St. Petersburg will fund up to 20 MLK Day events with $2,500 grants. Nonprofits, churches and small businesses in the city can apply until 4 p.m. Oct. 28.
The City of St. Petersburg is taking applications for up to 20 grants of $2,500 each to pay for community events around Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The deadline is 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28.
The city announced the MLK Communities in Action Mini-Grant Program in a release Thursday. Funded events must take place between Jan. 9 and Jan. 24, 2027. That window takes in MLK Day itself, Monday, Jan. 18.
The city said the money is meant for healing and wellness events that honor King’s legacy of service. At 20 awards, the most the program can pay out is $50,000, the program page says.
Who can apply
The program page lists these groups as eligible:
- 501(c)(3) nonprofits
- faith-based organizations and educational institutions
- community-based organizations and civic groups
- small businesses
Applicants must be located within St. Petersburg city limits and registered in Florida. A business or group in Gulfport, about four miles west, or Pinellas Park, about eight miles north, does not qualify.
What the money can pay for
Every project has to fit one of four focus areas: arts and culture events, community support services, environmental activities, or health and wellness activities. The city’s release gives these examples:
- intergenerational wellness events and free health screenings
- neighborhood cleanups and resource fairs
- community garden revitalizations
- healthy cooking and nutrition workshops
- community fitness challenges, from walk-a-thons to yoga sessions
Grant money can cover supplies, space rental, healthy food and promotional materials, the city said. The program allows the city to pay a grant in advance once it has approved the budget.
How to apply
Applications go through the city’s OpenGov application portal. The city asks for:
- the application form
- a two-page proposal explaining how the project fits King’s legacy and community needs, how it will be run and what it is expected to achieve
- a detailed budget
- proof of tax-exempt status, if the group has it
The grant rubric, guidelines and grant agreement are posted on the program page.
Last year’s winners
The program page lists 27 organizations as 2026 award recipients, more than the 20 awards on offer this time. Health and wellness projects were the largest group.
The list includes the Pinellas County Urban League, the Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association, the St. Petersburg Metropolitan Section of the National Council of Negro Women and Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay. Smaller businesses won too, among them a coin laundry, a pottery studio and a nail salon.
Projects ranged widely. The AEDI Foundation’s entry was a one-day STEM mentoring event for young people, and the Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association planned a free public jazz event, according to the program page.
What it means for you
- If you run a nonprofit, church, school or small business in the city: you have until 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, to apply. The two-page proposal and the budget take the most time, so start with those.
- Plan for January: your event has to happen between Jan. 9 and Jan. 24, 2027.
- If you just want to take part: we will list funded events on our things to do page as the city announces them, alongside the St. Pete MLK Parade on Jan. 18.
Questions about the program go to the city through its grants and loans page for community and neighborhoods.
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