Each spring, BWNA submits its annual budget application to the City of San José. We engage neighbors and our Board to help prioritize spending on communications, events, and neighborhood improvements. The grant each year is approved and funded by BeautifySJ, a program providing funds for neighborhood clean-up efforts, beautification projects, and neighborhood engagement opportunities in San José.
This transparent, step-by-step process—from proposal submission to final sign-off—ensures that every dollar supports the priorities of our neighborhood.
More information about the BeautifySJ program can be found here:
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/parks-recreation-neighborhood-services/get-involved/funding-opportunities-procurements/beautify-sj-grant-program
Detailed report on Communication:
- Zoom subscription: paid Zoom subscription allows for longer meeting hours, AI meeting summaries, and unlimited meetings. We spent time in researching different paid options and chose the cheapest one that satisfied our limited needs. We purchased one-year of Zoom subscription in order to bring down the monthly cost. The total volunteer hours spent in the discussion of options, account set-ups, and experimenting the premium features such as meeting summary auto generation, was around 10 hours.
- New color printer: In previous years, the newsletter was printed in black-and-white. This year, we wanted an upgrade to allow us to better communicate local news. Therefore, we spent time researching different printer options and secure the fund to purchase a color printer. We are able to make the purchase and October’s newsletter was distributed in weather-resistant color printouts. The cost of the color printer ($300+) was covered by fundraising money (not part of cycle 6 fund). The total volunteer hours spent in the discussion of options, machine set-ups, and experimenting the weather-resistance of papers was around 20 hours.
- Website: We continue to maintain our website. The website provides archives for the past newsletters and posts. Also, the subscription service allows our neighbors to receive digital copies of newsletters. The maintenance of the website, including writing and posting news and IT support, took around 120 hours (about 10 hours each month).
- Newsletter: Each quarter, BWNA spent time to collection information, edit into newsletters, and distribute both e-copies and physical copies through various channels (email subscription, website, physical mailbox drop). The delivery of physical copies is the most time-consuming delivery channel. It involves about a dozen of street leaders to drop a copy to mailbox door by door. Each newsletter goes through multiple editing cycles and collectively the creation of each newsletter takes at least 10 to 15 volunteers hours. After the finalization of each newsletter, the printing and doorstep distribution by each street leaders probably takes another 15 to 20 hours.
Detailed report on Driveway Parties:
- The summer block party was held as usual in July 2024. BWNA board and the host spent about 30 hours in the planning, pizza pick-up, clean-up of the block party.
- The emergency preparedness meeting was held in May 2024. We invited city staff to share emergency preparedness knowledge with us in Moreland school district community room. Around ~50 neighbors showed up and participated in the seminar. We also prepared snacks (funded by cycle 6) and a raffle. The raffle gift, including emergency toolkits, was generously funded by one neighbor (about $200 in cost, not funded by cycle 6). In total, we spent about 30 volunteer hours.
- Quarterly movie nights at local AMC theatre: each quarter we coordinate with AMC Saratoga 14 to arrange a free movie night for our neighbors. AMC first provides us a list of available movies and we cast a vote in multiple platforms including Nextdoor and our website. We then tell AMC the winner and arrange a suitable time for the movie. Approximately we spent 20 volunteer hours each quarter and we have held four movie nights so far.
Detailed Report on Fund Raising
- Baker West did a fundraiser at Pizza My Heart next to the AMC movie theater in December 2024 and we successfully raised $99.45. Make sure to mark the date for the next fundraiser! Every order at Pizza My Heart that you identify as for “Baker West” will donate a portion of their revenue to BWNA.