Grant Committee Guidelines and Process

The John’s Island Community Service League (JICSL) is a non-profit, member driven organization. It is primarily involved in raising funds for operating expenses of charitable Agencies in Indian River County (IRC) concerned with the health, education, and human services issues that affect women, children and families in need. Organizations that do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, or ethnicity will be considered. Scholarships for post-secondary education are also available for qualified John’s Island employees and their children.

Grants Committee Guidelines and Process:

  1. 1. In all cases, grants must meet the mission of the JICSL.
  2. Only 501(c)3 charitable organizations (Agencies) that operate within and serve IRC will be considered.
  3. Given limited funds, we always seek to allocate funds to the areas of greatest need in IRC.
  4. Our grants provide operating funds to Agencies with proven track records to help them achieve their mission(s). Operating expenses include direct program expenses as well as overhead to support the program(s) for which the Agency is requesting funds. Grants can also support scholarships/subsidies for clients of Agencies to provide access to programs that meet our mission. Additionally, we will fund initial financial audits for Agencies that have not had an audit.
  5. We do not fund direct grants to individuals, building or capital campaigns, political campaigns or legislative lobbying efforts or grants that exclusively serve religious purposes.
  6. The JICSL wants IRC Agencies to demonstrate best practices. This means conducting programs that are research and evidence based, cost efficient, have opportunity for broad impact (replicable, scalable), and have documented outcomes. Agencies should seek to have a skilled executive, a committed board, and strong fiscal management. Collaboration in the community is essential and can optimize human and financial resources, expose and eliminate overlap. Agencies must have at least one Board Member residing in Indian River County.
  7. JICSL seeks Agencies that need our financial support and where our grant will have a real impact on the program or Agency. We prefer not to be more than 10% of an Agency budget. It is not our objective to fund large organizations that benefit from significant state or federal support or Agencies that are supported by their own dedicated foundations.
  8. Agencies are invited to submit one grant application. This application may cover more than one program.
  9. Grants are made for one year based on Agency need and JICSL funds available. Subsequent year grant requests will go through the next year’s process. If funded, there is no guarantee that funding will occur beyond one year.
  10. We assess all Agencies for a hiatus after 3-5 years of continued support. Each year one or two agencies will be placed on hiatus. Upon returning from hiatus, an Agency’s grant will be capped at 75% of the previous grant.
  11. The Grants Committee is charged with the responsibility to evaluate requests and has a set grant cycle and process.
    1. Agencies are invited to submit an application.
    2. The JICSL uses the United Way’s e-Cimpact online application. This must be completed and submitted by November 15, 2023.
    3. Once received, applications are reviewed to determine if they fall within our stated mission and guidelines.
    4. If JICSL mission and guidelines are met, we will formally review the Agency from December 11 through February 16. Formal review includes an onsite visit to view the program(s) for which funds are requested, analysis of the financials and other required supporting documents, and an End-of-the-Year Agency Report that measures program outcomes. Virtual Site Visits are acceptable if an in-person visit is not possible.
    5. Committee reviews are conducted, and final recommendations are made to the Board for final approval in March.
    6. Agencies are notified by email in early April.
  12. Exceptions to the above guidelines must be approved by the Executive Committee (Senior Advisory Team) before going to the Board for the final vote.
  13. Requests that are significant exceptions to the Grants Committee Guidelines (e.g. offcycle, multi-year, start up, incubation, multi-agency, technical assistance, filing of 501(c)3, consulting, professional development, advocacy, etc.) will be referred to the Unrestricted Process for a possible grant from the Strategic Fund.

Unrestricted Process (for Strategic Fund)

  1. A separate Strategic Grant Committee will review proposals and make recommendations whether to fund. If the committee wishes to fund a proposal, it will go to the full Board for a vote.
  2. Votes can be via e-mail.
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