Grantmaking

The Community Impact Grant supports projects that improve quality of life across Southwest Florida by addressing the root causes of community challenges. Funding is intended for initiatives that create sustainable, measurable improvements through changes in policies, partnerships, institutional practices, resource allocation, decision-making or other systems that influence long-term community outcomes.

While direct-service activities may be included, competitive proposals should clearly demonstrate how those activities contribute to broader, lasting change beyond serving individual participants. Direct-service activities are eligible when they are intentionally designed to inform, support or advance system-level change. Projects focused solely on providing services to individuals are unlikely to be competitive for this funding opportunity.

For example, a project that not only provides housing and transportation affordability assistance, such as rental subsidies or transit vouchers, but also works with local governments, housing developers, transit agencies, and/or employers to increase the supply of affordable housing near jobs, improve transit connectivity, or adopt policies that reduce housing and transportation costs over the long term would be considered a system-level change project.

This grant cycle focuses on three Community Infrastructure Coalition System-Level Indicators:

• Housing and Transportation Affordability
  This system-level indicator provides a comprehensive view of affordability by including both housing and transportation costs at the neighborhood level. It defines affordable living as combined housing and transportation costs that consume no more than 45% of a household’s income.
  Source: Center for Neighborhood Technology (2025)
• Food Environment Score
  This system-level indicator accounts for both proximity to healthy foods and income. It measures access to healthy foods by considering how far an individual lives from a grocery store or supermarket – the primary locations for healthy food purchases in most communities – and the inability to access healthy food due to cost or transportation barriers. The score ranges from 0 (worst) to 10 (best)
  Source: County Health Rankings (2025)
• Percentage of Residents with Access to High-Speed Internet
  This system-level indicator measures how many Florida residents have access to broadband service at a minimum speed threshold. It is defined as the percentage of Florida residents who have access to broadband service at 100 Mbps download or faster at the state-level and the percentage of Florida residents who have access to at least 25 Mbps broadband at the county-level.
  Source: Florida Chamber of Commerce (2025)

Projects will be evaluated based on:

• Community Infrastructure Coalition Indicator Alignment
• Project Description, Goals, and Activities
• Measurable Outcomes
• Root Causes and System-Level Change Strategy
• Community Engagement
• Sustainability and Resource Leverage
• Collaboration and Partnerships

Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3)
• Public or private colleges and universities
• Applicants must be located in and/or primarily serve residents of Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, or Lee counties.
• Eligible organizations must have an established governing body appropriate to their organizational structure.
• Organizations must conduct business without discrimination on the basis of race, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin or religious affiliation.
• Organizations applying for funding must apply using their own legal organizational status. Applications submitted through a fiscal sponsor or on behalf of another organization are not eligible.

Exclusions

• Political campaigns
• Lobbying or similar activities
• Advancement of a particular religion or faith

Required Supporting Documents

• IRS determination letter (if applicable) or documentation of public institution status
• Most recent Form 990, audited financial statements, or other comparable financial report, as applicable
• Organization Budget
• Project Budget
• Governing board/trustees/board of directors list
• Local Business Tax Receipt (LBTR), if applicable
• Letters of Support (3)
• Note: If a requested document, such as an IRS determination letter or Form 990, does not apply, applicants should provide comparable documentation.

The grant cycle will result in the following awards:

Disbursement Schedule:

• First Installment: $25,000 upon execution of the grant agreement
• Second Installment: $25,000 following approval of the mid-year report and satisfactory progress toward milestones

Administrative/Indirect Cost Cap:
Indirect, administrative, and overhead expenses may not exceed 10% of the total grant request. Applicants should clearly distinguish direct program costs from administrative costs in their project budget.

Matching Funds:
Matching funds are not required. However, applicants are encouraged to describe any additional funding, in-kind support, or other resources that will contribute to the success and sustainability of the proposed project.