Tree-Planting Effort In Santa Monica Earns Microgrant

SANTA MONICA, CA — From planting trees in Santa Monica to a mural project in Culver City, 100 local projects across the Southland are getting a funding boost thanks to a round of microgrant awards recently announced by the Nextdoor Kind Foundation.

The foundation last week announced the 100 recipients in Los Angeles County who will each receive $500 to invest in a range of creative projects or initiatives devoted to making their neighborhoods a better place.

“The people that live, work, and raise families in a community know better than anyone where $500 will bring the most impact,” said Devanshi Metha, finance business partner at the Nextdoor Kind Foundation. “The breadth of applications, ranging from practical to inspirational, show that great ideas often start at the grassroots level. We’re honored to support the visions of these LA County community leaders.”

Recipients were selected "for exceptionally illustrating how their project or initiative would have a significant community impact, foster community collaboration, have measurable outcomes, and uplift under-resourced communities," according to the foundation.

The recipients were selected from a pool of 550 applications by a panel of LA County community leaders, including small business owners, advocates and faith leaders.

The winners come from areas across the county, from Santa Clarita to Long Beach and many places in between.

Among them are Santa Monica's Anya Baroff, who is spearheading an effort to plant trees in the Ocean Park neighborhood to support community cohesion and collaboration. And in Culver City, Cristina Capitanio Valencia plans to use her grant award to paint a mural in participation with local schools that pays homage to a neighborhood garden, a foundation representative told Patch.

A complete list of winners and the neighborhoods they represent are available on the Nextdoor Kind Foundation's website.