Impact Grant Process

Thank you for your interest in applying for an Impact the Palm Beaches grant.

Please see below for information on the Impact grants process, including key steps, dates and requirements.

The Letter of Intent deadline is Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 12:00 PM.

For more information or questions, please contact
Aleese Kopf, Grant Committee Chair
aleesekopf@palmbeachunitedway.org
561-655-1919

Documents to Download

Impact Grant Process

Eligibility Requirements

Grant Timeline

Impact Grant Manual

Letter of Intent Now Open

Thank you for your interest in applying for a grant from Impact the Palm Beaches. Completing the Letter of Intent is the first step in our process. You will be asked to provide specifics on the proposed program, including who it serves and why it is needed. You will also be asked to submit financial information and a proposed budget.

The Letter of Intent deadline is Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 12:00 PM.

Click below to download the Letter of Intent that fits your proposal.

PROGRAM Letter of Intent

CAPITAL PROJECT Letter of Intent

QUESTIONS?

Contact Grant Chair Aleese Kopf at 561-655-1919 or aleesekopf@palmbeachunitedway.org.

How to Submit

The Letter of Intent is in Microsoft Word and should be submitted as a Word document.

Specified word counts should be adhered to. Text that goes over the word limit will be manually deleted.

The Signature Authorization (page 5) should be scanned and submitted as a PDF.

The Required Attachments listed below (and on page 5) should be submitted as PDFs.

IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter
Florida Department of Agriculture Solicitation Permit
IRS 990
Audited Financial Statements (a financial review or compilation prepared by a Certified Public Accountant will also be accepted)
Audit Management Letter (if applicable)
Board Roster with names, board positions, cumulative years of service and professional affiliations

Steps to Submit

Complete the Letter of Intent.
Email the Letter of Intent and required documents to Grant Committee Chair Aleese Kopf at aleesekopf@palmbeachunitedway.org by Thursday, September 14 at 12:00 PM.

Please submit all required documents in one email.
Letter of Intent proposals received past the deadline will not be accepted. No exceptions.
Submit early to allow yourself enough time to make any corrections if necessary.

Grant Committee Chair Aleese Kopf will reply to your email with a message that your Letter of Intent and supporting documents have a) been received and accepted, or b) received but require changes. Your Letter of Intent is not considered accepted until you receive an email specifying so.

Grant Eligibility Requirements

Click here to download Grant Eligibility Requirements

The applicant must be a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and designated as such for at least 19 months.
The organization must be able to provide the following documents:
- IRS Form 990
- Financial statements audited by an independent accountant or accounting firm (a financial review or compilation prepared by a Certified Public Accountant will also be accepted)
- IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter
- Florida Department of Agriculture Solicitation Permit
The project must serve the residents of Palm Beach County within the boundaries of:
- Lake Worth Road north to the Martin County line
- The Atlantic Ocean west to the Palm Beach County line
  The entire $100,000 grant must be utilized within those geographical boundaries.
Recipients of an Impact the Palm Beaches $100,000 grant are not eligible to receive a grant for at least 4 years from the date the grant was awarded. Organizations chosen as grant recipients in April 2023 are not eligible to receive a grant until April 2027. Merit award winners may reapply the following year. Recipients of a $100,000 grant cannot receive new grant funds through collaborations with another agency within the 4-year time period.
The program or project may be new, an expansion of an existing program, or a collaborative effort between more than one qualifying agency.
The organization must use the full amount of the grant within two years of the award date.

Impact the Palm Beaches WILL NOT accept applications to support

Activities outside our 5 focus areas of Arts & Culture, Education, Environments & Animal Welfare, Family, and Health & Wellness
Programs that take place outside of our geographic area
Debt reduction or operational deficits
Fundraising campaigns or events
Capital campaigns (*definition below)
- * Capital Campaign: A capital campaign is an organized drive to collect and accumulate SUBSTANTIAL funds to finance major needs of an organization such as a building or major repair or remodeling project. Capital campaigns are different than requests for capital grants to fund specific equipment, building costs, vehicles or materials that are clearly wrapped around a program or a project serving clients of the organization. Impact the Palm Beaches WILL permit grant requests for capital projects.
Endowments or memorials
Bridge funding or interim financing
Partisan or political activities
Legal expenses
Travel expenses
Loans
Grants to individuals
Grants to private foundations
Religious organizations for religious purpose

Impact the Palm Beaches does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, age, sexual preference, or national origin. Applicants for grants from Impact the Palm Beaches must hold similar standards. Therefore, competitive grant applications from organizations known to have discriminatory policies will not be considered.

About Impact the Palm Beaches Grants

Impact the Palm Beaches is a philanthropic organization where women collectively award grants to nonprofits in Central and Northern Palm Beach County to ignite transformational change in our community. Membership consists of women who annually contribute $1,100 ($1,000 to the Impact grant and a $100 administrative fee). Once a year, Impact members gather at our Annual Award Celebration to award $100,000 grant(s) to local nonprofits. The exact amount of funds available to award in any given year depends on the number of women who join the organization. Since 2015, Impact has invested over $1.5 million.

The Town of Palm Beach United Way serves as the fiscal agent for Impact the Palm Beaches.

Overview of the Grant Process

Each year, Impact the Palm Beaches and its community partners send notices of the availability of our grants to hundreds of nonprofit agencies and invite them to submit grant proposals. The Impact Grant Committee (made up of members of Impact the Palm Beaches) extensively reviews and scores each proposal. Committee members also attend "site visits" at select agencies. After site visits, the Grant Committee meets to identify finalists to present at our Annual Award Celebration. Following the agency presentations, a vote is immediately taken by the Impact members and a final decision is made regarding grant recipients.

Grant Focus Areas

Arts and Culture

Projects that cultivate, develop, educate, or enhance cultural and artistic climate.

Education

Projects that further the ability to educate and improve education.

Environment and Animal Welfare

Projects that improve, enhance or restore the environment and promote conservation and protection of natural resources and the welfare of animals.

Family

Projects that strengthen and enhance the lives of children and families living in our community.

Health and Wellness

Projects that positively impact the physical and/or mental health and wellness of the members of our community.

Steps in the Process

Step 1: Agency Grant Application Information Sessions

Grant information sessions for agencies will be held in July at the Town of Palm Beach United Way. These sessions will be hosted by the Impact Grant Committee chairs for the purpose of reviewing the grant process with prospective agencies.

Step 2: Letter of Intent

Following the information sessions, the Letter of Intent will be available on the Impact the Palm Beaches and Town of Palm Beach United Way websites. In the Letter of Intent, the agencies will provide an overview of their program or project, target audience, community need, preliminary budget and success measurements. Grant Committee members will vote on which Letter of Intent applications to advance to the next stage of the process.

Step 3: Request for Proposal

Agencies selected by the Grant Committee will be invited to submit a Request for Proposal. The Request for Proposal requires the agency to provide more details about their proposed program or project, including sustainability, oversight, financial information, timelines, and outcomes. Grant Committee members will vote on which Request for Proposal applications to advance to the next stage of the process.

Step 4: Site Visits

Grant Committee members will attend site visits at each agency selected to move forward in the process. Site visits provide an opportunity for the Grant Committee to meet agency staff and board members, resolve any remaining questions and tour the facility.

Step 5: Finalist Presentations

Representatives from each finalist organization will present at the Annual Award Celebration. Summaries of the finalist proposals will be provided to all voting members of Impact the Palm Beaches prior to the Award Celebration. Members of Impact the Palm Beaches will vote at the Annual Award Celebration and the winning project(s) will be selected by majority vote.

Step 6: Reports and Evaluation

Grantees must submit periodic reports on the progress of programs and projects to Impact the Palm Beaches.