FAQ

IWCF members contribute dues each year to a pooled fund from which we collectively award grants to nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and tax-exempt religious entities serving southwestern Idaho. The grants cycle begins in January and ends in May and is coordinated by the Grants Committee, open to all IWCF members. The committee researches proposals in six interest areas: cultural arts, education, environment, financial stability, health, and rural communities. After evaluations in each interest area, three to four proposals are selected for site visits, and projects are then narrowed down to two proposals for the member ballot. Ballots are then sent to the entire IWCF membership each spring for a vote on final funding decisions. The number of grants awarded and the total amount awarded depend on the size of IWCF’s pooled fund and the amounts sought by the finalist proposals.

Members may access an online ballot through their personal email. Hard copy ballots are also available by request or at Q & A events during the voting period.

Yes, votes are confidential. Only office staff will have access to the names attached to voting ballots.

Once the individual membership donation is paid, the amount the member contributes to the pooled fund for a given year will be awarded in accordance with the majority membership vote process for pooled grants. Each member only has the ability to control the IGD portion of their membership donation, directing it as either one $500 gift or two gifts of $250.

It is understood that many members of IWCF have been or are currently employed by nonprofit organizations, involved in civic activities and/or are current or former members of other charitable organizations. IWCF is a richer organization because of its members’ connections to the community we serve. Members also often have ties through employment, ownership interest or family ties to businesses that IWCF may contract for services. When a member is involved with the grants process and/or is working on an IWCF committee that is contemplating contracting services with an outside vendor(s), the member shall identify to the chair of the relevant committee any current or prior ties to a grant-seeking charitable organization or to a business vendor that could present a conflict of interest or may have the appearance of a potential conflict of interest. The disclosure shall be made as soon as a conflict or potential conflict is identified by the member.

Each member shall refrain from using the list of members for personal or private solicitation purposes. Specific inappropriate actions include: Openly soliciting business of IWCF board and/or community members under the guise of being endorsed by IWCF; Distributing business cards at functions as a direct solicitation for personal business; Using the membership directory or member rosters for business solicitation or for mass mailings for unrelated activities.

Photo Permission: We assume permission to take and use photos of members. If you prefer to opt out, please email our office: membershipcoordinator@IWCFgives.org.

Each  member is requested to make their Individual Grant Designation (IGD) of $500 in a distribution of either two grants for $250 each or one grant for $500. IWCF will make contributions in each member’s name to those organizations qualified by the IRS as having 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, government entities such as schools, public libraries and park departments (as long as the grant furthers a public purpose), and religious organizations.

You may also designate to the IWCF Pooled Fund, Administrative Fund, or the Susan Smith Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation Endowment Fund.

This payment will be made for you, per your direction, to the organization(s) you designate as soon as you join or renew, or at the date of your specification. To make sure we get your money back to the community quickly, members have until March 31 to make their IGDs. If you choose to make your IGD to the current year’s pooled fund, please make your designation by January 31. Individual grant designations not assigned by March 31 will be transferred to the pooled fund.

There is no geographic restriction on these individual grants–except that they must be within the US.

We encourage you to designate as soon as you renew. Each year at renewal time we also include an Individual Grant Designation (IGD) form for you to fill out. We provide options for you to do this online or in hard copy.

Each member is requested to make their IGD of $500 in a distribution of either two grants for $250 each or one grant for $500. IWCF will make contributions in the member’s name to those organizations qualified by the IRS as having 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, government entities such as schools, public libraries and park departments (as long as the grant furthers a public purpose), and religious organizations. There is no geographic restriction, within the United States, to these individual gifts.

You may also designate to the IWCF Pooled Fund, the IWCF Administrative Fund, or the Susan Smith Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation Endowment Fund.

To make sure we get your money back into the community quickly, members have until March 31 to make their IGDs. If you choose to make your IGD to the current year’s Pooled Fund, please make your designation by January 31. IGDs not assigned by March 31, will be transferred to the Pooled Fund. Please call the office if you need special accommodation for your IGD.