Bloomington Nonprofits Invited to Apply for 2024 Digital Equity Grants

The City of Bloomington invites nonprofit organizations to apply for funding to support their efforts to bridge the digital divide and increase digital resources for residents.  The Digital Equity Grants program will award $50,000 in funds to Bloomington-based nonprofits, with 2024 proposals accepted digitally Monday, May 6 through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 14th at bloomington.in.gov/digital-equity. 

Bloomington’s Digital Equity Grants program, now in its fourth year, began as part of the Recover Forward initiative to help Bloomington recover from the pandemic and economic collapse, and advance racial, economic, and climate justice. Beginning in 2022, the award funds have become a regular part of the Information & Technology Services Department’s annual general fund budget. Since 2020, the City’s Digital Equity Grant Program has awarded more than $190,000 to local nonprofits. 

An informational meeting about the Digital Equity Grant application process will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 20, via Zoom and can be accessed using the link and information below:

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://bloomington.zoom.us/j/84122190508?pwd=K59lsaUqabGO3UqfTP8MbYLBIkg6Ed.1

Meeting ID: 841 2219 0508

Passcode: 303229

One tap mobile

+13092053325,,84122190508# US

+13126266799,,84122190508# US (Chicago)

The Digital Equity Grants program is part of the City’s larger plan to improve digital equity in the community, address challenges, and pursue solutions identified in the City’s 2020 Digital Equity Strategic Plan including in the following areas:

• Availability Gap: Address areas where broadband is unavailable, competition is minimal, or bandwidth is inadequate.  
• Adoption Gap: Where available, overcome barriers to broadband adoption including service affordability, usable devices, etc.
• Utilization Gap: Cultivate the knowledge, familiarity and digital skills needed to secure the benefits of the internet and computers.
• Institutionalization: Support community and organizational capacity-building to ensure digital equity is a continuing focus of community development. 

The Digital Equity Grants program will accept proposals from nonprofits for projects that build capacity in the community to address digital equity challenges by:  

• Facilitating access to broadband service, especially affordable options
• Increasing access to computing devices to effectively use the internet
• Cultivating the knowledge, familiarity and digital skills needed to secure the benefits of the internet and computers
• Improving skills needed to use the internet safely, securely and confidently to engage in digital life
• Mitigating community digital equity gaps identified in the City's digital equity survey (https://bton.in/mE_-Q)
• Aligning with initiatives recommended in the city’s Digital Equity Strategic Plan (https://bton.in/-NQkR)

The Digital Equity Grants awarded in 2023 ( https://bton.in/N3KtP) supported the following thirteen organizations and projects:  

• Area 10 Agency on Aging – Creating Digital Literacy Opportunities and Tackling Social Isolation in the World of COVID, $6,100.  
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington – Bee Safe Online, $6,900.
• Community Justice and Mediation Center – Eviction Prevention Project, $2,900.
• Courage to Change Sober Living – Printers/Scanners/Supplies/Wi-fi Service for Courage to Change Sober Living Houses, $2,300.
• Middle Way House – The RISE! Computer Lab, $1,900.
• Monroe County Community School Corporation Adult Education – The Fabrication of Skills, Prosperity, and Connections, $,5900.
• Monroe County United Ministries – Your Path to Self-Sufficiency: Supporting Utilization & Institutionalization of Digital Resources, $3,000.
• Indiana Recovery Alliance – Digital Equity for Unhoused People and People Who Use Drugs to Access Health Care and Benefits, $4,100.
• New Leaf, New Life – Office Internet & Printer Access, $1,500.
• Pantry 279 – Technology for new Pantry 279 Building, $3,700.
• Sojourn House – Sojourn House Education Pathway, $3,100.
• Summit Hill Community Development Corporation – Affordable Housing Community Computer & Network Access, $5,900.
• Wheeler Mission – PC and Printing Availability Program, $2,700.

More information about the City’s efforts to increase digital equity, including answers to frequently asked questions about the Digital Equity Grant program, is available at bloomington.in.gov/digital-equity.  

City-Wide High-Speed Fiber Internet Project

In addition to the City’s Digital Equity Grant program, the City of Bloomington and Hoosier Fiber Networks continue to collaborate on one of the country’s most comprehensive, inclusive, and innovative public-private partnerships to help low-income and digitally disadvantaged households access top-quality internet service.   

Despite the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), The City continues to support affordable solutions to broadband access, including our Meridiam & GigabitNow partnership. Through this partnership, eligible residents can still receive high-speed fiber internet for only $30/month, even after the end of ACP. To sign up, visit Gigabit Now's website.

The City of Bloomington partnered with Meridiam/Hoosier Fiber Networks in 2021 to bring high-speed internet access to all of Bloomington. Learn more about the project at: bloomington.in.gov/fiber