Neat Neighborhoods Competition
The Neat Neighborhoods competition 2025 is a contest organized by the City of Springfield and the Neighborhood Advisory Council. The competition is supported by the presenting sponsor The Hatch Foundation and many other agencies.
Neat Neighborhoods provides the opportunity for registered neighborhoods to earn points and prize money for clean up and green up projects in registered neighborhoods as defined by the City’s Department of Planning & Development. Projects completed Jan. 1 – Nov. 1 will be considered.
The scoring and subsequent prize money will be tied to successful efforts within each neighborhood for projects under one of four categories:
- Community Planning
- Public Places, Parks, Roads, Streets and Alleys
- Green Spaces
- Tidiness and Litter Control
The program will also result in recognition of a “Winning Neat Neighborhood” from each City Council Zone and add a citywide “Neat Neighborhood of the Year.” These designations will not be tied to prize money.
Different aspects of the competition are explored in this section, from the types of areas that enter to the assessment criteria used.
Please download the official Neat Neighborhood Competition Handbook for full details about all aspects of the competition. We strongly recommend reading the Handbook prior to creating or participating on a team.
We strongly recommend you read the 2025 Neat Neighborhoods Competition Handbook before completing this form.
In order to join a team, there’s no form to complete. Please visit the “Get Involved” page for information about how to volunteer with a team.
The following team list will be updated regularly during the competition as teams are created and during the days after the closing date. We request that all groups check this list to ensure their entry has been received and registered. One week after the closing date, if you do not see your entry appearing on this list, please contact the Neat Neighborhoods coordinator.
Registered Entries:
The Neat Neighborhoods competition is free and open to all registered neighborhoods in the City limits of Springfield. Entrants are the captains for their neighborhoods and therefore are the primary contact in relation to correspondence. Ideally, entry should be made by a broad-based group that represents the entire neighborhood.
However, it is not expected that these structures have to be in place before entering. Entry from a credible body, such as a neighborhood association, school or business will also be accepted. Nonetheless, in all cases, it is expected that participation will be used to generate wider interest in the effort within the community. Progress on encouraging broader community involvement is a major part of the Neat Neighborhoods assessment criteria.
Prize monies in 2025 will be awarded to each neighborhood that meets certain point thresholds during the competition timeframe. These awards will be announced at the annual NOVA Ceremony hosted by Community Partnership of the Ozarks each December.
In addition, the program will also result in recognition of a “Winning Neat Neighborhood” from each City Council Zone and add a citywide “Neat Neighborhood of the Year.” These designations are not tied to prize money.
Representatives of award-winning Neat Neighborhood committees are invited to attend the awards ceremony. In addition, sponsors, representatives from each Council Zone and the Neat Neighborhood judges are invited. It is a great social occasion and an opportunity to meet with other committees from across the city.
Prizes totaling $40,000 are awarded, courtesy the Hatch Foundation.
Assessment of participating neighborhoods is carried out by an independent panel of judges. Before and after photos of each project will be used as well as a post activity form submission and one team summary form provided by the Nov. 1, 2025 deadline.
Each entrant is assessed under four criteria with a total of 100 points available as follows:
| Category | Points |
|---|---|
| Community – Your Planning & Involvement | 25 Points |
| Public Places / Roads, Streets & Alleys | 25 Points |
| Green Spaces | 25 Points |
| Tidiness & Litter Control | 25 Points |
PRESENTED BY
