Applicants for the Impact100 Orange County Grant must meet the following criteria to be nominated for our grant: 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

  1. Be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, independent of a financial sponsor (local affiliates may apply under the 501(c)(3) of the national organization).
  2. Be in operation for at least 36 months prior to applying for the Grant.
  3. Directly Serve residents of Orange County, California. The proposed project or program must provide direct services, resources, access or measurable benefits to individuals, families, communities, or the public that directly benefit the cities within Orange County.
  4. Use 100% of Impact100OC grant funds for the approved project or program as described in the grant application.
  5. Funds must be used within a 24-month period or according to the agreed upon budget timeline. The winning organization(s) will be required to provide follow up impact reports to Impact100OC to share with its membership. The monies will be distributed based on the project/program needs with the organization determining the appropriate disbursal intervals.
  6. A project/program will be considered if it serves a diverse population without regard to religion or requiring faith-based activity, but can be under the auspices of a religious organization or physically housed in a religious organization.

 

GRANT FUNDS SUPPORT:

  • The expansion of an existing project/program.
  • Launching a new program.
  • A capital purchase, equipment purchase, renovation, technology investment, or infrastructure improvement only when it is directly tied to the project or program and necessary to achieve the stated outcomes.
  • Project-specific staffing, administrative, or indirect costs may be included only when they are necessary to deliver the proposed project or program, clearly itemized in the project budget, time-bound, and directly tied to measurable project outcomes. Requests that rely primarily or exclusively on Impact100OC funding to operate a program for a limited period must include a clear sustainability plan demonstrating how the program, services, staffing, or community impact will continue beyond the grant period.

 

GRANT FUNDS MAY NOT BE USED IN THESE WAYS:

  • General operating expenses or organization-wide overhead not directly tied to the proposed project or program.
  • Existing staff salaries, executive compensation, administrative costs, rent, utilities, insurance, accounting, legal, or other recurring expenses unless the applicant clearly demonstrates that the cost is incremental, project-specific, time-bound, and essential to the proposed project or program.
  • Debt reduction, operating deficits, interim or bridge funding, or endowment funding.
  • Grants to individuals or private foundations.
  • Activities that are religious or political in nature.
  • Fund drives, annual appeals, fundraising events, or general capital campaigns.

 

GUIDELINES FOR IMPACT100 OC GRANT:

  1. Applicant must select only one focus area in which to be considered. Focus areas are: 1) arts & culture, 2) education, 3) environment, recreation, & preservation, 4) family, 5) health & wellness.
  2. Final proposal should include a time-bound budget with measurable goals.
  3. Grant recipient must submit periodic progress reports and work with Impact100 OC chairs for the duration of the grant period.
  4. Proposal must demonstrate ability to be sustainable beyond the grant funding cycle.
  5. Organizations awarded Impact100 OC Grants may not apply for the following 3 years.
  6. An organization may submit only one application per year.
  7. Incomplete applications or missed deadlines will disqualify the application.
  8. Our goal at Impact100 Orange County is to provide transformational grants; that is, we hope that by awarding our grant to an organization, that organization is able to do something that will fundamentally impact them in a positive way both immediately and in the future.

As we continue to grow and evolve, Impact100 Orange County reserves the right to change its eligibility criteria without notice at any time.

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