Supporting local nonprofits with IMA Foundation Grants
Step 1: Determine Elegibility to Apply
- Organizations must email the IMA Foundation and include “Eligibility” in the subject line with a one paragraph explanation of how your organization’s mission matches the foundation’s funding guidelines.
- After an IMA Foundation review, you will receive a response as to your organization’s eligibility.
- If your organization is a good fit for funding, you will be invited to submit a grant request inclusive of the information outlined below in Step 2.
- Grant requests are due by either April 5 or October 5 each year.
Note: Deadlines are April 2 and October 1 of each year.
Legal Nonprofit
The organization must be a 501c3 nonprofit organization to be considered for IMA Foundation funding.
Focus Area
The nonprofit’s primary mission must clearly address one of the Foundation’s focus areas. If one of the organization’s programs falls into one of the Foundation focus areas, but the organization’s primary mission does not, the organization will not qualify for a Foundation grant. If needed, please email the IMA Foundation for clarification. The focus areas are defined as:
ADVANCING YOUTH
Goal: To reduce the drop-out rate and offer a chance for quality futures to our young people. This will be done by supporting organizations whose primary missions are to provide:
- Mentoring programs
- After school programs
EDUCATION
Goal: To support educational institutions so that our young people graduate with increased skills and knowledge, resulting in a higher-skilled workforce in the future. This will be done by supporting:
- Educational Institutions
- K-12 public education
- Higher education
ARTS AND CULTURE
Goal: To improve the quality of life in our communities through the arts. This is done by supporting:
- Cultural institutions
- Arts in Education programs that offer arts education programming in public schools
Geography
The IMA Foundation only gives to nonprofit organizations located in and serving the communities where IMA has offices. Those are:
- Dallas
- Denver
- Kansas City
- Mount Pleasant
- Topeka
- Wichita
Step 2: Grant Request
Please provide the following information in the grant request. The request should not exceed four pages in 11 point font.
- Legal name of the organization requesting funding
- Submission date of the grant request
- The Focus Area under which your organization qualifies for funding
- Name, address, phone number and email address for the person who can answer questions about the proposal
- State whether the request is for programmatic, general operating or capital. Any capital requests should be preceded by a phone call.
- Amount requested (average grant sizes are $5k – $10k).
- Purpose and history of organization;
- Goals and objectives of program or project;
- Current status of project, including date the project was established and the anticipated duration;
- Description how the organization will use the funds to further its objectives;
- Organization’s annual budget;
- Copy of the organization’s IRS exemption letter.