Our Grant Committee

Investing Together

Big impact happens when we pool our resources.

At IWCF, we see ourselves as more than just donors—we are informed investors. By bringing our collective knowledge and funds together, we’re able to invest in organizations tackling Southwest Idaho’s biggest challenges with more power than each of us has on our own.

Our community is built on shared voices, which is why we encourage IWCF members to step into the driver’s seat and help shape our impact by participating in the grant selection and assessment processes.

How We Give

Every year, our members contribute to the IWCF Grants Pooled Fund. We don’t just hand out checks; we work together to find and fund projects that bring fresh ideas and stability to our local community.

The investment: Grants typically range from $20,000 to $35,000.

Where the money goes: We fund across 11 counties in Southwest Idaho, from Ada to Washington.
What we support: While a women’s foundation, our heart is for the whole community. We fund everything: Basic Needs, Cultural Arts, Education, Environment, Health, and Rural Communities.
Who can apply: We fund 501(c)(3) nonprofits, schools, government agencies, and religious organizations doing community work.

How it All Happens

For our members, the involvement in our grant cycle spans from January to April. We are hands-on, helping to vet every project to ensure our collective dollars are used wisely.

The four steps of grant application reviews:

First Look: We check that each application fits our core mission and basic criteria.
Deep Dive: Our finance experts look “under the hood” to make sure the organizations are healthy and ready for a major project.
Dig into the Details: Members join Interest Area subcommittees based on their current interests (like Education or the Environment) and discuss the proposals.
Site Visits: We visit our top picks in person to see the work in action. From there, we narrow it down to a final ballot.

The best part? The vote! Every member gets a ballot in the spring. You help decide where our money goes. We guarantee that at least one project will be funded in every Interest Area.

Join our Grants Committee!

Ready to make a difference? We’d love to have you involved.

Grants Selection: Work together with fellow members to decide which grant applicants move forward to the big membership vote. The heaviest “volunteer lifting” happens between January and March, and it’s a great way to see the heart of our community.
Grants Assessment: The go-to contact for a grantee, helping them track goals, hosting them at the annual meeting, and sticking with them until their final report. This volunteer role requires a time commitment of 14 to 20 hours per year, which includes attending our 5 meetings.

Drop us a line at grants@iwcfgives.org to learn more.