• The Women’s Impact Fund will award high-impact, large grants ranging from $40,000 to $100,000 to community organizations in Mecklenburg County.
• The grants fund is a pooled fund comprised of annual contributions of $1,000 from each member of the Women’s Impact Fund.  All money contributed by members to the pooled fund will be awarded within the upcoming or current grants cycle.
• Grants will be made to fund projects and programs that: 1) address emerging community issues and/or 2) apply new, creative approaches to critical community needs.
• The Grants Committee, composed of all Women’s Impact Fund members who wish to serve, will lead a thorough and participative grantmaking process. The Grants Committee will research community needs in five areas: arts & culture, education, environment, health, and human services.
• Based on thorough research, analysis and community collaboration, selected community organizations will be invited to submit grant applications through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
• All members of the Women’s Impact Fund will be engaged in the final grantmaking decisions by having a vote on a slate of proposals for funding.  Over time, projects selected for funding will reflect the diverse interests of the membership.
• The in-depth grant selection process is designed to help educate members to become more knowledgeable and skilled philanthropists.
• Grantmaking practices will be conducted with integrity, fiscal responsibility, respect, and fairness to community organizations.

The Women's Impact Fund Grants Committee, made up of approximately 60 members, researches emerging issues and community needs in five focus areas:

• Arts & Culture
• Education
• Environment
• Health
• Human Services
  

In September of each year, the Committee convenes to begin the research phase of the grant process.  Committee members gather information from experts in the community, newspaper articles and other resources on the emerging issues and critical needs in the five focus areas.  Based on this information, the Committee identifies giving priorities and analyzes information on organizations of interest.  (Organizations interested in making the Grants Committee aware of their work are invited to submit a Letter of Inquiry form for possible consideration by the Committee.) 

The Committee then selects up to a maximum of 20 organizations to receive a formal Request for Proposal, or RFP.  No unsolicited RFP's are accepted.  The Committee reviews the Requests for Proposals and conducts site visits.  Once the site visits are complete, the Committee chooses ten proposals to be placed on a ballot that is sent to the entire Women's Impact Fund membership for a vote.  Based on the results, five organizations (one from each focus area) are selected to receive grant awards in May.    

Letters of Inquiry accepted on a rolling basis as of	August 20, 2008
Final deadline to submit Letter of Inquiry	October 27, 2008
Organizations invited to complete Request for Proposals	December 11, 2008
Proposals evaluated and site visits conducted	February 2 - March 6, 2009
Ten finalist organizations selected for ballot	mid-April, 2009
Members vote on five organizations to receive grants	May 8, 2009
Grant recipients notified	May 15, 2009

The intent of the Women’s Impact Fund is to award grants that have the potential for high impact, resulting in significant positive change in the community.  The Women’s Impact Fund awards grants to:

• Projects and programs that meet at least one of the following criteria:
• 1) address an emerging community issue, and / or
• 2) provide a new, creative approach to a critical community need.
• Proposals that offer opportunities to collaborate and foster partnerships, as well as leverage other funding sources.
• Projects that demonstrate the ability to achieve measurable results and have a high probability of successful continuation beyond the grant period.
• Projects that fit within one of our five funding areas: 1) arts & culture, 2) education, 3) environment, 4) health, and 5) human services.
  

• Organizations must be located and provide services in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Agencies applying for an environmental grant may be domiciled outside of Mecklenburg County, but must provide services within the County.
• Applicants must qualify as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or be classified as a unit of government.
• Organizations must not discriminate on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, physical ability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief nor be a religious organization that serves exclusively sectarian purposes.
• Organizations that have previously received funding from the Women’s Impact Fund may not submit another Letter of Inquiry for a minimum of three years after the completion of the term of the previous grant award.
  

• Capital and endowment campaigns
• Travel and conferences
• Individuals
• Projects that promote religious or political views
• Fraternal organizations
• Organizations for regranting purposes

Please visit  Frequently Asked Questions for more information about the Women’s Impact Fund grants process.

(Return to main Grants page)