Engagement Ready Roanoke
Engagement Ready Roanoke is a City of Roanoke project created in partnership with the Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance. Throughout 2025, the project will include listening sessions to gather input from stakeholders, community members, and City staff. Virginia Tech and the City will use the feedback from the listening sessions to develop a foundational nonprofit skills course and community engagement trainings for community leaders and City staff members.
Nonprofit Capacity Building
The City and Virginia Tech are developing a foundational nonprofit skills course based on input received from City staff, funders, nonprofits, and community-based organizations at listening sessions in the late winter and early spring of 2025. The course will begin in mid- to late-spring and will take place over six months in 2025, with capacity for 10 to 15 nonprofits to participate. Two representatives from each participating nonprofit or community-based organization are expected to complete the course. Participants will receive instruction and guidance in a class setting once per month and regular one-on-one coaching and instruction.
The goal of the course is to help informal/unincorporated community-based groups become incorporated and prepare small nonprofits to apply for and receive formal grant funding from the City and other partners if and when it becomes available. Nonprofits and community-based organizations may attend a March 6 listening session (see 'IMPORTANT DATES' on the righthand side of this page') to fill out a nonprofit capacity health check-up and learn about applying for the six-month foundational skills course.
The final day to apply for the course is March 24. Applications may be submitted using the Apply for Grant Ready Roanoke form on this website or by completing the PDF health check up and writing a response to the cover letter questions (both of which can be found under 'SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS' on the righthand side of this page), and sending the completed form and cover letter to molly.hunter@roanokeva.gov or Molly Hunter, Neighborhood Services Coordinator, 215 Church Ave. SW, Roanoke, VA 24016. If you email your application, write "GRANT READY ROANOKE" in the subject line. A steering committee comprised of equal parts City of Roanoke staff members and City of Roanoke residents will evaluate each application. Applicants that are accepted will be notified by mid- to late-April and the course will begin in May.
City Staff Engagement
To learn more about the relationship between the City and community, the Engagement Ready Roanoke team held a series of listening sessions with community members and City staff, beginning November 2025 and concluding February 2026. People were also invited to share their experiences through an online survey.
The Engagement Ready Roanoke team held a final public listening session Feb. 25 to review what was learned from previous sessions and to facilitate continued conversation about the core values that should guide local public engagement. The findings that were shared are available on this project page, under 'supporting documents.'
Beginning in March 2026, a steering committee — composed equally of eight residents and eight City staff members — will meet twice a month for four months to help draft the City’s first-ever community engagement policy and shape how Roanoke connects with the public.
Apply by March 8 to be part of the committee!
Additionally, in 2026, through a mixture of collective workshops and individualized trainings, the City’s Planning, Building and Development department will evaluate their community engagement practices and look for areas to improve trusting communications and collaborative capacity.
Opportunities to Engage
Apply for Grant Ready Roanoke
Complete a nonprofit capacity health check-up and choose whether to apply for a nonprofit foundational skills course.
Stay Informed
Get notified on upcoming engagements and the latest project related news.
Project Updates
Engagement Ready Roanoke steering committee
Steering committee applications due March 8
Community invited to help shape the future of Roanoke’s public engagement
Here's how you can learn more!
Engagement Ready Roanoke Progress Update Community Meeting
Here's how you can learn more!
Community Listening Survey Available
The online survey is available for those who cannot attend the listening sessions in person.
Important Dates
Nonprofit Listening Session
6 to 8 p.m. @ 802 River Ave. SE Roanoke, 24013
At this event, small community-based organizations will fill out a nonprofit health check-up/capacity assessment and provide input that the City of Roanoke and VT team will use to develop a 6-month nonprofit foundational skills course.
APPLICATIONS DUE: Nonprofit Foundational Skills Course
March 24 is the final day to submit an application to participate in the 6-month nonprofit foundational skills course hosted by the City of Roanoke.
First Community Listening Session
The City is using ARPA funds to pay Virginia Tech's Institute for Policy and Governance (IPG) to facilitate four listening sessions for Roanoke community members in mid-November. This is the second part of the Engagement Ready Roanoke project that began with the nonprofit capacity-building course, Grant Ready Roanoke. The IPG team plans to use anecdotal feedback — which they will collect from community members by holding story circles at each listening session — to establish priorities for a consistent, practical community engagement policy for all City departments. Food will be provided at each listening session, and participants should expect to stay the whole 2 hours. This policy will help the City do community engagement in a truly authentic way.
Session details:
Patrick Henry High School Cafeteria
2102 Grandin Rd SW
Roanoke VA, 24016
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Second Community Listening Session
The City is using ARPA funds to pay Virginia Tech's Institute for Policy and Governance (IPG) to facilitate four listening sessions for Roanoke community members in mid-November. This is the second part of the Engagement Ready Roanoke project that began with the nonprofit capacity-building course, Grant Ready Roanoke. The IPG team plans to use anecdotal feedback — which they will collect from community members by holding story circles at each listening session — to establish priorities for a consistent, practical community engagement policy for all City departments. Food will be provided at each listening session, and participants should expect to stay the whole 2 hours. This policy will help the City do community engagement in a truly authentic way.
Session details:
Western Virginia Water Authority
3322 Hollins Rd NE
Roanoke, VA 24012
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Third Community Listening Session
The City is using ARPA funds to pay Virginia Tech's Institute for Policy and Governance (IPG) to facilitate four listening sessions for Roanoke community members in mid-November. This is the second part of the Engagement Ready Roanoke project that began with the nonprofit capacity-building course, Grant Ready Roanoke. The IPG team plans to use anecdotal feedback — which they will collect from community members by holding story circles at each listening session — to establish priorities for a consistent, practical community engagement policy for all City departments. Food will be provided at each listening session, and participants should expect to stay the whole 2 hours. This policy will help the City do community engagement in a truly authentic way.
Session details:
Roanoke Fire-EMS Training Center
802 River Ave SE
Roanoke, VA 24013
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Fourth Community Listening Session
The City is using ARPA funds to pay Virginia Tech's Institute for Policy and Governance (IPG) to facilitate four listening sessions for Roanoke community members in mid-November. This is the second part of the Engagement Ready Roanoke project that began with the nonprofit capacity-building course, Grant Ready Roanoke. The IPG team plans to use anecdotal feedback — which they will collect from community members by holding story circles at each listening session — to establish priorities for a consistent, practical community engagement policy for all City departments. Food will be provided at each listening session, and participants should expect to stay the whole 2 hours. This policy will help the City do community engagement in a truly authentic way.
Session details:
Community Empowerment Center at Booker T. Washington
40 Douglass Ave NW
Roanoke, VA 24012
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Engagement Ready Roanoke Progress Update
The Virginia Tech's Institute for Policy and Governance (IPG) will provide a progress report on what they've learned from the community during initial Engagement Ready Roanoke listening sessions in November. Additionally, IPG will facilitate continued conversation about the core values that should guide community engagement efforts.
Session details:
Community Empowerment Center at Booker T. Washington
40 Douglass Ave NW
Roanoke, VA 24012
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM