STEP 1: LETTER OF INQUIRY

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• Applicants must submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) through our online grant application system (Slideroom) before the October deadline. Our application portal opens in September and the deadline for submitting an LOI is the last Friday in October. Organizations may submit only one application per year. Organizations should review the Eligibility Requirements carefully before completing the LOI.
• Applicants will receive a confirmation from Slideroom when your LOI is submitted. Impact Grants Chicago will acknowledge the eligibility of each LOI in December.
• Impact Grants Chicago members join Grant and Financial Review Committees (“member committees”). In late January, committees meet to review all submitted LOIs and select applications to submit Full Grant Applications.

Click Letter of Inquiry Questions to preview the LOI or download in PDF format

STEP 2: FULL GRANT APPLICATION

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• Applicants will be notified in February as to whether or not they have been selected to complete the Full Grant Application. Selected applicants will log into Slideroom to complete the FGA form. The Full Grant Application is due 2 weeks after notification.
• Impact Grants Chicago will acknowledge each Full Grant Application received. Member committees will review the Full Grant Applications and select semi-finalists.

Click Full Grant Application Questions to preview the FGA or download in PDF format.

STEP 3: INSIGHTFUL VISIT

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• Applicants will be notified in March as to whether or not they have been selected for an Insightful Visit. Impact Grants Chicago will contact applicants to schedule Insightful Visits, which take place in April.
• The objective of the Insightful Visit is to meet the organization’s leadership team, and to investigate and resolve any final organization or financial questions. Insightful Visits are virtual, one hour meetings and should include participation of the Executive Director, Project or Program Manager, Financial Officer or Treasurer, or Board Member.
• Following the completion of the Insightful Visits, the member committees will select Finalists.

STEP 4: FINAL DECISION PROCESS

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• Finalists will be notified in May.
• Shortly after the notification, a virtual meeting with all Finalists will be held to share information about the Grant Awards Celebration presentations.
• Impact Grants Chicago members will vote to select the $100,000 Impact Grant recipients at the Grant Awards Celebration at the end of May. The Voting results are tabulated electronically, in real time, and the grant award recipients are announced at the event.
• Terms and conditions of the distribution of the Impact Grants will be set forth in Grant Agreement Letters. Click here to view a template of the Impact Grants Chicago Draft Grant Agreement Letter.