Grant Requests & Criteria
Applicants must meet the mission of the John's Island Foundation and must primarily benefit the Indian River County Community. Only capital needs will be funded. Capital needs are defined as tangible assets, typically with a useful life of three years or more.
Mission:
The John’s Island Foundation (JIF) provides grant funding for capital needs to nonprofit agencies that serve residents in Indian River County. Agencies eligible for funding are those that serve people in need and whose programs are directed toward meeting needs or assisting with issues related to food, shelter, disabilities, health, aging, abuse, or education.
JIF Core Grants:
Core Grants are awarded annually to Indian River County nonprofits for capital needs. Grant applications submitted in October are evaluated by John’s Island Club members serving on site teams and recommended to the JIF Board for approval by April.
In fiscal year 2026, JIF funded 19 core grants ranging from $21,506 - $100,000 with an average grant amount of $57,650. If your funding request is part of a large-scale project, please email operationsdirector@johnsislandfoundation.org to discuss a leadership grant application.
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JIF uses an online application software called e-CImpact that is managed by the United Way. Applications will open Monday, September 14, 2026.
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Please complete and submit a Core Grant application on e-CImpact by Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
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For agencies applying to JIF for the first time, please contact Dee Locke, Operations Director, at operationsdirector@johnsislandfoundation.org to fill out the short questionnaire so that we can make sure your request fits within our mission and guidelines BEFORE you begin completing an application. In addition, you will need to be registered in our system. Please contact Nate Bruckner, Grant Technology Administrator, at nate.bruckner@unitedwayirc.org or 772-567-8900, ext. 11.
JIF Emergency or Accelerated Grants:
JIF Leadership Grants:
Leadership Grants are awarded for larger, often multi-year capital projects that are expected to drive significant impact and have lasting benefits in Indian River County. If a request is part of a large-scale project, please email operationsdirector@johnsislandfoundation.org to discuss the leadership grant process.
Leadership Grants are developed and evaluated on an invitation-only basis through a request for proposals (RFP) process. To discuss such a grant, please email operationsdirector@johnsislandfoundation.org.
Grant Request Guidelines:
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In all cases, grants must advance the mission of the JIF and primarily benefit the Indian River County community or have a significant benefit to Indian River County residents.
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Only non-profit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations that file an IRS Form 990 tax return will be considered.
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All agencies must provide the following documents with their applications:
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a copy of an IRS determination letter;
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IRS tax–exempt number;
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a letter from the State of Florida verifying a current registration with the Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services;
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the audit for the last two fiscal years from an independent CPA with management letter, if any; unless waived by the Board with prior approval;
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the latest IRS Form 990 tax return;
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the latest annual report;
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unaudited P&L and balance sheet for any completed fiscal year for which an audit or review report is not yet available;
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budgeted P&L for the current fiscal year;
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unaudited year-to-date P&L for the current fiscal year, with comparisons to the current year budget and the prior year;
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a list of current board members
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board minutes for the past 12 months;
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succession plan for key staff and board members, if available;
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a total capital budget for the fiscal year and
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a total capital budget for the project, to include at least two estimates
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if a collaborative effort is pertinent to the request, letters from collaborating agencies must be included in the supporting documents on the application.
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Applications must be signed by the Executive Director as well as the Board President.
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Each application must clearly focus on a single capital project
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Only capital investments that directly support the mission of the requesting non-profit will be funded. Capital is defined as tangible assets, typically with a useful life of three years or more (e.g., additions or improvements to land or buildings, playground or medical equipment, vehicles, computers)
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JIF does not fund the purchases of education curricula.
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computer equipment and software may be funded for specific programming needs. JIF does not fund devices (including cell phones, iPads, or laptops) for personal use.
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normally painting is considered regular maintenance unless it is specific to a new construction or renovation project.
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Applicants should demonstrate a track record of operation with continuity of programs serving those in need for at least one year. The agency must be financially viable as evidenced by a history of generally breaking even, meeting budgetary projections, and having sound governance.
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an annual audit by an independent CPA for the last two fiscal years is required from agencies, unless waived by the Board with prior approval
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the establishment of a capital budget
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Grants may be made for improvements to leased facilities or for assets intended to be used in leased facilities. In such cases, the agency must represent that:
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the facility lease specifies that capital improvements are the responsibility of the lessee;
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the remaining term of the lease (including lessee options) exceeds the useful life of the assets to be funded; and,
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the agency intends to continue to utilize the property for at least the useful life of the assets to be funded.
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Grant requests should demonstrate that the agency will make its best efforts to complete the project in a cost-effective way, including obtaining two competing bids where appropriate.
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For construction or renovation projects requiring architectural plans or drawings, estimates from a licensed contractor, based on finalized drawings/plans for the proposed construction, are required.
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If a grant is approved for a construction or other long-term project, funding may be provided in several milestone-based tranches, as set forth in the grant agreement.
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Grants will not be considered for endowments, private foundations, sectarian or political purposes, individuals, or animal welfare.
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Agencies with religious affiliations will be considered only if they serve community members without regard to their religious beliefs and assets will not be used for religious purposes.
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Funding commitments are generally made on a year-to-year basis, with the amount of any grant determined by need, impact, and available funds.