Apply For A Grant
Impact Central Illinois will be awarding over $325,000 in June 2024.
We are no longer accepting LOIs for our 2024 grant cycle.
Check back for information regarding our 2025 grant cycle in September 2024.
Thank you for your interest in Impact Central Illinois
Missed the Information Session in December?
2024 Grant Information Session Recording
OVERVIEW
Impact Central Illinois is a collective women's giving organization which combines annual $1,100 donations from our members to give high-impact grants to local, worthy causes selected and voted on by our members. In June 2025, Impact Central Illinois will again award three Impact grants at $100,000 each and one Inspire grant for $25,000.
Our goal is to fund proposals submitted by Highly Capable Organizations addressing Measurable Needs in our community with Innovative Solutions
The three focus areas under which a grant application can be submitted are:
Health & Community Wellbeing; Education & Community Development; and Social Services & Basic Needs
(Smaller nonprofits applying for an Inspire Grant do not need to identify a focus area)
GRANT CYCLE
Impact Central Illinois' funding cycle runs from July 1 of the current year to June 30 of the following year. In each funding year, we collect member contributions through December and in mid-December announce the amount of grant funds to be available in the upcoming funding year. We solicit proposals in December through January, evaluate them from February through May, and host the finalists and announce award decisions in June. We will not accept grant requests past our initial LOI submission deadline. Non-profit organizations may apply for only one type of grant per year.
GRANT DECISION/VOTING
Impact Central Illinois' members serve on four different grant review committees that evaluate the grant proposals. Each committee selects two (2) finalists. In June, we invite all members to cast a vote for the winning grant recipients from the selected two (2) finalists in each committee.
OUR PROCESS
Impact Central Illinois utilizes a 5-Phase-Funnel grant review process for both our IMPACT grant and our INSPIRE Grant. This process will be used to evaluate applicants in all focus areas:
- Phase 1 - Letter of Intent (LOI): All interested organizations must submit a Letter of Intent along with a completed Program/Project Budget and provide a copy of the organization’s IRS Charitable Status (501(c)3) Determination Letter by the LOI deadline communicated on the Grant Timeline. Impact Central Illinois' Grant Review Committee members evaluate all LOIs and supporting documents and invite selected organizations to submit further financial documentation and a Full Grant Application for Phases 2 & 3.
- Phase 2 - Financial Integrity: All invited organizations must submit the required financial documents outlined in the Grant Guidelines, along with the Full Grant Application by the deadline communicated on the Grant Timeline. Impact Central Illinois' Financial Review Committee evaluates the financial integrity of all organizations invited to this phase. Organizations demonstrating financial integrity immediately move on to Phase 3 for Grant Application Review.
- Phase 3 – Grant Application: Organizations that proceed to this phase will have already completed a Full Grant Application. Impact Central Illinois Grant Review Committee members evaluate all Grant Applications and invite three (3) organizations to move to Phase 4 – Site Visit.
- Phase 4 - Site Visit: Impact Central Illinois committee members conduct on site visits to organizations that advance to this phase. Site visits include one-on-one interviews with selected organization leaders such as the Executive Director and the Chief Financial Officer. Following the completion of all Site Visits, Impact Central Illinois Grant Review Committee members invite two (2) organizations to move to Phase 5 – Annual Meeting as finalists.
- Phase 5 – Annual Meeting: Information (Executive Summary) about each finalist organization is provided in advance to each member of Impact Central Illinois. In addition, representatives from each finalist organization are invited to the meeting and given 6 minutes to present on their organization's proposal. At this meeting, Impact Central Illinois members vote on a grant recipient – with each member casting one ballot – and the winner (or winners) announced that evening.
GUIDELINES AND DOCUMENTS
If you have specific questions that are not answered by the documents below, please email grants@impactcentralillinois.org.
Impact Central Illinois will fund three IMPACT Grants for $100,000 each and one INSPIRE Grant for $25,000 in June 2024.
LOI Submissions for our 2024 Grant Cycle are now closed.