The Spencer County Community Foundation’s Impact Grant Program offers a $50,000 grant to support transformative projects or programs that address deep-rooted challenges within Spencer County, Indiana. This initiative is structured to generate significant, lasting improvements across three critical community focus areas: breaking the cycle of poverty, improving mental health and addressing substance use, and fostering increased economic opportunity. The Foundation encourages proposals that tackle the root causes of these issues through innovative strategies aimed at long-term change.
The grant cycle follows a structured two-step application process. Applicants are first required to submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI), which acts as a preliminary screening tool for alignment with funding priorities. The LOI submission window runs from March 14, 2025, to April 14, 2025. All applicants are notified of their LOI review status by May 15, 2025. Selected applicants are then invited to submit a formal grant application, which is due by June 12, 2025.
The program is competitive, culminating in an oral presentation by selected finalists during the Spencer County Community Foundation’s County Advisory Board meeting on August 4, 2025. The award decision is finalized and announced by August 29, 2025. Only one project will be selected for funding, and the total project budget must be at least $50,000, matching the awarded amount.
Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations that hold tax-exempt status under sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as governmental agencies serving Spencer County. However, grants will not be awarded to projects that support religious or political activities, endowment building, debt reduction, operating costs not directly tied to the proposed program, or travel requests for specific groups such as bands, sports teams, or classes.
The program prioritizes a strong evaluative component. Applicants invited to submit full proposals are subject to thorough review, including site visits. The final grantee is required to submit a completion report detailing outcomes and impacts, in accordance with provided guidelines at the time of award. While the program is not explicitly described as recurring, its structured timeline and annual cadence suggest that interested organizations should monitor future announcements for subsequent grant cycles.
Focus on root causes; innovative, community-transformational solutions prioritized.
