Our membership requirements are simply to be female and to donate $1,250 each year. If you choose, you can then participate in the grant selection process. Our members review grant applications, go out and ask questions, visit groups and see how our dollars will make a difference. Then, once a year, we award grants to those applicants we think will have the most positive impact on the lives of people throughout the greater Austin area.
Click here to see the many other opportunities to get involved.
To pay now, print and complete the membership form, attach your check and mail it to the address shown on the form. If you prefer to pay by credit card, submit your payment through our online donation page or by clicking the Join Impact Austin Today button to the right.
To submit a Count Me In commitment with deferred payment to be completed on or before December 31st for your annual membership contribution of $1,250, as a new or returning member, sign up here or click on the “Count Me In” button to the right.
Are you committed to Impact Austin for the long haul? Then become a Sustaining Member! Sustaining Members will commit to being a member of Impact Austin for three years and to paying their annual membership contribution of $1,250 on or before December 31st of each year. Submit your three-year commitment or click on the Sustaining Member button to the right.
We want to make an extraordinary impact. By funding a large grant, we can make a significant impact in a selected area. In addition, when a nonprofit receives a large sum from several different grants (e.g., 10 grants totaling $100,000), the nonprofit incurs the burden of reporting to multiple organizations and related administrative costs for each of those grants. By giving one large grant, we can have more impact and keep costs low for the grant recipient.
Yes, contributions are tax deductible. Impact Austin is a non-profit organization exempt from federal taxes under U.S. Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3).
Each year, we accept grant applications for our program grants in the areas of culture, education, environment, family and health and wellness. Additionally our previous grant recipients and finalists may apply for our Catalyst Grant. We form Grant Review Committees, made up of our members, for our Catalyst Grant and for each of the focus areas selected for program grants. An Impact Austin member who has been trained in facilitating the grant review process chairs each Grant Review Committee. The committee evaluates grant applications - by researching and visiting applicants - to arrive at the finalists. We deliver information on the finalists to each Impact Austin member for review. We then hold our Annual Meeting where the grant finalists give a short presentation. At that meeting, all members vote and decide on that year's grant recipients. Each member has an equal voice of one vote.
We award grants at our Annual Meeting in June of each year.
The relationship with our grant recipients is maintained over time. Once the grant is awarded, an Impact Austin member acts as a liaison with the recipient to administer the grant over time. The most common grant period is two years. Our Community Partners keep Impact Austin informed of the status of the grant program though progress updates and they provide us with a final report.
Our only requirement is a $1,250 donation. Of course, we hope you’ll take the time to make an informed decision when you vote for a grant recipient. You have the option to serve on one of the committees that evaluates grant applicants. However, it is not a requirement. Click here to see other opportunities to get involved.
Each $1,250 donation provides membership for the current grant year, which is July 1st through June 30th. Membership continues year-to-year as long as we receive your $1,250 annual donation by the December 31st prior to the upcoming June grant awards. Although we will accept membership contributions until December 31st, we request that contributions be paid by November 15th to lessen the burden on our volunteers who donate their time during the holidays. While many of our members renew their commitment year after year, we always welcome new members.
No. Members can live anywhere.
Men can participate directly as donors to Impact Austin, or they can encourage the women in their lives to participate as members.
No. Every member gets one vote even if they give more than $1,250. Any amount given over $1,250 goes first to offset administrative costs. If we receive more money than we need to cover our administrative costs, our board of directors has the discretionary power to add that money to the grant funds.
Yes, as long as your membership is paid in full by December 31. Please fill out a membership form and debit authorization form, as well as provide us with a voided check or deposit slip. You can either scan these three items and send to treasurer@impactaustin.org or mail them to Impact Austin, PO Box 28148, Austin 78755.
You have the option of donating stock to cover your $1250 membership contribution. We sell the shares as soon as possible after transfer to Impact Austin. The net proceeds must equal or exceed $1,250 (which means you’ll need to cover all sales commissions and expenses).
By donating stock, you can support Impact Austin while gaining tax benefits by giving appreciated stock. Impact Austin accepts donations of stock in publicly traded companies.
If you would like to make a gift of stock, please contact us and we will send you instructions to provide to your broker to make the electronic transfer to us.
A donation using appreciated stock can provide tax advantages to you, including:
(NOTE: Before you make a gift of appreciated securities, please consult your financial planner or tax advisor to determine how the potential tax advantages described here apply to your specific situation.)
No. We do accept in-kind donations to offset our administrative costs, but we don’t accept these donations to cover the $1,250 membership contribution.
Yes. Although we strongly encourage attendance at the meeting, you can vote by absentee ballot. Prior to the annual meeting, every member receives information on each finalist in the five grant areas. Included in this information is an absentee ballot and instructions on how to cast your vote before the meeting if you’re unable to attend.
Yes. Please contact us for more details.
We’re committed to acting with integrity in all of our relationships and in selecting grant recipients through an honest and fair process. In support of this commitment, our conflict of interest policy requires disclosure of relationships between our board and committee members with any grant applicant or potential grant applicant. We also require a board or committee member to recuse herself from the discussion and/or vote on any topic where a conflict arises.
We formally require only those members serving on our board or on a committee to disclose conflicts of interest. However, Impact Austin expects all members to act in an objective and fair manner. We expect all members to refrain from any attempt to gain an unfair advantage for a particular grant applicant by, among other things, disclosing confidential information and/or attempting to influence the vote of an Impact Austin member.
IMPACT-edu is the initiative from our Philanthropy Education Committee to provide education opportunities to our membership, allowing them to develop skills to fulfill their philanthropic potential. We offer education modules and information sharing through presentations, panel discussions, and other forums.
A committee of Impact Austin members conducted comprehensive research and analysis with grant applicants and recipients and found that what these nonprofits most needed was funds to build and strengthen their infrastructure, thereby improving their long-term sustainability. The Catalyst Grant, launched in 2015, is designed to do just that, improving a nonprofit’s future performance, impact and sustainability. Impact Austin was the first philanthropic collective giving organization in the United States that offered such a capacity-building grant. This grant aims to serve a well-qualified nonprofit organization that has achieved finalist status during a prior grant review cycle.
