CRCF: Impact Grants

The Capital Region Community Foundation offers Impact Grants to enhance the long-term effects of organizations serving Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties in Michigan. These grants focus on projects that foster collaboration among nonprofits, address the needs of under-served populations, and create sustainable community change. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) organizations and other qualified entities. Applications require a preliminary submission and a 1:1 cash match, emphasizing transformative initiatives rather than ongoing operational support.

General Grantmaking Guidelines
The Community Foundation is a public charity organized as a collection of permanent endowments. The income from these endowed funds is awarded through a grant application process to provide charitable funding to nonprofits classified by the IRS as 501(c)(3) organizations and other eligible entities (such as municipalities, schools and faith-based organizations), for projects that predominantly benefit residents of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham Counties, Michigan.
Impact Grants are meant to increase the long-term impact of an organization or program, increase the organization’s ability to reach under-served populations, or enable two or more nonprofits to work collaboratively to create transformative and sustainable community change.
Regarding Capital Campaigns: We will consider leadership gifts at the beginning of capital campaigns to help leverage other giving.
Impact Projects must meet at least one of the following Impact Criteria:
Significantly increase the long-term impact of an organization or program, not provide for ongoing operations (routine expenses such as ongoing programming, occupancy, administration, etc.) For example, Impact Grants will not purchase food for a pantry; however, we might purchase equipment that help a pantry stock healthier options to impact the health of their clients.Significantly increase an organization’s ability to reach under-served populations, rather than simply serve more people. For example, Impact Grants are not designed to increase the number of people utilizing an existing program, but rather to help expand a successful program to have greater impact to a new, high-need population.Enable two or more nonprofits to work collaboratively to create transformative and sustainable community change. We welcome applications where two or more organizations are collaborating to implement a solution to a critical community issue.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants: non-profits classified by the IRS as 501(c)(3) organizations and other eligible entities (such as municipalities, schools and faith-based organizations) that benefit residents of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham Counties in Michigan. To apply for funding, projects must meet at least one of the following Impact Criteria:Significantly increase the long-term impact of an organization or program, not to provide cash assistance for ongoing operations. For example: Impact grants will not be made to purchase food for a pantry, but our committee may consider purchasing refrigeration and storage equipment that would allow a food pantry to stock fresh meat, dairy and produce in order to provide healthier options for recipients.Significantly increase the organization’s ability to reach under-served populations, not to simply serve more people. For example: Impact grants will not be made to support additional people utilizing an existing program, but our committee may fund some costs of starting a satellite program to serve people in a different area of town. To qualify, the need for expanded services must be substantiated along with a detailed sustainability plan for long-term increased services.Enable two or more nonprofits to work collaboratively to create transformative and sustainable community change. For example, two organizations serving the same constituents may implement a new or expanded program together that would otherwise be impossible without collaboration. Impact grants require a preliminary application and a 1:1 cash match. To qualify for a grant from the Community Foundation's competitive grant process, your organization must have both of the following: Federal tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; OR you must apply through a fiscal agent that meets this criteria.
State of Michigan Charitable Solicitation License (unless your organization raises funds exclusively using volunteers and receives less than $25,000 a year; OR if your organization is designated by the State as an “other qualifying entity.”) For information, please visit the Michigan Attorney General website.

Ineligibility

What our Community Foundation generally will not fund:The following are areas which will not be considered for funding through the application process at this time:Religious programsIndividualsInternational organizationsEndowment fundsAnnual meetingsRoutine operating expenses (existing programming and administration)Existing obligations, debts or liabilities, incurred before committee reviews proposal Operating expenses are defined as routine expenses in an organization's operating budget, including expenses related to existing, ongoing programming, occupancy, administration, etc. Our committee will not provide grants that simply fill a gap in a nonprofit's operating budget.Impact grantees are not eligible to apply in consecutive years.Regarding colleges, universities and schoolsFor Impact Grants, we will not support routine operating expenses, projects and activities, or equipment which are within the primary instructional and service responsibilities of a college, university or school, or which benefit only the college, university or school faculty, staff and students. Applications for funding of projects and activities sponsored or provided by colleges, universities and schools must: 1) demonstrate benefit to the broader community beyond the academic institution, and 2) include letters of support from community organizations. Impact Grants are not awarded in consecutive years. If you received an Impact Grant in 2024, you are not eligible to apply for an Impact Grant in 2025.