Letters of Interest

The Letters of Interest period for the 2019-2020 Cycle has closed. Eligible communities will be invited to apply in mid-February.

The first step in the application process is to submit a Letter of Interest (LOI). Program staff and advisors will use LOIs to assess community eligibility, determine if any follow-up is needed prior to the full application phase, and to help connect neighboring and/or overlapping communities who are working in similar geographic areas but may not be aware of each other’s efforts.

During this phase, communities should connect with partners and identify collaborating organizations who will be named on the application and who will provide letters of support.

Letters of Interest are submitted electronically through the form (linked below) and include the following information:

  • Community Name

  • Community Type (e.g. neighborhood, municipality, county, region)

  • Lead Applicant Organization

  • Primary Contact

  • Community Description (200 words)

  • Information about why your community is applying (200 words)

  • What level (gold, silver, bronze) you intend to apply for

  • Why your community meets this designation level (300 words)

  • Self-assessment check-list related to program criteria

For your reference, a printable version of the Letter of Interest Form is provided here. LOIs must be submitted using the form linked below.