Maconites are leading the charge in creating opportunities, boosting economic development, bringing life to downtown and enhancing public spaces in Macon. Here's some updates on community-led initiatives.

Be a part of Macon's future
Do you have a vision for how to implement the Macon Action Plan 2.0? Now is the time to submit your idea! Applications for round 2 of the Downtown Challenge are now open — apply by September 15. 

The Community Foundation of Central Georgia will be hosting listening sessions leading up to the application deadline. If you have questions or want to brainstorm your idea, attend one of the upcoming sessions: 

Wednesday, August 25 at 1:00 p.m. ET, via Zoom (Register here)
Thursday, September 2 at 1:00 p.m. ET (Registration TBD)
Tuesday, September 7 at 5:30 p.m. ET (Registration TBD)
Wednesday, September 8 at 1:00 p.m. ET (Registration TBD)

Follow Community Foundation of Central Georgia on Facebook for more updates on the listening sessions. 

City budgets that reflect the community's needs 
Macon was one of five cities to participate in a cohort and study by Cityfi and Knight Foundation about building adaptive and resilient city budgets. We were SUPER proud of Sherita Sims-Jones, Macon-Bibb's budget and grants manager, for representing our community in a national discussion alongside panelists from Detroit, Philadelphia, Miami and St. Paul. The cohort sought to better understand local fiscal challenges, with a focus on leveraging equitable strategies to rebuild our cities. 

Building more equitable opportunities in Macon
In case you didn't hear the recent great news: Knight announced a dollar-for-dollar match of Macon-Bibb's ARPA investments in NewTown Macon and Historic Macon to expand affordable housing in the urban core. Read more here. 

Earlier this month, we also announced new support for NewTown Macon's mission to help Maconites launch businesses in downtown. 

Stay connected with Knight to learn of upcoming opportunities to submit your ideas, find ways to collaborate and ignite positive change in Macon. Check out Knight's strategic focus in Macon to learn more about our initiatives and follow @knightfdn on Twitter for news. 

Know of someone who may be interested in receiving updates about Macon or other Knight initiatives each month? Spread the word — have them sign up here.