City of Charlotte

Thank you for your interest in the upcoming Neighborhood Board Retreat hosted by the City of Charlotte’s Housing & Neighborhood Services Department. The purpose of the retreat is to help neighborhood organizations assess the current state of their community, identify and prioritize strategic goals, create action plans and improve quality of life in Charlotte’s neighborhoods.

The retreat is free and open to all neighborhood organizations within Charlotte's city limits. We encourage participating organizations to invite neighbors, business owners, school representatives, and nonprofit partners who can contribute to achieving their goals. Each organization must have a minimum of 5 participants (7 participants maximum).

Here's what attendees can expect at the Neighborhood Board Retreat:

• Guidance in planning yearly goals 
• Peer-to-peer learning 
• Idea development with trained, experienced facilitators
• Expert support from staff and community resources
• A credit of up to $2,000 toward volunteer hours required for the Neighborhood Matching Grant  (eligible neighborhoods only) or a reimbursement of up to $500 for expenses directly related to the completion of a goal established at the board retreat
• A summary of the retreat and a customized Quality of Life Explorer  report

To enhance your retreat experience, we're excited to share that we'll be utilizing the World Café method for our discussions. This method was specifically chosen based on feedback from previous Neighborhood Board Retreat participants, who expressed a strong interest in learning from fellow neighborhood leaders. The World Café provides a platform for active engagement, exchange of best practices, and valuable insights gained from firsthand experiences of peers.

The retreat will center around three key topics: Partnership Development, Youth Engagement, and Succession Planning. If your neighborhood is presently experiencing challenges in these areas or if you aspire to enhance your current efforts, this retreat is tailored for you. It's important to note that no additional topics will be discussed during the retreat.

A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Free parking will be available.

Capacity is limited with priority given to first-time attendees. 

The deadline to apply for the retreat is July 19. Application decisions will be emailed the week of July 29.

For-profit businesses and non-profit organizations not formally associated with a specific neighborhood are ineligible to attend.

To apply for the Neighborhood Board Retreat, please complete the registration form below.

Neighborhood organizations must have at least five participants for their application to be considered complete. All participants can be listed on one application. City staff will contact each participant listed to confirm their willingness to participate in the retreat. 

If you do not receive an email confirmation within 48 business hours acknowledging receipt of your application, please contact nichelle.wilson@charlottenc.gov or call 980-214-9750 for assistance.

For your application to be considered, organizations must have a minimum of four (4) participants. Please list all attendees on this application, and provide their:

1. Full name
2. Email address 
3. Phone number

Be sure to confirm participant interest and availability before submitting the application. 

If you have more than four (4) participants, please email that information to nichelle.wilson@charlottenc.gov.

Please click the blue ‘Submit’ button to the right to complete your registration.

By submitting this application, you confirm your understanding that the retreat will exclusively address the three designated topics - Partnership Development, Youth Engagement, and Succession Planning.