Grant FAQ's
Yes. Grants can be awarded to small, medium, and large-sized nonprofits. Applications are evaluated on the strength of the organization, the strength of the project, the project’s sustainability, and the impact of the project on the community. An organization must operate under its own 501(c)(3) status for at least 24 months.
Possibly. Although a church is ineligible to apply for a grant, a separate tax-exempt public charity that is not under the umbrella of the church, synagogue or other body of worship can apply if the grant is for a project that is not restricted to a particular faith, denomination or religion. The proposal must fall into one of the Focus Areas.
Yes, a Letter of Intent is required in order to check the eligibility of nonprofits intending to apply for a grant, prior to the grant application process. The Letter of Intent prevents Impact100 Louisville from having to disqualify a grant application.
Complete the online form on our website at www.impact100louisville.org.
No. We MUST have the Letter of Intent to check eligibility. Eligible organizations will be invited to submit a full grant proposal.
No, each organization may submit only one grant application per year.
We believe you are the best judge of where your grant application, once written, will best fit. A proposal may meet the criteria for several focus areas, so we believe the decision is best left to the organization to pick their top 1 to 2 area(s).
No, but it is a great idea to bounce your application off some of your board members, or women who are members of Impact100 Louisville, but not on the board. Impact100 Louisville board members are available for general questions about the grant process.
No, we do not accept these types of materials with the application.
- More than one application submitted from an organization.
- Organization is not a 501(c)(3) public charity or cannot prove their 501(c)(3) status.
- Grant proposal does not benefit residents of Jefferson County, Kentucky.
- Organization requested less than the full grant amount.
- Financial information is missing.
- Organization does not demonstrate sustainability or the project does not include a sustainability plan.
- Grant is for an individual.
- Grant is for endowment funding.
- Grant is for partisan, legislative or political activity.
- Grant project requires capital improvements or renovations to property that the organization does not own or have a lease of at least five years.
- Grant project requires participation in activities of a particular faith, denomination or religion in order to benefit from the project or program.
The Department of Treasury letter that your nonprofit received when it obtained its status will verify that your organization was granted the 501(c)(3) designation as an individual or group charity. This is how we check for current certification. This is NOT the same certificate as your tax exempt letter.
Submit a copy of the IRS form 990 or 990-N (E Postcard).
- Grant proposal does not demonstrate the ability to fully spend the grant funds or complete the project within the 36 month time frame.
- Grant proposal, if designed to be ongoing, does not show how it will be funded after the end of the grant.
- A competing organization may be filling a similar need for the grant proposal.
- Application is unclear and poorly written.
- The proposal budget is not clear or well defined.
- The grant proposal does not fall within the scope of the focus area as defined on the application.
- The nonprofit organization lacks either a proven record of success or a strong, diverse board of directors and staff.
The Finance Committee will do an initial document review. Additional information may be requested. Focus Area Committees will then review the applications.
The Focus Area Committees are composed of Impact100 Louisville members who volunteer and have no conflict of interest to serve (e.g. not a staff or board member of a nonprofit which has submitted a grant application in that focus area). All discussions during committee meetings are kept private (even from Impact100 Louisville members not on that committee). The committee reviews all grant applications and arranges for site visits for qualified applications. A Focus Area Committee member will call you to schedule an appointment. After site visits are completed, the entire committee evaluates each application for strength and feasibility of the non-profit and then votes on the finalists.
This is the time for your organization to shine and for you to be able to tell your story, your vision, and your dream in person. You will have the opportunity to explain what the application cannot always convey: the passion, the difference this grant would make, and the impact to the organization and the community. You should plan to have the following people attend the site visit: your board chair, your treasurer or someone who can answer financial questions, and perhaps one or two key employees. If possible, individuals the organization serves should be present as well. There should be no press at the meeting.
Any amplifying information, such as brochures or reports are appropriate. Refreshments, CDs/DVDs, mementos, promotional items, or gifts are highly discouraged.
Yes, we encourage your organization to reapply next year.
We do not provide specific feedback to any applicant. The reason for this is that the committee members who review your grant will change each year. If we were to provide feedback from this year's site visit team, next year's site visit team might have a totally different perspective.
An organization can reapply after three years.
Yes! You can even participate on a Focus Area Committee, but not one that reviews your organization's application.
Yes! You can even participate on a Focus Area Committee, but not one that reviews your organization’s application.
Contact the Impact100 Louisville Grants Committee at grants@impact100louisville.org