Apply For A Grant
Impact Central Illinois Grant Cycle 2025 is now underway!
We will be awarding $400,000 in June 2025!*
Invitations to submit a grant proposal will be extended to all eligible nonprofits by February 17, 2025.
Online Financial Submission Is Now Closed
See GUIDELINES AND DOCUMENTS below for details.
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 November and in mid-December announce the amount of grant funds we will award at our annual meeting in June.
GRANT DECISION/VOTING
Impact Central Illinois' members serve on four different grant review committees (GRCs) that evaluate the grant proposals. Each committee reviews the proposals submitted and 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 - Financial Integrity: All interested organizations must submit the required financial documents outlined in the Grant Guidelines by the deadline communicated on the Grant Timeline. Impact Central Illinois' Financial Review Committee (FRC) evaluates the fiscal history of all organizations prior to proposal submission. Organizations demonstrating financial responsibility and stability will be sent an invitation along with a link to submit proposals.
- Phase 2 & 3 - Proposal Reviews: All approved organizations from Phase 1 are invited to submit a grant proposal along with a completed program/project budget by the proposal deadline communicated on the Grant Timeline. Impact Central Illinois' Grant Review Committee (GRC) members evaluate proposals and invite three (3) organizations to move to Phase 4 – Site Visit.
- Phase 4 - Site Visit Review: Impact Central Illinois GRC 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 GRC members invite two (2) organizations to move to Phase 5 – Annual Meeting as finalists.
- Phase 5 – Annual Meeting: Executive Summaries about each finalist organization are provided in advance to each member of Impact Central Illinois. In addition, representatives from each finalist organization are invited to the annual meeting and given 6 minutes to present their organization's proposal. At this meeting, ICI members vote on a grant recipient – with every member casting one ballot – and the grant recipients are 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 hopes to fund three IMPACT Grants for $100,000 each and one INSPIRE Grant for $25,000 in June 2025.
Online Portal Is Now Closed.
Click Here To Begin Online Submission
All interested organizations MUST submit their organization's financial documents by January 1, 2025 to be eligible for the 2025 grant cycle. Impact Central Illinois' Financial Review Committee (FRC) will review all financial documentation in early 2025 to assess an organization's readiness to receive and implement an Impact Central Illinois grant.
All organizations with FRC approval will be invited to submit a grant proposal and budget in February 2025
The Following Financial Documentation Is Requested:
3 years (2023, 2022, 2021) of filed organizational 990s (990 or 990-EZ)*
copy of 501(c)3 designation letter
Proof of CO-1 registration (as required by IL attorney general) or Proof of Good Standing (from IL Secretary of State)
copy of most recent audit (if organization is audit-eligible)
* 990-N filings will not be accepted. Any organizations filing the 990-N or exempt from filing an annual 990 with the IRS may submit three years of organizational financial data by completing and signing the ICI Financial Review Template available to download at the following link:
ICI Financial Review Template (will download)