Grant Seekers

Information for Grant Seekers

Ready to apply? Here’s what you need to know.

We’re looking for thoughtfully planned, high-impact projects that tackle critical needs in Southwest Idaho. If you have a fresh, innovative way to solve a community challenge, we want to hear about it!

The Basics

Before you dive into the application, let’s make sure we’re a good match:

Who we fund: 501(c)(3) nonprofits, schools, government agencies, and religious organizations doing community work.
Where we fund: Your project needs to serve the following Southwest Idaho counties: Ada, Adams, Boise, Camas, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, Valley, or Washington.
How much we fund: We offer grants that range from $20,000 to $35,000. You can spread the project over one or two years.

Where is your focus?

We fund six Interest Areas. When you apply, you’ll need to pick the one that best fits your project. Here are some examples of projects and services in our categories:

Basic Needs: Think housing, food security, and helping folks with job readiness and transportation.
Cultural Arts: Everything from public murals and local history to music and dance.
Education: Learning at any age—preschool, literacy programs, or the equipment needed to teach.
Environment: Protecting our air, land, and water, animal welfare, parkland improvements and reclamation, and getting people outdoors.
Health: Physical and mental health, community wellness, and supporting survivors of abuse or violence, access to healthcare resources, facilities and equipment.
Rural Communities: Services specifically for projects in towns with fewer than 50,000 people.

What’s off the table?

To make sure our members’ pooled dollars have the biggest impact, there are a few things we don’t fund:

Small budgets: Your organization needs at least $50,000 in annual revenue to apply.
“General” costs: We fund specific projects, not general overhead, endowments, or capital campaigns.
Individual help: We don’t fund scholarships or stipends for individuals.
Political or religious requirements: We skip lobbying, partisan work, or programs that require people to join a specific faith or participate in religious activities.
Back-to-back grants: If you’re currently being funded by us, please plan to wait 12 months after your final report is approved before applying again. Grants Assessment will let you know when you are eligible to apply again.

Grants Calendar

We are excited to fund organizations making a difference in Southwest Idaho. Here are the dates you need to know for the upcoming cycle.

October 2, 2026 – Applications open! Attend our helpful webinar (highly recommended!)
December 1, 2026 – Deadline! Make sure your application is submitted on time
February – March 2027 Site Visits – we’ll come visit to see your work firsthand
April 2027 – We notify grant recipients of selection results
May 2027 – Celebrate with us! At our Annual Meeting in May.

Applicant Resources

Applying for a grant can be a big lift. We’ve put together these tools to make the process as smooth as possible:

The Nonprofit Webinar

A pre-recorded walkthrough of
our process.

The Nonprofit Toolkit

See the full list of application questions before you start.

FAQs

Quick answers to the most common questions.

Stay in the Loop

Are you on the IWCF nonprofit email list? If not, we’d love to have your contact information. Email us to get added so you never miss an update or deadline.

Have a question? We’re here to help! If you’re unsure about your eligibility, which category to choose, or have issues accessing the application online, send us a note at grants@iwcfgives.org.