membership FAQs

If you have a membership question about Impact Grants Chicago, please let us know at info@impactgrantschicago.org. We will respond to you directly and add it to our Membership FAQs.

My Membership Donation

Q. Is my donation to Impact Grants Chicago tax-deductible?
A. Yes. Impact Grants Chicago is a 501(c)(3) organization and all contributions made by December 31st are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law for the year in which the donation was made.
 
Q. What is Membership PLUS?
A. Members who are able to contribute beyond the $1,000 donation are encouraged to join at the Membership PLUS level of $1,150. The additional $150 helps defray our operating expenses.
 
Q. What are Additional Operating Expense Donations?
A. Impact Grants Chicago has an operating budget of approximately $50,000 annually. Our budget covers website maintenance, subscriptions to financial, grant and membership software, financial audits, insurance, print materials, events and more. We are fortunate to have a volunteer, working Board of Directors so we do not have personnel costs. As a nonprofit, we depend on donations from members, friends and businesses to support our operating budget. Members’ $1,000 donation goes directly to the Impact grants we issue to select nonprofits each year in Chicago. Members are asked to make an additional donation to cover Impact Grants Chicago’s operating budget. To learn more about our budget please review our Annual Report.
 
Q. Can I donate less than $1,000 to Impact Grants Chicago?
A. Yes, as an all-volunteer organization, we greatly appreciate additional donations to help defray our operating expenses; and while your donation does not provide you with voting or participatory rights, it helps ensure that 100% of each member’s $1,000 donation is used to fund the grants. Please see the Give a Gift page.
 
Q. If I contribute more than $1,000, do I receive more than one vote?
A. No. We follow the Impact Model of “one woman, one vote.” Any amount given over $1,000 goes first to offset operating expenses unless designated otherwise. Please see our Give a Gift page to designate your donation to a specific need. If we receive more funds than we need to cover our annual operating budget, our Board of Directors may vote to use that money to fund our grants.
 

Corporate Matching Funds

Q. My company offers matching funds for charitable donations. Can I give $500 and have my company match it to make my total $1,000 membership donation?
A. Yes. We will accept partial membership donations of $500 or more if your company will match the remaining $500 membership donation. However, as an all-volunteer organization, we rely on matching gifts to help cover our operating expenses and would prefer that those women who can afford to do so, pay the full $1,000 member donation so we can use the matching gift to defray expenses. The full $1,000 membership fee must be received by December 31 if the member wants to sign up for a Grant Review or Financial Review Committee. We recommend allowing at least six weeks for your company to process the matching funds. Please contact our Treasurer at treasurer@impactgrantschicago.org for questions on corporate matching gifts.
 

Gifts of Securities

Q. Can I make my donation with Stock/Gifted Securities?
A. Yes. Impact Grants Chicago accepts donations of stock in a publicly-traded company as payment for membership. Gifts of securities can also be made for general or designated donations to impact Grants Chicago. Please contact our Treasurer at treasurer@impactgrantschicago.org for the appropriate forms.
 

Option to Pay Overtime

Q. Can I make my membership donation in smaller payments over time rather than one payment for the grant year?
A. Yes, we understand that it may be better for some women to make their $1,000 membership donation in multiple smaller payments over time. It is up to the donor to monitor their donations towards their membership during the year. Any donations received will be a donation to Impact Grants Chicago. Donations will be considered a membership donation for the year once donations total at least $1,000, unless otherwise directed by the donor. All membership donations are allocated to grants for Chicago nonprofits. To become a full voting member of Impact Grants Chicago, we require that a total of $1,000 in membership donations are completed by May 1 of the grant year. You can sign-up to be a member and specify your payment selection on the Become a Member page.
 
Q. How can I make smaller donations towards my membership during the grant year (June - May)?
A. You can sign-up to be a member and specify your payment selection on the Become a Member page. There is a payment option to donate over time. Donations may be made several ways:
    • Pay via Zelle by sending payment to Treasurer@ImpactGrantsChicago.org. Please provide your name and note that the donation is for membership in the memo line. You may opt to schedule your donations through Zelle.
    • Pay via check by mailing your donation to Impact Grants Chicago, PO Box 578082, Chicago, IL 60657. You may opt to schedule your donations through your bank.
    • Pay online with a credit card through our Give A Gift page. Please select the Donate to My Membership tile to complete your donation.
 
Q. May I join a Grant Review Committee or Financial Review Committee if I opt to make my membership donation over time?
A. Yes, members may volunteer and/or join a GRC or FRC if they make their membership donation in smaller payments over time. Donors need to join Impact Grants Chicago by December 31 to be eligible for the GRC and FRC sign-up in January. This can be completed on the Become a Member page and selecting your payment option. We require that a donation towards your membership be made by December 31. In order to vote for the recipients of our grants, you must complete your $1,000 membership donation by May 1.
 
Q. When must my membership donation be completed if I am paying over time?
A. Our grant year runs June through May annually. We require that membership donations of at least $1,000 are made by May 1 of the grant year. This will allow time for Impact Grants Chicago to prepare a voting ballot for all members. Votes for our grant recipients are tallied and our grantees are announced at our Grant Awards Celebration at the end of May (or early June).
 
Q. If I elect to pay for my membership over time, will I be invoiced for my membership?
A. No, all payments to Impact Grants Chicago are donations. It is up to the member to monitor her donations to membership during the grant year (June - May). Donations will be considered a membership donation once donations total at least $1,000, unless otherwise directed by the donor. We require that membership donations of at least $1,000 are made by May 1 of the grant year in order to vote for the recipients of our grants at the Grant Award Celebration.
 
Q. If I do not make a full membership donation during the year, will it be carried over and applied to the next year?
A. No, donations towards membership are for the current grant year (June - May). If you are unable to complete the full membership donation by May 1, please contact membership@impactgrantschicago.org. Depending on funding of our Member Sponsorship Program each year, there may be funds available to complete your membership. Otherwise, donations already made towards a membership will be applied to our merit grants. Donations are not refundable.
 
Q. If I do not make a full membership donation during the year, may I still vote for the recipients of the $100,000 grants?
A. No, only members who make at least a $1,000 membership donation or receive a member sponsorship are eligible to vote for the grant recipients at our Grant Awards Celebration each year. All members have an equal vote.
 
Q. If I do not make a full membership donation during the year, may my donation(s) be refunded?
A. No, all donations to Impact Grants Chicago are tax deductible and are not refundable. Donations already made towards a membership will be applied to our merit grants. If you are unable to complete the full membership donation by May 1, please contact membership@impactgrantschicago.org. Depending on funding of our Membership Sponsorship Program each year, there may be funds available to complete your membership.
 

Being a Member

Q. What is required of a Member?
A. All members are encouraged to choose their own level of involvement. Some members simply like knowing that 100% of their donation will be put to good use in the community, others may want to participate in an occasional volunteer or educational opportunity and some may want to be part of the review process and choosing the finalists. Regardless of your level of participation, all members are given the opportunity to vote for the grant recipients at the Grant Awards Celebration. See the Member Involvement page for more information.
 
Q. Who is eligible to become a member of Impact Grants Chicago?
A. While only those who are eighteen or older and identify as women can become members, anyone can make a donation!
 
Q. How long is my membership in Impact Grants Chicago?
A. Our annual membership year runs from June through May. Each $1,000 donation provides membership for one year, including eligibility to vote at the Grant Awards Celebration in May. Membership is renewable beginning in June of each year.
 
Q. How does Impact Grants Chicago communicate with its members?
A. Impact Grants Chicago uses email to send all communications, including event invitations, newsletters, updates and committee sign-ups. Please be sure to add communications@impactgrantschicago.org to your approved contacts so you do not miss any important information.
 
Q. Can men participate in Impact Grants Chicago?
A. As a women’s organization, we do not accept men as members; however, men are welcome to make donations, sponsor members or encourage their women colleagues to join. See our Give a Gift page for more information.
 
Q. Why is Impact Grants Chicago a women’s only philanthropic organization?
A. Besides being a collective giving organization, Impact Grants Chicago is also an organization where women come together to socialize, volunteer, and learn about nonprofits in their community. Additionally, women have different life experiences than men which can influence their philanthropic giving decisions and the votes for our finalists.
 

Member Sponsorships

Q. Can I sponsor a member?
A. Yes, Impact Grants Chicago welcomes sponsored members. If you wish to sponsor a family member or friend, we will register the donation in their name and they will receive all the benefits of membership. You may also sponsor a member from our list of women who would like to be part of Impact Grants Chicago but are not able to make the financial commitment. You may give a gift of Membership to a friend or family member, or make a donation to our Member Sponsorship Fund on our Give a Gift page.
 
Q. If I am unable to make the required membership donation, may I be sponsored to become a member of Impact Grants Chicago?
A. Yes, our Member Sponsorship Program supports women who would like to be involved with Impact Grants Chicago but who may not be able to fully fund a membership on their own. Details about being sponsored and the application to apply are located on our Member Sponsorship page. Sponsorships are limited based on funds available each year.
 

Our Grants

Q. What types of organizations does Impact Grants Chicago fund?
A. Impact Grants Chicago funds mid-size (operating budgets between $650,000 and $8 million) Chicago nonprofit organizations that are addressing critical needs and social issues facing the city. We accept applications for new or existing projects or programs, or for the expansion of existing projects or programs in five main focus areas: Culture, Education, Family, Health and Sustainability. See our Eligibility Requirements for more information.
 
Q. Does Impact Grants Chicago only give grants to nonprofits that help women or those that are run by women?
A. No. We accept applications from all types of nonprofits that meet our requirements. See Eligibility Requirements for more information.
 

Corporate Giving

Q. Does Impact Grants Chicago have a corporate giving program?
A. Yes, corporations can give to Impact Grants Chicago in several ways. We offer a member sponsorship program where corporations can sponsor their women employees as members as well as corporate underwriting opportunities. For more information, see our Corporate Giving page.
 
Q. Can a business sponsor a group of women to be members?
A. Yes, businesses can sponsor a group of women to be members. Through our Corporate Sponsorship program, businesses can give $5500 to sponsor five women as members for the grant year. More information is listed on our Corporate Giving page.
 
 

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