Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation (IVWF) aims to make the Imperial Valley A Better Place to Live for All. We recognize the importance and value of focusing on the quality of life for the residents of the Imperial County and want to support the work that many organizations are doing to address health and wellness, and community engagement in disinvested communities and especially with populations and groups that have been historically excluded from planning and decision-making. In addition, we value the importance of the nonprofits that lead this work and are committed to supporting them in building capacity to carry out their work and mission.

IVWF’s 2023 Mission Support grant funding ranges from $1,000 to $10,000 per recipient. This year’s Mission Support total fund has returned to its normal level of $80,000, down from its previous COVID-19 emergency pandemic level of $200,000.

We invite 501(c)(3) nonprofits to apply for funding in the following three areas: 1) Health and Wellness, 2) Community Engagement, and 3) Nonprofit Capacity Building. Below are examples of the kind of work that falls under each of the areas.

Health and Wellness

• Food insecurity and healthy eating
• Active living and physical activity
• Mental and emotional health
• Safe and healthy living neighborhoods
• Social health
• Programs that focus on the awareness and prevention of asthma, prenatal care, diabetes, and obesity
• Health and wellness programs that benefit children, disadvantaged students, farm workers, homeless, LGBTQ, low-income families, seniors and veterans

Community Engagement

• Helping community members address the issues and needs they face in their communities
• Engaging community members to work together on community priorities
• Creating opportunities for community members to gather and socialize
• Helping community members gain awareness and become better informed
• Listening to the community to learn more about their priorities and helping them take actions to improve conditions
• Building the community’s capacity so they can create the change they want to see

Nonprofit Capacity Building

• Strengthening the operations of the organization
• Strengthening the staff and team of the organization
• Building a strong volunteer base
• Attending conferences and workshops
• Purchasing and/or improving equipment and software
• Technical assistance or consulting services

If you have any further questions or would like to discuss, please contact IVWF Executive Director, Roque Barros, rbarros@ivwf.org.

GRANT APPLICATION GUIDELINES

This Mission Support grant application is for nonprofit organizations serving primarily Imperial County. Preference will be given to organizations based in Imperial County.

To qualify for IVWF’s 2023 Mission Support, your organization must:

• be a 501(c)(3) or have a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor;
• serve regions in Imperial County;
• provide direct services to underserved communities, and
• be aligned with IVWF’s vision to make Imperial Valley A Better Place to Live for All and its mission of advancing health and wellness for the most vulnerable in Imperial County, who often experience inequities in health and social outcomes.

All organizations that are selected to receive funding will be required to enter into a grant agreement with IVWF. If you would like to review a copy of the agreement terms, please review copy here.

Note: If you received IVWF Mission Support funding in 2022, you are not eligible to apply in 2023 and must wait until 2024. Additionally, if you are a re-granting agency that doesn’t provide direct services, you are not eligible to apply this year.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Award Type and Amount: We will be awarding one-year, Mission Support grants ranging from $1,000 – $10,000 per recipient. This year’s total fund is $80k. If your grant is approved, the amount awarded will be determined by the IVWF Grants Committee.

Reporting: To ensure IVWF can capture the impact of our grants, a final report will be required from grantees. IVWF will provide grantee with a final report template and a reminder for the impact report approximately eight months from date of grant.

Anticipate these Reporting Questions:

• How did you expend the grant?
• What impact did the funds have on your organization and/or population served?
• What challenges did you face during the year?
• What did you learn – lessons learned?

Priority for awards will be given to organizations that:

• Are focused on communities with the greatest health and social inequities;
• Whose efforts are led or informed by the communities they serve;
• Have an explicit commitment to equity (in all its forms);
• Can demonstrate/describe evidence of measurable results;
• Are strengthening community capacity to advocate for themselves, and
• Are focused on making the Imperial Valley A Better Place to Live for All.