Hickory Community Relations Council Grant Program

The Hickory Community Relations Council Grant Program is administered by the Hickory Community Relations Council, an advisory board to the Hickory City Council. The program is supported with funds provided by the City of Hickory and is intended to promote positive human relationships within the community. Its stated goal is to support projects and programs that promote equal opportunity, help resolve conflicts, and improve relationships among culturally diverse groups in Hickory. The Council's primary focus is on programs designed to improve human relations in the City of Hickory, particularly activities that provide direct services and resources to targeted populations and bring diverse populations together. Eligible applicants may include churches, schools, institutions, 501(c)(3) organizations, and other tax-exempt organizations. Nonprofit organizations that have not received formal tax-exempt status may also be considered when they provide sufficient information demonstrating the nonprofit nature, purpose, and activities of the organization and the proposed project or program. Funded programs must serve residents of the City of Hickory. Programs or projects for political purposes or those promoting a particular religious point of view will not be considered. City of Hickory departments are not eligible, although related support organizations may submit proposals when the requested funds will provide a program or service for which no city dollars are available. Awards typically range from $250 to $2,000. Funds may be used for contracts for services and specified honoraria when the proposed recipient provides direct services to the target population. Grant funds may not be used to pay salaries or construct facilities. Applicants identify matching funds and/or in-kind services on the application, but the materials do not state that a match is required. An agency may receive no more than three grants for the same program within a five-year period, and an entity may receive only one project grant per grant cycle. Grant recipients are expected to participate in and support HCRC programs and events, advertise HCRC as a sponsor, and acknowledge the HCRC contribution on marketing and printed materials or brochures. Applicants must use the required application form as the cover document and complete every item on the Proposal Checklist. The proposal may not exceed two pages, must use the petitioning organization's letterhead, and must describe the organization, project and project need, amount and purpose of the request, total project funding and other funding sources, project goals or objectives and how they will be achieved, evaluation methods and criteria, previous accomplishments or effectiveness of prior grant projects, and how the proposal serves the mission and purpose of HCRC. An authorized official must sign the proposal. Applicants must also provide a line-item project budget of no more than one page showing anticipated income and expenditures, how HCRC funds will be used, and the agency budget for the applicable program year. Required organizational materials include a list of board or governing-body members, disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, and IRS tax-exempt certification or applicable tax identification information. The application indicates that 15 total copies are needed. Priority is given to projects expected to have the greatest positive impact on human relations, that effectively bring together Hickory's diverse populations, and that provide direct services and resources to targeted populations. Applicants are encouraged to develop creative responses to real community needs and, where possible, partnerships with other agencies and organizations. After the submission deadline, the staff liaison distributes a complete grant review packet to HCRC members. The chairperson presents applications for HCRC discussion and vote, and recommendations determined by majority vote are forwarded to Hickory City Council for final approval. A representative of the applicant organization should be available for questions by telephone, video conference, or personal attendance at the HCRC grant review meeting. HCRC may recommend full or partial funding, recommend against funding, or return incomplete applications without forwarding them to City Council. The Fall 2026 application deadline is September 28, 2026, at noon. Applications may be mailed or delivered to HCRC, c/o Justin Levey, Hickory Police Department, 347 2nd Ave SW, Hickory, NC 28602, or emailed to jlevey@hickorync.gov before the deadline. No separate letter of intent, concept paper, or other pre-application gate is stated. The City of Hickory Community Relations Council holds two grant cycles per year, one in spring and one in fall, subject to fund availability. The materials do not provide an award notification date, project performance period, or telephone contact. Recipients must complete an expenditure report when the project is finished and provide a full report on use of the funds and program effectiveness, including whether objectives were met. Failure to submit expenditure reports disqualifies an agency from seeking another grant and may result in recovery or enforcement proceedings allowed by law; eligibility to apply can resume after reports are completed to the satisfaction of the City of Hickory Finance Department. Failure to meet project objectives does not automatically disqualify an organization from future funding, although HCRC may consider the results in future grant decisions. HCRC may request an audit of allocated funds and may request an in-person, telephone, or video conference to review project outcomes.

Prioritize projects with the greatest positive human-relations impact, that effectively bring together Hickory's diverse populations and provide direct services and resources to targeted populations. Address real community needs creatively and develop partnerships where possible. Complete every Proposal Checklist item because incomplete applications may be returned without City Council consideration.