IGNITE GRANTS

    Sometimes it just takes a spark to IGNITE impact. After a successful IGNITE pilot in 2024, Impact 100 Jersey Coast will again offer IGNITE Grants for 2025. These grants are designed to empower smaller non-profits in our community that are not eligible for our core $100k grants under our current criteria.

    Our $348,000 funding pool for 2025 will enable us to fund three Core Grants of $100,000, three Mission Awards of $10,000 and four Ignite grants of $4,500 each. 

    Please see our eligibility guidelines and requirements below to determine whether your organization meets the criteria for an Ignite Grant.

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    Ignite Grant Eligibility Requirements

    Organizations eligible for an Impact 100 Jersey Coast grant must:

    • Be classified as a “public charity” with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
    • Serve Monmouth and/or Ocean County, NJ (headquarters can be located outside of Monmouth and/or Ocean County, but the impact of the funding must benefit those in need in Monmouth and/or Ocean County).
    • Be in operation for one full financial year before applying for the grant.
    • Have an annual organizational operating budget of less than $100,000 in the current fiscal year. 

    Timeline & Key Dates

    Ignite Grant Funding Priorities & Criteria

    Our funding priories are:

    • Target underserved populations.
    • Address an unmet need in our area.
    • Will have a high impact on the beneficiaries.

    We do not provide funding for:

    • Debt reduction or operational deficits
    • Endowment funding
    • Interim or bridge funding
    • Partisan, legislative, or political activity
    • Projects of individual churches, synagogues, or other bodies of worship. These projects will not be funded unless a separate tax-exempt entity exists for receiving Impact funds that is not under the umbrella of the church, synagogue, or other body of worship
    • Faith-based projects/programs which require participation in activities of a particular faith, denomination, or religion in order to benefit from the project or program
    • Capital improvements or renovations to property for the grant project where the organization does not own or have at least a five-year lease

    Ignite Grant FAQs

    We have purposely created a streamlined application process for this grant. There will not be a separate eligibility submission and applicants will only have to complete a one-page application. The review and evaluation will still be done by a Grant Review Committee (GRC) made up of volunteer members, but there will be no in person site visits. In place of a site visit, the GRC may request a 30 minute Zoom or phone call from semi-finalists to review any follow up questions with an assigned Impact volunteer.

    Our Impact 100 Jersey Coast funding priorities are consistent for both the $100k core grants and for our Ignite grants:  to fund organizations and/or programs that target underserved populations, address an unmet need in our area, and have a high impact on the beneficiaries. 

    We will have one dedicated Grant Review Committee made up of Impact members.

    Yes!  Please use this form to send us the contact details of organizations that may qualify and be interested in applying for our Ignite grants. We will happily include that organization in our communications regarding the Ignite grant process and RFP.

    Ignite grant questions can be emailed to ignite@impact100jc.org. We will also offer virtual “office hours” on June 6, 2025, from 11 AM to 1 PM.

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