30 Ways to Make Herkimer County Better for $300 or Less
Want to make Herkimer County a better place to live, work, play, learn and visit? Want to win a $300 microgrant to make it happen? If you’ve already got an idea, then apply now!
Need inspiration? Here are 30 great ideas for small projects that address the major community development priorities we’ve heard about through It’s Happening in Herkimer County.
Main Street Revitalization
1. “Splash mobs”: Bring a group downtown and wash windows, sweep sidewalks, pick up litter, pull weeds, and spiff things up.
2. Beautification: Flowers or plants, lights and luminaries, art and fresh paint make everything better. Take over an abandoned garden bed, put out flower pots, make ice luminaries, or find other ways to beautify downtown. Better yet, make it edible landscaping.
3. Window displays: You can also just fill up empty storefront windows. Ask a landlord to hang artwork, local history photos, or information about community services in a vacant window.
4. Chair bombing: Benches, chairs and seating always make public spaces more inviting, accessible, and safe. Buy or make simple seats and spread them around your downtown or parks.
5. Pocket parks & parklets: Got an empty lot or too much empty parking? Set up a temporary park or seating area with chairs, games, activities, plants or gardens, art, or anything else that’s missing in the area.
Livable, Affordable Communities
6. Lending libraries: Team up with a library or community organization to start lending more than books. Collect donations of sports gear, cooking equipment, tools or other supplies and loan them out in the community.
7. Little Free Libraries & pantries: Build a Little Free Library or Food Pantry in your neighborhood and give people easy access to free books, food, or other supplies.
8. Free markets: Host a “free market” (like a flea market, but free!) or create a free store to help reduce waste and get people affordable goods.
9. Time banks: Set up a community time bank, where people can save money by trading skills and services for free.
10. Walk audits: Host a walk audit in your neighborhood, identifying ways to make it safer for people to walk and bike more and drive less
Volunteerism & Civic Engagement
11. Idea walls: Set up an “idea wall” or chalkboard where people can share the projects or changes they want to see
12. Tech team: Get a team of volunteers to help local businesses, town government sites and service providers make quick changes to their websites (like adding contact info or accessibility features)
13. Crowdfunding: Help local nonprofits or community groups launch a crowdfunding campaign for projects, using a platform like ioby or simple signs and text-to-donate platforms
14. Local heroes campaigns: Celebrate local heroes in your community with social media stories, awards, signs, banners, or a display
15. Volunteer fair or civic bootcamp: Invite local nonprofits or community groups to “pitch” their volunteer opportunities at a fair, and invite residents (especially new ones) to come get involved
Arts, Culture, & Recreation
16. Public art: Make art, share art, spread art. Paint a mural, set up a tiny art gallery, create kindness rocks, or organize an impromptu sidewalk concert.
17. Bikeability: Make it easier to bike around your neighborhood or town. Install a bike rack, host a free bike repair day, or create bike & pedestrian safety signs.
18. Local history trails: Share historic photos, signs, and stories on signs around your neighborhood or downtown, creating a free family activity and celebrating historic sites.
19. Scavenger hunts: Create a fun community scavenger hunt and share it for tourists or neighbors in your area. Post it online or leae paper copies at a library or with local businesses.
20. Pop-up trails: Create a temporary trail or walking route in your community to increase physical activity and build interest in longer-term trail development.
Education & Opportunity
21. After school activities: Team up with a local library, school, business or organization to offer free after school or vacation activities for kids and teens
22. Business coaching fair: Find community volunteers with special skills (accounting, business planning, resume writing) and invite them to share their skills with aspiring business owners at a coaching fair
23. Pop-up university: Organize free classes or workshops for neighbors to share skills and learn from each other. Teaching skills like basic social media and computer use, public speaking, building, or gardening can help advance other community goals.
24. Mutual aid & relief funds: Connect with neighbors to set up a mutual aid group or local relief fund. Make a list of people willing to volunteer or donate, spread the word to people who may need help, and start making connections.
25. Directories: Create a simple online directory of local businesses and service providers, to help people find resources and shop locally.
Local Economy & Entrepreneurship
26. Pop-up shops: Got an empty storefront or two? Approach a landlord about hosting a temporary “pop-up shop” to fill the space and give an entrepreneur a chance to try out running a business.
27. Local gift cards: Organize a local shopping gift card or incentive program, making it easy for people to support local businesses.
28. Pop-up co-working or WiFi hubs: Set up a simple space for people to access WiFi and work remotely, like outdoor seating at a library or a pop-up co-working event.
29. Wayfinding: Create temporary wayfinding signs to help people discover the great assets and businesses in your community.
30. Local meals programs: Raise money or use donations to purchase meals from local restaurants and distribute them to people who need food.