On February 10, dozens of Impact Austin members gathered for their first training of the 2025 grant season. Dozens of members attended the session, with even more registered to participate in the work of grant review. The GRCs start meeting individually next week, and the review work begins in earnest.
Thanks in advance to 74 Impact Austin members involved as GRC leaders and reviewers. Thanks especially to GRC Co-Chairs Anne Helmick-Lyon and Jerrica Deloney Witte and Grant Committee Co-Chairs Karen McLinden and Michelle Rankin.
L to R: Jerrica Deloney WItte & Anne Helmick-Lyon; Karen McLinden; Margaret Ballinger & Michelle Rankin
Community GRC
24 members 50 applications for funding
Co-Chairs: Lisa Glenn and Ann Kasper
Advisor: Margaret von Flatern
Shadow: Karen Bantuveris
Education GRC
20 members 37 applications for funding
Co-Chairs: Amanda Farmer and Roberta Rincon
Advisor: Elaine Jensen
Shadow: Nicole Halder
Health & Well-Being GRC
30 members 63 applications for funding
Co-Chairs: Erin McCord and Kelli Raymond
Advisor: Melissa Lorber
The Grant Finance Committee core team includes Margaret Ballinger, Monica Huffer, Connee Sullivan, and Marcella Viktorin. Additional members were needed as of this February 10 meeting and may include active GRC members. GFC volunteers support the grant review process by giving deep scrutiny to applicants' financial documents.
The Process
As another step in Impact Austin's move toward trust-based grantmaking, the Grants Leadership team announced last fall that, starting in 2025, Impact Austin's grants would be unrestricted. Next, they edited numerous documents and webpages, overhauled and simplified applications, and reduced reporting requirements. Correspondingly, the grant review process has been adjusted to facilitate this new approach.
Jerrica shares the positive impacts of unrestricted grants as reported by granters and grantees.
In total, Impact Austin received 150 grant applications across the three focus areas. Here's what happens next as the process moves forward:
February GRC first meetings; applications distributed for review
March Initial assessments; financial review;
Each GRC votes to select 6 applications for deep-dive review
April Reviews of deep-dive assessments; GRCs vote to identify 3 semi-finalists each
Site visits April 24-26, three per GRC
May Final review and vote for 2 finalists in each focus area
Voting packets emailed to members; absentee voting available
June In-person voting at Annual Meeting
$294,000 awarded; $98,000 per focus area
$80,000 primary grant and $18,000 secondary grant in each focus area
Learn more about Impact Austin's grantmaking here.
Explore how to be part of Impact Austin's collective community impact here.
New members are very welcome!
