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Apply for an Innovation Grant

Impact 100 NYC recognizes that COVID-19 has forced nonprofits to make significant changes in order to adapt to the new environment.  The Impact 100 NYC Innovation Grant is designed to support your efforts in pivoting an existing proven program or funding a new transformative initiative.

Impact 100 NYC’s goal is to provide high-impact grants that reach under-served populations, highlight unmet needs in our area and raise the profile of deserving but lesser known initiatives. To support this important work and allow organizations to “dream big,” Impact 100 NYC will annually award $100,000* grants to local nonprofits. Total funding will be determined by the number of members who contribute $1,000 each towards the grants. Excess membership funds will be divided among the other finalists of the grant process for general operating support. Grant finalists are determined through a detailed process of proposal review and evaluation by members, and the grant recipients are chosen by a vote of the membership at the Impact 100 NYC Annual Meeting in May.

Applying for a grant starts with a Letter of Inquiry. Letters of Inquiry will only be accepted online beginning in November and will be due in December. We strongly recommend that you read carefully through our Eligibility Criteria, Grant FAQs, Application Process and Important Dates before submitting an online application here.

*2021 will be Impact 100 NYC’s inaugural grantmaking year. Impact 100 NYC will strive to raise and award a $100,000 grant, but the actual amount will be determined when our membership is finalized in December.

Eligibility Criteria

Please review the following eligibility criteria to determine whether both your organization and your proposal meet the criteria for an Innovation Grant from Impact 100 NYC.

Organization must:

  • Be classified as a “public charity” with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
  • Operate within the five boroughs of New York City for the benefit of New York City residents and communities
  • Have an annual operating budget of at least $500,000 and below $10,000,000
  • Maintain three years of independently prepared, audited financial statements
  • Not be a recipient of an Impact 100 NYC $100,000 grant in the past three grant cycles

Preference will be given to organizations that:

  • Have limited access to large grants and do not have the resources of larger nonprofits
  • Operate exclusively within the five boroughs of New York City
  • Are not affiliated with a larger national or regional parent organization

Project or program must:

  • Serve residents of and expend funds fully within the five boroughs of New York City
  • Be an innovative new project or program or one that reshapes an existing proven program
  • Have a total project or program budget of at least $100,000
  • Use the full amount of the grant within 24 months
  • Target under-served populations or promote social change

Preference will be given to projects or programs that:

  • Highlight unmet needs in our area
  • Will have a measurable and sustainable high impact on beneficiaries
  • Are lesser known initiatives

Impact 100 NYC will not provide grants for:

  • Debt reduction, operating deficits, or interim or bridge funding
  • Endowment funding
  • Individuals or private foundations
  • Scholarship funding
  • Activities that are religious, partisan, legislative, or political in nature
  • Fundraising events, fund drives, or annual appeals
  • General capital campaigns (unrelated to the specific project or program)
  • Research
  • Organizations that do not provide direct services

Request to Grant Applicants:

  • Please do not call or contact Impact 100 NYC members, as all members are asked to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of the grant process
  • Questions about the Impact 100 NYC grant process may only be sent to [email protected]

501(c)(3) exemption pending. Impact 100 NYC is registered with the New York State Attorney General’s Office to solicit charitable contributions and hold charitable assets in New York State.

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