Grants & Projects
Our Grants Program
2023 Sister City Grants Program:
The Charlottesville Sister Cities Commission is thrilled to announce the winners of its 2023 Sister City Grants Program!
Learn more about the projects we're sponsoring this year:
The Sister Cities Commission thanks all the applicants and awardees for their enterprising ideas seeking to better unite the members of our diverse communities and promote cultural connection and understanding among our Sister and Friendship Cities.
About the Grants Process
Annual Grants Process. Once per year, the Charlottesville Sister Cities Commission awards grants that range in size up to $4,000 to individuals, nonprofits, arts organizations, schools, and businesses.
Successful Proposals. See summaries of successful past grant awards in the Grants & Projects tab above. Applications may be submitted by individuals or groups. Sister Cities Commissioners and sub-committee members may not apply.
Applications must be received by the specified deadline (this year: Jan 18, 2023) to receive consideration. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered. Grant recipients will be notified of the Commission’s award decision within 45 days of the application deadline date.
Reimbursement & Reporting. Funds will be available as reimbursements; expenses and requests for reimbursement must be made by May 31, 2024. Expenditures must be detailed in a year-end report made to the CSCC.
Projects We Have Sponsored
Four cities. Infinite possibilities. Find inspiration in these CSCC-sponsored projects.
Community Radio (Winneba, Ghana). Charlottesville nonprofit radio station WTJU established a sister radio station relationship with Peace FM in Winneba, Ghana. Peace FM's station manager traveled from Winneba to Charlottesville. He was interviewed on WTJU, shared musical programming, met Charlottesville area residents at a public reception, and served as a guest lecturer in two different University of Virginia classes. The project achieved its aim of comparing experiences as community broadcasters, discussing strategies for serving their communities through media, and sharing programming between stations.
Thomas Jefferson and Filippo Mazzei (Poggio a Caiano, Italy)
A 13-year-old boy researched and wrote a presentation about Charlottesville native Thomas Jefferson and Poggio a Caiano native Filippo Mazzei—how they became friends and how Mazzei impacted the culture of Charlottesville and the founding of the United States. He then traveled to Poggio a Caiano to present an interactive lesson with the help of his younger brother. In preparation, he conducted research at Monticello and the Jefferson Library and met with Monticello’s Education Department. to select items to use in his presentation. ssisted by his younger brother, he presented the lesson to children in Poggio a Caiano. Upon his return from Italy, he presented the lesson to elementary school students in Charlottesville. Children in both cities were invited to participate in a blog on our shared history.
Art Exploration and Expedition (Pleven, Bulgaria)
Charlottesville artists Roger Williams and Victoria Long received a Charlottesville Sister Cities Commission grant in support of their visiting Pleven and depicting its cultural landscape in text, drawings, photography, and film. In January 2015, their works were exhibited at the Garage gallery in Downtown Charlottesville. New City Arts sponsored a public artist talk with them in conjunction with the exhibit.They also produced a limited edition book with the Virginia Art of the Book Center. Like many CSSC grants, this one covered part but not all the recipients' project expenses; the artists also sought funding via a Kickstarter campaign, among other sources.
A Tale of Two Cities: Sharing a Cultural Comparison (Besancon, France) Hailing from Montebeliard, France, Loic Mazet, 22, received a Charlottesville Sister Cities grant to explore similarities and differences between our two cities and prepare video presentations to acquaint local residents with French culture. He found similarities in our mountain ranges, rich histories, and proximity to major cities: Drive 2.5 hours from Besançon and you'll arrive in Paris. Drive 2 hours north from Charlottesville, and arrive in Washington, D.C.
Jackson Via & Clark Elementary School Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports Initiative (Besancon, Pleven, Poggio a Caiano, Winneba).
Designed to connect local elementary school students with students in all four Sister Cities, this program provides students and staff with cultural and educational experiences that enhance cultural understanding, promote unity through diversity, and foster positive relationships. This ongoing grant funds travel to cultural events, materials to create student passports, materials for promotional posters, food for a cultural food fair, and T-shirts. It also supports the Jackson-VIa Sister Cities Houses projects.
View Previous Grants Summaries