronts. All public donations raised between April 11 and April 15 will be doubled thanks to the match funding.
Match funds came in part from the Hyde Family Foundation, a Memphis-based foundation that supports education, arts and culture, and livable communities. In addition to the match, projects were awarded the use of the Mobile Porch, a traveling interactive citizen engagement experience designed to get neighbors talking about important issues. The Mobile Porch, created by Livable Memphis and Memphis Tomorrow, an association of business and community leaders, will travel to different neighborhoods and help project leaders bring their neighbors together in support of positive change.
“When project proposals started rolling in, we were blown away by both the number and caliber of the great ideas Memphians had for their neighborhoods. We knew we had to increase the pool of match money from the original $50,000, and we’re thrilled to announce the $85,000 -- we know it will go a long way toward making our city more vibrant” said Ellen Roberds, Creative Placemaker at Livable Memphis, which will administer the funds. “In neighborhoods all across Memphis, people are using ioby to raise funds, rally volunteers, and get the word out about their great ideas. A lot of amazing things will start to grow in Memphis this spring.”
For more information about the 78 projects or the match event, please contact:
Katie Lorah, ioby:
917.282.7671
About Livable Memphis
The Community Development Council of Greater Memphis (CD Council) is a coalition of organizations and individuals who support the development and redevelopment of healthy, vibrant, attractive, and economically sustainable neighborhoods throughout the Memphis region. Livable Memphis, a program within CD Council, promotes the same priorities with a special focus on growth and development issues – including land use and transportation – and on increasing public participation in planning and development decisions.