What are the funding priorities that will guide your evaluation of proposals?
We will be addressing the following:
Using a racial equity lens in grant-making means acknowledging that structural and institutional inequity and bias – in our institutions, places of employment, government agencies, social services, policies and culture – continue to privilege white people and disadvantage people of color (as well as other historically marginalized groups such as LGBTQ and immigrant communities).
For many years now, major philanthropic organizations have embraced grant-making through a racial equity lens as an intentional way of distributing philanthropic support to programs that seek to make life fairer for the people who have suffered as a result of systemic racism. Equally important, they support efforts to reshape the institutions and services — such as our health care system and public schools — that continue to produce wildly disparate outcomes depending upon race and ethnicity.
This lens will guide our work as well. As we review grant proposals for creative, sustainable, and transformational solutions to community problems, we will pay special attention to who is impacted by the problem you have identified, and how your proposed activities will promote greater equity in the greater Washington DC area.
We ask all applicants to identify the focus area that you believe bests suits your proposal. However, we reserve the right to contact applicants to determine if particular proposals could be reviewed by a different focus area committee should the need arise.
While we encourage all organizations seeking to create transformational change to apply, our due diligence model requires three years of financial records as evidence of financial stability. If you lack this material, but still want to apply, you may want to consider collaborating with another nonprofit that has a proven record.
No, each organization can only submit one application per year.
No, we will collect this information only if your organization is offered a site visit.
Yes. We recognize the importance of including operating costs in a project budget and will allow operating expenses of up to but not to exceed 10% of your proposed budget.
Because we are an all-volunteer organization, we do not provide this service. However, we do host several workshops open to the public before the grant deadline in order to walk prospective applicants through the application and the process.
We are using the grant application and management software called Submittable for all grant applications. In order to start the application process with our Letter of Inquiry, you will need to create an account., We will offer a training opportunity on the use of this platform for nonprofits considering applying for a grant before the grant period officially opens.
No, we require you to include a budget that would use the full $100,000.
Grant funds must be spent within a two year period.
Impact100 DC encourages nonprofit organizations to collaborate with one another in developing and executing transformational proposals. A collaborative relationship is one between two or more nonprofit organizations that lowers costs and/or increases gains for those served by their programs. When two or more organizations collaborate, they align their missions and activities to achieve a common goal. Collaboration also meaningfully changes the way participating organizations do business for the long term and requires Board involvement as a high-level, strategic activity.
The program description in the grant application must clearly explain the role of the collaborating organization(s). The program budget must indicate the collaborating organization’s share of funding. A signed Memorandum of Understanding is required from each collaborating organization.
The Lead Applicant in a collaborative project takes responsibility for completing the application and shepherding the application through Impact100 DC’s grant process. The Lead Applicant’s organizational, financial, and IRS data will be examined as part of the application process. If the application is awarded a grant, all grant funds will be payable to and administered by the Lead Applicant. The Lead Applicant will manage the grants project and ensure it is completed according to Impact100 DC’s requirements.