City Launches 2023 Neighborhood Awards Program

Highlight How Your Neighborhood Sparks Engagement

April 28, 2023

Continuing its more than 40-year tradition of recognizing residents and neighborhoods that have gone above and beyond to further enhance and enrich their communities, the City of Tallahassee is now accepting applications for its 2023 Neighborhood Awards program.

"Neighborhoods play an integral role in forming a sense of community. Countless volunteer hours are expended each year by neighbors and neighborhood groups to strengthen social ties, build resiliency and beautify our community," Mayor John Dailey said. "The City's Neighborhood Awards provide an opportunity to spotlight these efforts and thank those working diligently to enhance Tallahassee."

The 2023 Neighborhood Awards program includes recognition in the following categories:

Outstanding Neighbor of the Year – Given to a resident or neighborhood leader who exemplifies the characteristics of leadership and service in making contributions to their community. One winner will be chosen from each of two categories.

• Neighborhood Advocacy Award – Recognizes a neighborhood leader or resident who has advocated for programs, policies, projects and initiatives that positively affect Tallahassee's neighborhoods, whether for a single neighborhood or the entire community.
• Neighborliness Award – Recognizes a neighborhood leader or resident who embodies a spirit of neighborliness, helping with efforts within or beyond their neighborhood that promotes community, taking care of others and providing neighborhood/community services.

Outstanding Neighborhood of the Year – Recognizes a neighborhood or homeowners' association that has facilitated improvements in its community, kept neighbors actively engaged in community-building activities and/or led projects to build or enhance neighborhood cohesion and communication. The focus of this award is the totality of all the efforts that a neighborhood has undertaken to build community and promote neighborhood stability. There are two categories for this award. The winner in each will receive $500 to put toward a neighborhood project.

• Small Neighborhood of the Year (fewer than 200 homes)
• Large Neighborhood of the Year (more than 200 homes)

Best Neighborhood Program of the Year – Recognizes neighborhood and homeowners' associations that have facilitated projects that improved the social aspects of a neighborhood and/or the physical aspects of a neighborhood.

• Best Physical Neighborhood Improvement – A project focused on enhancing the physical aspects of a neighborhood (parks, lighting, litter control, housing improvements, etc.)
• Best Social Neighborhood Improvement – A project focused on enhancing the social or cultural aspects of a neighborhood (safety, youth and/or senior program, programs that foster teamwork, etc.)
• Best Neighborhood Communication – Highlights excellence and creativity in neighborhood-oriented publications and/or other neighborhood communication outreach activities. It will recognize neighborhood groups that are diligent about notifying residents, promoting their organization and/or communicating with members via printed materials and/or social media.

Neighborhoods located within the City limits are encouraged to apply and highlight their efforts undertaken in 2022 to bring about positive changes. The application is available online at Talgov.com/NeighborhoodAwards. If you need a hard copy, please contact the City's Neighborhood Affairs division at 850-891-8795. All entries must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, June 5.

To assist applicants with completing their applications, a virtual workshop will be held on Thursday, May 4, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Registration for the workshop is encouraged, but not required. To register for the workshop and for more information about the awards program, visit Talgov.com/NeighborhoodAwards.