The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership encourages towns with populations of 50,000 people or fewer to apply for a grant of up to $50,000 to fund projects to build, rebuild or refresh community spaces that help foster local connections in their Route 66 communities.
Towns could implement tech upgrades at their public libraries, refresh local parks or break ground on a new place where neighbors can connect.
In partnership with Main Street America and Smart Growth America, the T-Mobile Hometown Grant program provides grants of up to $50,000 to help build stronger, more prosperous small towns and rural communities.
Since the program’s start, T-Mobile has given more than $7.8 million dollars to kickstart over 75 community development projects in 41 states.
Grant applications and public nominations will be accepted now through June 30. Go here for information on how to apply.
Hometown Grants are given each quarter to up to 25 small towns. Individuals can apply for funding to support a community project, such as revitalizing or repurposing a historic structure, creating a downtown asset or destination or improving a space where friends and neighbors gather.
Projects that add to a sense of place or could lead to further investment are of particular interest.
National Trust for Historic Preservation Senior Field Director Amy Webb suggests: “While it’s more about fostering local connections than getting communities ready for visitors, there might be some historic Route 66 places/projects that could be a good fit.”
Established in 2016, with the support of the National Park Service and the World Monuments Fund, The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership’s mission is to revitalize and sustain Route 66 as a national and international icon through partnerships focused on promotion, preservation, research and education, and economic development.
(Image of the entrance to McLain Rogers Park in Clinton, Oklahoma, by Jeffery Beall via Flickr)