Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards’ applications deadline is approaching

 Applications due in mid-September for nation’s premiere neighborhood development recognition awards

 

 Chicago, IL  – No city in the nation is better known than Chicago for the vitality of its neighborhoods.  Seventeen years ago, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC/Chicago, created The Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards (CNDA) to celebrate Chicago ‘s neighborhoods, the best community development projects, and the community and for-profit organizations behind them.

 

Each year, as a result of an extensive juried process involving architects, funders and, community leaders, awardees are selected for five separate community development and three architectural excellence awards.  Eligible nominees include for- and non-profit developers and organizations, as well as architectural firms. They include both self-nominated entities as well as those nominated by others.

Applications for the five Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards are due Monday, September 13, and applications for the three Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Architectural Excellence in Community Design are due Thursday, September 16. Nominations can be easily completed online at www.lisc-cnda.org. 

Categories for the five CNDA awards are:

·        The Chicago Community Trust Outstanding Community Strategy of the Year Award recognizes the development and successful implementation of an initiative that promotes and/or is integral to a comprehensive community development strategy. Winner receives a $20,000 grant.

·        The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for Outstanding Non-Profit Neighborhood Real Estate Project honors a community development corporation for a specific real estate project that has contributed significantly to the enhancement of the community. Winner receives a $15,000 grant.

·        The Polk Bros. Foundation Affordable Rental Housing Preservation Award recognizes a non-profit or for-profit community development organization for a specific real estate project that has preserved affordable rental housing at risk because of expired subsidy contracts or physical deterioration. Winner receives $15,000.

·        The Outstanding For-Profit Neighborhood Real Estate Project Award recognizes a for-profit developer for a real estate project that meets community needs.

·        A Special Recognition Award is given out to a group that has shown promise as a new or emerging organization, or has achieved a pivotal or innovative community development project or has been a critical provider of services to the community development field.  Winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize.  There is no application process for this award, however nominations for the Awards Committee to consider may be sent to cnda@lisc.org.

Nominees for the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation first, second and third place awards (which carry with them cash awards of $15,000, $3,000 and $2,000 respectively) are juried separately and are awarded to those projects that demonstrate superior design, respond to the community served, enhance the overall development of the community and exhibit a creative design solution that could become a model project in other neighborhoods. Projects must be located in low- to moderate-income or population neighborhoods in Cook County , and must have been completed within the last three years.  

Award-winners will be notified in December, and recognized at CNDA Awards ceremony on Tuesday, February 8, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. To apply and for more information on project eligibility and rules, please visit www.lisc-cnda.org.