If we are not a grant recipient will someone let us know how we can improve our application?

It is our policy to not give direct feedback. Volunteer committee members change every year so advice other than general information presented on our website or at our Information Session for nonprofits would be misleading.

We are a small Nonprofit and very new, will we still be considered?

You may want to consider collaborating with another nonprofit that has a proven financially stable track record. However, Impact100 East Bay may be willing to independently provide start-up organizations with modest seed money for transformational community projects. Discuss your situation with our Grant Co-Chairs.

Our Nonprofit has not yet had an audit, what should we do?

If you have not had an audit, your 990 will serve as some of the financial documentation required.

Can our organization submit different grant applications in different focus areas?

No, each organization may submit only one grant application each year.

If we submit a proposal this year that is not funded, how soon can we resubmit the proposal?

You may apply again the following year.

If we submit a proposal and are awarded a grant, how soon can we apply again?

When a nonprofit is awarded an Impact Grant, then the organization must wait until the end of the grant cycle (2 years) before reapplying to Impact100 East Bay for another grant. The 2-year period for grant recipients to re-apply begins the year that the grant is awarded no matter if the grant money is distributed lump sum or via installment payments according to the terms of the grant agreement. (Example: Nonprofit X received a grant in 2007. Nonprofit X would be able to re-apply in 2009. Year 1 = 08, Year 2 = 09).

When a nonprofit is awarded a Community Grant, they may re-apply for the Impact Grant the following year. (Example: Nonprofit Z received a Community Grant in 2007. Nonprofit Z could apply for the Impact Grant in 2008).

What does it mean that you don’t cover “indigent care subsidies?

It is not our intention to try to replicate services that are provided by the government such as, Food Stamps, WIC, and Medicaid.

Can we include our brochures, annual reports and videos about our organization?

When we do site visits, we are interested in all information about your nonprofit organization.

How does Impact100 East Bay pay out the grant money?

Depending upon the awardee’s grant proposal, disbursement of funds shall be specifically established in the award contract and shall be consistent with the fiscal needs to foster the project’s success. This may result in lump-sum or installment payouts, determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the needs of the project.

What is the period of time the money must be spent?

The period of time the money must be spent correlates directly with the project’s intended implementation timeline (Impact Grant: 2 years; Community Grant: 1 year).

Our milestone payment policy for the Impact Grant requires that the recipient provide Impact100 East Bay with regular interim reports detailing the progress of both the project and its budget while milestone payments are being received. Impact100 East Bay does not have a maximum for when the money must be spent. However, our sister Impact100 chapters have limited the duration to 2 years.

Our milestone payment policy for the Community Grant is at the beginning of the grant cycle with a report at the end of that year, as specified in the contract.

What are the 2 counties from which Impact100 East Bay will accept Proposals for Letters of Intent and Grant Applications?

Alameda County and Contra Costa County in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.

Does Impact100 East Bay accept applications that are collaborative in nature between more than one nonprofit?

Yes. Collaborating proposals should meet the following criteria:
a) Two or more 501(c) or 509(a) nonprofit organizations;
b) Be aware and submit letters of support for the collaboration (Common Grant Application stage)
c) Engage one of the partners as a lead fiscal agent through which all Impact 100 East Bay business is conducted.

If the project is a multi-agency collaboration, do we submit the financial information from all the collaborating partners?

If a project application is a multi-agency collaboration, Impact100 East Bay requires financial information from all collaborating partners during the “Common Grant Application” stage of our process. Please note each partner should submit complete financial data for three years as outlined in the grant application checklist.

Can the grant be used over multiple years?

Yes! Nonprofits may spread out their award, and in fact, it is preferred (but not required). The distribution timetable does not impact your likelihood of receiving a grant one way or another.

Does Impact100 East Bay fund current operating expenses?

No, Impact100 East Bay grants are meant to be transformational. While the definition of transformational varies among members, we cannot fund an organization initiative that does not intend expansion of services delivered in a new way. An appropriate funding request for Impact100 East Bay would be for services performed in a new way (innovation), more services of the same kind provided more often to their current population (deepening), or expanding their current service to a new population (expansion). Impact100 East Bay would expect the budget to reflect such, which could include additional staff & their resultant operating costs or other capital requests.

Does the Impact100 East Bay website show which focus area past grant recipients came from?

Impact100 East Bay shares grant recipients and their corresponding projects on our website.

Do you have opportunities for volunteers that can’t donate $1,000?

Our current voting membership structure only allows women to join as a full member by donating $1,000. We happily accept any volunteers, but voting membership requires the donation of $1,000.

We also welcome “Friends of Impact100 East Bay” and are thrilled when an individual or a foundation wants to help us with our annual expenses (which are held to a minimum since we are an “all-volunteer board.”). Although grant review committees are reserved for Impact100 East Bay membership, we welcome volunteers on operating committees such as marketing, PR, web development, nonprofit outreach, and communication.

How are grants that have faith focus received?

Impact100 East Bay welcomes LOI’s that are programmatic, capital, start-up, or technical assistance from valid 501(c)3 organizations. We do not fund overhead requests. Our funding cannot be used to advance faith-based programs (e.g. build a chapel) but can be used by a faith-based organization to address social issues.

Are grants always for the same amount?

Our grant amount fluctuates every year based on the number of members we have for that year, yet the Impact Grant in that year would receive up to $100,000. We may not always have additional funds for the Community Grant. The minimum membership to fund a community grant is 125 members.

What grant focus area receives the most grant requests?

A Wall Street Journal article featured a chart that revealed 52% of nonprofits in the United States have a Health & Welfare concentration and 19% are focused on Education. It is predictable that we would see a clustering of applications.

Will more consideration be given to projects that affect more than one county?

Our members are advised to look at the impact of a request. That includes both breadth and depth. What resonates with one committee may not resonate with another. We ask you to speak from the heart (and back it up with data) as to what the true impact will be to those you serve. But the request must be confined to Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

If the most recent budget is not approved by an agency’s board by the grant deadline, can the “draft” be submitted?

Yes. For the LOI, Impact 100 East Bay is interested in your project budget and even though it is not officially approved, it must still be a realistic budget. Please note that the final question on the LOI asks you to confirm that your Executive Director and/or Board President are aware of the application.

Do you look to fund only “new impacts” or would you consider supporting previously awarded impact areas (such as dental health/awareness)?

Impact100 East Bay encourages all types of applications and if your program will change lives, we encourage you to submit it for consideration. Our committees have full control over who they choose as finalists.

Are committee chairs allowed/willing to meet with me to discuss prior year submissions(s) in an effort to improve upon our previous application?

Impact100 East Bay prides itself on its ability to maintain a level playing field amongst all applicants. In addition, due to the ever-changing composition of membership and committee involvement, any advice given might be invalid and misleading into a next year. Therefore, we do not offer feedback and just ask you to attend the information sessions that we offer and are open to everyone.

If you have specific questions, contact our Grant Co-Chairs by emailing grants@impact100eastbay.org.

Who can I contact for more information?

Any questions or comments regarding the grant application process are welcome. Please contact us at grants@impact100eastbay.org.

To whom should project partners address their letters of commitment? (Applicable for the Common Grant stage of the application process)

Impact100 East Bay, contact at grants@impact100eastbay.org.

Are there any online tools that could help me with grant writing?

Basic Grant Writing (https://4good.org/eileen-kronauer/basic-grant-writing) includes practical tips for researching grants and writing a proposal, including what actions to take when the grant has been received or denied.

Grant writing: Basics for Beginners (https://4good.org/carol-geisbauer/grantwriting-basics-for-beginners-001), from grant writing expert Carol Geisbauer is invaluable for people who are new to grant writing.

University of Kansas’s Community Tool Box (http://ctb.ku.edu/en) contains information on almost every aspect of nonprofits, including a guide for writing a grant that includes an outline of the important components of a grant proposal. Check out these resources for more in-depth information and guidance on specific components of a grant proposal:

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence, United Way of Central New Mexico (https://www.centerfornonprofitexcellence.org/), has shared how-to guides about the specific components that most grant proposals should include.

Grant Writing Toolkit—Needs Statement (https://4good.org/amy-duggan–18/grant-writing-toolkit-needs-statement) will help you draft a needs statement, one of the first and most important components of any proposal.

Grant Writing Toolkit—Program Plan (https://4good.org/amy-duggan–18/grant-writing-toolkit-program-plan) will guide you through writing a program plan for your proposal.

Grant writing—Program Development (https://4good.org/carol-geisbauer/grantwriting-program-development-002), from Carol Geisbauer Grant writing, addresses program development—an important first step that can, when done right, facilitate the process of grant writing.

Samples of Grant Proposal Components (https://4good.org/carol-geisbauer/grantwriting-program-development-002) contains a compilation of samples for each of the 11 components of a grant proposal. It was assembled with permission from successfully funded grant proposals shared on Idea Encore for a series that appeared in Grant Station.

If You Evaluate It, They Will Fund: Program Evaluation Essentials (https://4good.org/cecilia-harry/if-you-evaluate-it-they-will-fund), a presentation from Cecilia Harris on Nonprofit Webinars, discusses the importance of program evaluation in attracting grants and foundation funding.