1. Please attend one of our grant workshops. We have scheduled six at different locations in our two-county area from January through April.
The workshops are open to all nonprofit organizations serving Okaloosa and Walton Counties interested in learning more about the Impact100 NWF Grant Process and how to apply.
* Please visit the Workshops Tab under the Nonprofits drop-down to learn more and register!
2. Submit Letter of Intent by May 15.
Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent. In preparation to submit the Letter of Intent, each organization should confirm they meet all requirements by:
**Providing a copy of the Dept. of Treasury letter affirming the organization's status as a tax-exempt public charity under Internal Revenue Code Section 501 (c)(3) for a minimum of 2 years prior to July 15th of the year the organization is applying. Religious institutions must have a separate tax-exempt entity, not under the umbrella of the body of worship, to apply.
**Registering with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and providing a current copy of your proof of your Solicitation of Contributions License (unless the organization is exempt). (https://csapp.fdacs.gov/csrep/)
**Registering with the Florida Division of Corporations. (https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/)
**Carrying Directors and Officers Insurance as well as General Liability Insurance.
**Being based in, providing services to, or collaborating with organizations in Okaloosa and/or Walton Counties.
Only nonprofits that have submitted a Letter of Intent meeting all requirements by the deadline will be given a grant application for the current year. The Letter of Intent must be submitted online. Grant Application access will be provided to applicants upon approval of the Letter of Intent.
The Letter of Intent will be accessible on the website from April 1, 2024, through May 15, 2024.
3. Grant Application due July 15, 2024
Upon approval of the Letter of Intent, the nonprofit will receive the grant application. Once submitted, Impact100 NWF will check to ensure the application is complete and notify the applicant that it was received.
4. Review of Applications
The Finance Committee reviews all required financial documents upon submission of a completed application. Following this first step of our approval phase, each Focus Area Committee (10-15 Impact100 members) will meet in September to review the applications. Every organization will receive a site visit with members of the committee during September or early October. The grant application information is evaluated based on the strength of the organization, the project's sustainability and the impact in the community. Two finalists from each focus area will be selected.
5. Finalist Reveal--Meet the Finalists will occur on October 28, 2024
Finalists from each category will be notified of their status by phone the morning of October 28th and invited to attend the Meet the Finalists Reveal Event attended by Impact100 NWF members as well as members of the press as available. All non-finalists will be notified by phone on the morning of October 28 as well.
6. Finalist Presentation and Selection on Sunday, November 10, 2024
Summaries of the finalists’ projects will be provided to voting members of Impact100 NWF at our annual meeting November 10, 2024. Each grant finalist will deliver a five-minute presentation for the Impact100 NWF members. Impact100 members will vote by individual ballot and the winning projects will be selected by majority vote and announced that day.
7. Working with a Grant Liaison, Reports and Evaluation
Following the award of the 2024 grants, the Grants Committee assigns Grant Liaisons to each recipient. Prior to the release of grant funds, each recipient must complete the Impact100 NWF Grant Agreement Form.
Recipients must submit quarterly reports on the implementation and progress of the project to their liaison who then submits those reports to the Impact100 NWF Board of Directors. When the project is complete the recipient must submit a final report.
8. Wish Lists
Finalists that do not receive a grant will have an opportunity to submit a wish list of items that could benefit their organization. Wish lists will be posted on the Impact100 website, giving possible donors an opportunity to fund applicant's wishes.
For any questions about the grant process contact us at grants@impactnwf.org.