STEP 1: LETTER OF INQUIRY

• Applicants must submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) through our online grant application system before the deadline set annually by Impact Grants Chicago. Our application portal opens on September 19, 2022 and the deadline for submitting an LOI for the 2022/23 grant cycle is October 28, 2022.
• Organizations are allowed to submit only one application per year and must select a Focus Area when completing the LOI to verify compliance with our funding criteria. Please review the Focus Area Descriptions on this page for more information.
• Organizations should review the Eligibility Requirements carefully before completing the LOI.
• Impact Grants Chicago will acknowledge each LOI received.
• Members join Grant and Financial Review Committees (“member committees”) to analyze all submitted LOI’s.
• Following the review of the LOIs, Impact Grants Chicago will select certain applicants to submit a Full Grant Application.

In order to assist applicants in considering submission of an LOI, we have prepared a list of questions for consideration. Click here to see the list:Letter of Inquiry Questions

Letter of Inquiry Closed

STEP 2: FULL GRANT APPLICATION

• Applicants will be notified on February 3, 2023 as to whether or not they have been selected to complete the Full Grant Application. Impact Grants Chicago will provide the form to complete this application, which will be due on February 17, 2023.
• Impact Grants Chicago will acknowledge each Full Grant Application received. The member committees will review the Full Grant Applications and, following the review, semi-finalists will be notified that they have been selected for site visits.

In order to assist applicants, we have prepared a list of questions to consider in completing the Full Grant Application. Click here to see the list:Full Grant Application Questions

STEP 3: SITE VISIT

• Applicants will be notified on March 17, 2023 whether or not they have been selected for a site visit. Impact Grants Chicago will contact applicants to schedule site visits, which will take place between April 17 and April 28, 2023.
• The objective of the site visit is to complete a general due diligence review and to investigate and resolve any final questions. Site visits require approximately one and a half hours of dedicated time and should include participation of the Executive Director, Project or Program Manager, Financial Officer or Treasurer and a Board Member.
• Following the completion of the site visits, the member committees of Impact Grants Chicago will select the finalists.

STEP 4: FINAL DECISION PROCESS

• Finalists will be notified on May 11, 2023.
• A meeting with all finalists will be held on May 15, 2023, 12p, to share information about their presentations at the Grant Awards Celebration.
• Impact Grants Chicago members will vote to select the $100,000 Impact Grant recipients at the Grant Awards Celebration on May 31, 2023. The voting results will be tabulated and the grant award recipients will be 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.