In 2023 Impact100 Sonoma is proud to offer Impetus Grants for up to $25,000 of funding to strengthen and sustain an organization’s core mission. While originally created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Impetus Grants have proven to be well-liked by Sonoma Valley’s nonprofit organizations. The ability to distribute grants broadly and the wide range of acceptable grant uses have made Impetus Grants a good fit for Sonoma Valley’s nonprofit needs.
As their name implies, Impetus Grants are meant to provide a boost to an organization, whether to sustain their current programs, expand or improve their offerings, or simply fulfill their core mission.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS: Impetus Grants applications may be for an amount up to $25,000: Grant funds may be spent over the course of two years Recipients of Impetus Grants in BOTH 2021 and 2022 are not eligible to apply for an individual grant this year: Impetus Grants will continue into the future, therefore we are returning to an alternate year funding cycle which requires recipients of Impetus Grants to “sit-out” for one year. Because we are beginning anew after the pandemic, we are starting with organizations that received two Impetus Grants in a row (that is, in both 2021 and 2022). See Eligibility Requirements and FAQs for more information.
Improved grants management software to make submission easier and faster. Our Grant Awards Celebration will be held on April 29, 2023.
Eligibility Requirements
Please review the following eligibility requirements to be sure that both your organization and your proposal meet the criteria for an Impetus Grant from Impact100 Sonoma. Consult the FAQs.
Organizations eligible to apply for Impact100 grants must:
- NOT have received an Impetus Grant in both 2021 and 2022. However, these organizations are eligible to apply as part of a collaborative application, but not as the lead agency
- Be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
- Be located in and/or serve residents of Sonoma Valley (the geographic area from Schellville to Kenwood)
- Possess at least 2 full years (24 months) of independently prepared, audited or reviewed financial statements
- Not be a faith-based or political organization. These are eligible to apply only if the organization is part of a collaborative grant application and is not the lead agency or the fiscal agent or sponsor
Applicants are asked to adhere to the following guidelines when applying for a grant with a fiscal agent, a fiscal sponsor, collaborator or partner:
- A fiscal agent or sponsor may be used by a nonprofit when applying for an Impetus Grant if the nonprofit is too small to have 501©(3) status or if it is in the process of applying for 501(c)(3) status, but has not yet received it.
- The nonprofit must have been in operation for a minimum of two years before it is eligible to apply for a grant, even when it uses a fiscal agent or sponsor.
- The application must include the financial information and financial documents for the nonprofit itself. Certain financial documents will also be required from the fiscal agent or sponsor. See Application Process and FAQs for more information.
- If a nonprofit is acting as a fiscal agent or sponsor for another organization applying for an Impetus Grant, that nonprofit is eligible to apply for its own Impetus Grant within the same grant cycle (if otherwise eligible).
- Proposals submitted by applicants as a collaborative[1] effort must complete the Collaborator and Partner Agreement Form, signed by each agency.
- Applicants noting the existence of project partners[2] must complete the Collaborator and Partner Agreement Form, signed by each partner.
[1] Collaboration: Two or more nonprofits share resources and have joint responsibility for managing and carrying out the proposal. In such a case, one participating nonprofit needs to be identified as the lead agency, and is responsible for the financial management of Impact100 Sonoma grant funds.
[2] Partnership: For example, to carry out the proposal the applicant relies on the clients or other resources from other organizations.
Proposal Expectations
Our 2022 Impetus Grants are intended to assist with an organization’s long-term stability. In evaluating proposals, we will focus on how funding from Impact100 can help an organization develop and execute on its core mission, and how, in turn, that will improve the strength of our community.
APPLICANTS MAY:
Propose the use of Impact100’s grant funds for programs, services, infrastructure, capacity building, technology or other budgetary needs that support the organization’s core mission. For example, Impetus Grants can be used as follows:
Capacity building or infrastructure support
Funds can be used to improve the organization’s ability to deliver on its activities and strengthen its management systems, operations or infrastructure, such as staff development, technology improvements, planning, restructuring or consulting.
Programmatic or project needs
Funds can be used for costs associated with a particular program or project, for planning, expanding, or iterating a program, including expenses such as supplies, materials, or salaries.
Capital expenditures
Funds can be used for specified building, furnishing, or equipment expenses necessary to maintain or upgrade the organization's facilities.
Specific operating expense items
Funds can be used for any specifically identified item(s) in the budget. Note that such grants are restricted grants, limited to the specified items.
Grants will not be provided and may not be used for:
- Endowment funding
- Individuals or private foundations
- Activities that are religious or political in nature
- Fund drives, annual appeals, fundraising events, or general capital campaigns
APPLICANTS SHOULD:
- Explain how their proposal will benefit our community
- Describe how they provide services and programs related to their core mission
- Use grant funds to address a problem, overcome a roadblock, or strengthen their organization
- Demonstrate financial stability
- Request a realistic grant amount as demonstrated by a sound and justifiable budget in relation to their organization's size, expected funding sources and overall financial position
- Have a specific plan detailing how they will implement their proposal
- Explain how they will measure the impact of fulfilling their proposal
- Be aligned with Impact100's values and our organizational equity commitment, as follows.
Impact100 Sonoma believes:
As a nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the quality of life in our community, it is essential that we confront the effects of racism and discrimination, accept that we have work to do and recognize that we bear collective responsibility for dismantling systemic racism and injustice in our community. Therefore, we are committing to:
Creating an organizational culture and set of values that reflects the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.
Ensuring our staffing, spaces, programming, outreach, communications, board membership and other organizational aspects are welcoming and inclusive of different perspectives.
Actively working to center and engage marginalized voices.
Making this work ongoing by adopting an equity lens in strategic planning.
COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS for applying for a grant can be found here. QUESTIONS? Please visit our FAQs.
Questions regarding grant guidelines or the application process? Please contact:
IMPETUS GRANTS:
GRANTS OVERSIGHT: Member FAQ About 2023 Impetus Grants: here
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COMMUNITY We believe in Community because we're stronger when we work together. Our philanthropy enables nonprofit organizations serving the Sonoma Valley to grow and flourish, creating a community in which our inhabitants thrive, our natural landscapes are protected, and the special character of Sonoma Valley is preserved, supported and celebrated. DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION We believe in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). We prioritize DEI in our organization and in our philanthropy because we believe all people deserve to be respected and valued. Within our organization, we emphasize a participatory grantmaking process, while we also strive for DEI in our membership recruitment. We believe our grant recipients must acknowledge the importance of incorporating DEI into their organizational mission, vision and values. RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP We believe in Responsible Stewardship of the funds we receive from our members. We use 100% of membership donations to accomplish our Mission, while building a focus on trust-based philanthropy. We encourage partnerships and collaboration to improve the long-term sustainability of our nonprofit community. EMPOWERMENT We believe in Empowering our members to become more engaged in our community. We provide our members the opportunity to learn about the goals and needs of nonprofits operating in Sonoma Valley in order to develop a better understanding of the challenges facing our community, and ways in which we can create positive change through the power of collective philanthropy.
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