Impact Grant Program

The Spencer County Community Foundation’s Impact Grant cycle will run from March 14, 2025, through August 29, 2025.

• Letter of Inquiry Forms will be accepted from March 14, 2025, through April 14, 2025. Funding requests submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
• All Letter of Inquiry applicants will be informed of their status no later than May 15, 2025. Successful applicants will be invited to submit a formal grant application. The formal grant application will be due June 12, 2025.
• Nonprofits submitting formal grant applications will be notified of their status no later than July 18, 2025. Finalists will be chosen and invited to give an oral presentation of their proposal during the Spencer County Community Foundation's County Advisory Board meeting on August 4, 2025.
• The Impact Grant recipient will be announced no later than August 29, 2025.

The Spencer County Community Foundation will award one $50,000 Impact Grant. The total cost of a proposed project or program must be at least $50,000.

2-Step Application Process

The Spencer County Community Foundation will use a two-step application process to review Impact Grant funding requests. A Letter of Inquiry Form is the required first step for submitting funding requests to be considered by the grants committee. The Letter of Inquiry helps in determining whether the proposed project aligns with the grants committee's funding goals and priorities before the applicant invests time and effort in completing a formal grant application.

All Letter of Inquiry Forms will be reviewed by the grants committee, with all applicants being notified of the review decision no later than May 15, 2025. Successful applicants will be invited to submit a formal grant application with a deadline of June 12, 2025.

The Community Foundation welcomes funding requests from nonprofit organizations that are deemed tax-exempt under sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code and from governmental agencies serving the county.

The Impact Grant shall not support or benefit the following activities or organizations:

• Religious organizations for religious purposes
• Political parties or campaigns
• Endowment creation or debt reduction
• Operating costs not directly related to the program/project
• Annual appeals or membership contributions
• Travel requests for groups or individuals such as bands, sports teams, or classes

Deliberation and Award

The grants committee will review each Letter of Inquiry Form submitted and will invite a select number of organizations to submit a formal grant application. Upon receipt of formal grant applications, the grants committee will undertake a thorough review of applications and conduct site visits. After careful consideration, finalists for the award will be chosen and invited to give an oral presentation of their proposals at the Spencer County Community Foundation's County Advisory Board meeting on August 4, 2025. After final deliberations, the grants committee will make its recommendations on funding to the board of directors of the Community Foundation Alliance. Finalists will be notified of the outcome of final deliberations no later than August 29, 2025.

A final report at project completion will be required by the organization whose application is approved for funding. Instructions will be provided at the time the grant is awarded.