Focus Area Committees

Focus Area Committee (FAC)

Which transformational initiatives will be presented to our membership? Be a part of the Focus Area Committees that review grant applications and determine our finalists.

2022 FAC Signup period has closed.

Participating on a Focus Area Committee (FAC) is at the heart of our mission and what sets Impact100 SRQ apart from other philanthropic organizations. Our members donate and our members decide. Members who join one of our five focus area committees find the process that starts with grant application review and ends with celebrating our grant recipients to be extremely rewarding. We are thrilled to part of this with you! Click here to view past recipients.

Focus Areas And Committee Meeting Times

All 2022 Focus Area Committee meetings will take place virtually on Zoom.

There are five Focus Areas.

Arts & Culture : Wednesdays 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

High impact programs or initiatives that cultivate, develop, educate, and enhance culture and the arts in Sarasota and/or Manatee counties.

Education : Fridays 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

High impact programs or initiatives that further the educational process or improve access to education for children and/or adults in Sarasota and/or Manatee counties.

Environment & Recreation : Mondays 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

High impact programs or initiatives that restore, preserve, revitalize, or enhance the facilities or natural resources (including for recreational use); or improve the welfare of animals in Sarasota and/or Manatee counties, including those that encourage research, public awareness, and education relating to the environment and conservation of our natural resources.

Family : Tuesdays 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

High impact programs or initiatives that strengthen and enhance the lives of children and families living in Sarasota and/or Manatee counties.

Health & Wellness : Thursdays 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM

High impact programs or initiatives that improve the physical and/or mental health and wellness of people living in Sarasota and/or Manatee counties.

All 2022 Focus Area Committee meetings will take place virtually on Zoom.

FAC Members Review Grant Applications

The grant application review process begins in May with an orientation meeting and training. Members gain access to the grant applications submitted by nonprofits within each Focus Area in late May. Each member reviews the applications within her focus area independently online, carefully considering the Impact100 SRQ 5Qs.

The FACs then hold meetings, led by an FAC Chair, from mid-June to mid-September to discuss the nonprofits‘ initiatives presented in the grant applications. The FAC members decide which of the nonprofits‘ initiatives should receive a financial review and a site visit. The Community Investment Review Committee (CIRC) is a subcommittee of the FAC that conducts a thorough financial review of the organization and the initiative presented in the grant applications.

After the CIRC review is complete, FAC members who choose to join Site Visit Teams will travel to nonprofits and meet with the representatives. Site Visit Team members will interview the nonprofit representatives to gain a better understanding of the nonprofit‘s initiative, obtain answers to questions from the other FAC members and the CIRC team, and tour the facility if applicable. The Site Visit Team reports their findings back to the FAC members for their consideration. Based on all information reviewed by the committee, members then vote for their respective finalists.

At the end of the process each FAC will present their finalist(s) for the entire Impact100 SRQ membership vote in November.

Community Investment Review Committee (CIRC)

FAC members with financial expertise may volunteer to serve on Community Investment Review Committee (CIRC) within their focus area. Once the FAC members independently review the applications, the CIRC team, led by a CIRC Chair, reviews the financial statements and initiative budgets. They report their findings, including questions for the Site Visit Teams for those organizations moving forward in the process, to the FAC. CIRC members receive training and attend additional meetings with the CIRC team.

Impact100 SRQ 5Qs

The Impact100 SRQ 5 key questions to consider when reviewing grant applications are:

Is the initiative clearly defined?
Is the initiative viable?
Is the Initiative sustainable?
How does the initiative impact the community?
Are we being good stewards of our funds by investing in the initiative?

Timeline And Important Dates For FAC Members

Grant Review Timeline

Important Dates for FAC Members

Conflict Of Interest And Disclosure Policy

All FAC members are required to complete the Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Policy prior to the grant review process. Impact100 SRQ is committed to acting with integrity in all of our relationships and selecting grant recipients through an honest and fair process. All committee members are required to agree to our Conflict of Interest Policy and complete a disclosure form. If a member serves on the Board, is an employee, or has a significant relationship with a nonprofit whose grant is being reviewed by one of our FACs, we will ask the member to serve on a different committee.

Complete the Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Agreement

2022 FAC Training Information

FAC Information Sessions
FAC member training May 10 & May 14
Site Visit information sessions June 25 & June 28
CIRC training June 9 at 6PM

FAC Information Session

Focus Area FAQs

Why join a Focus Area Committee (FAC)?

The work of reviewing the applications for grant initiatives is at the heart of our mission and what sets Impact100 SRQ apart from other philanthropic organizations. Our members donate and our members decide. This is our opportunity to collectively come together, learn about the nonprofits and the needs in our community and select the finalists that will be in the running to receive one of the transformational grants we award. It’s also a great way to get to know fellow members in a smaller group, sharing a meaningful experience.

What are the FAC member responsibilities?

FAC members review and evaluate the grant applications that are submitted by our local nonprofit organizations. The FAC members discuss the applications, share their evaluations, and then ultimately vote to select the FAC finalists that will be presented to the entire Impact100 SRQ membership for the vote to determine the grant recipients.

What does FAC participation require?

Committee members attend meetings beginning in mid-May (training meeting) through mid-September. Each committee meeting has a designated day and time, and will take place on Zoom. Meetings do not generally occur each week. For example, the second meeting will likely not take place until late June. The number of meetings depend on the number of applications. Attendance at the meetings is encouraged, but not required. Outside of the meetings, beginning in the later part of May, committee members read, review, and score the grant applications. Also, you may choose to participate on Site Visit teams to visit a nonprofit applicant to better understand the organization and its initiative and report back to the committee. The site visits take place in late July, August, and early September.

How are the Focus Area Committees structured?

The grant applicants choose the FAC that best defines their initiative. The choices are Arts & Culture, Education, Environment & Recreation, Family and Health & Wellness. FAC members choose the FAC on which they would like to participate. Members make their choice based on their interest and/or schedule.

How are the Focus Area Committees defined?

The five FACs are defined as follows:

Arts & Culture: Cultivate, develop, educate, and enhance culture and the arts
Education: Further education opportunities or improve access to education for children and/or adults
Environment & Recreation: Restore, preserve, revitalize, or enhance the facilities or natural resources (including for recreational use); or improve the welfare of animals, including those that encourage research, public awareness, and education relating to the environment and conservation of our natural resources
Family: Strengthen and enhance the lives of children and families
Health & Wellness: Improve the physical and/or mental health and wellness of the people in our community.

When do the meetings take place?

Please see Focus Areas and Committee Meeting Times.

If I am not in the area, will I be able to participate virtually?

Yes. Based on a recent member survey, a strong majority of members prefer having online meetings for the convenience and accessibility. Therefore, all FAC meetings will be held on Zoom this year. We will also have in-person social events for members on Focus Area Committees.

How much time is required?

In addition to the weekly meetings which are scheduled for 90 minutes, the time depends on the number of applications that are assigned to the FAC. Applications are estimated to take 1 – 2 hours each to review online.

What if I am not able to participate in all the meetings between June and September?

You do not have to attend every meeting. But participation is more rewarding if you can attend most of the meetings.

How will I benefit from participation?

FAC members have the opportunity to learn about many of the nonprofits in our local community. The members gain an understanding of the needs in our community and the contributions that the nonprofits are making to address these needs. Some of the nonprofits are well-known and some are not.

Have the members who have participated on an FAC in the past enjoyed the experience?

Yes. FAC members find the experience extremely rewarding. They love learning about our local nonprofits and their contribution to our community. With this knowledge, many members decide to individually contribute to a nonprofit in some way. The members also enjoy the opportunity to get to know and work with other Impact100 SRQ members. Representative feedback comments are: This entire process was most rewarding. Proud to be part of the process. Absolutely wonderful experience.

What previous experience do I need to have?

No previous experience! Just a willingness to participate with other members

If I have specific experience, do you want to know about it?

Yes, we would like to know if you have experience evaluating financial statements of any type of organization. This background is not necessary to be an FAC member, but a financial assessment is part of the grant application evaluation process. Since most of our members do not have this experience, we ask the members with financial statement experience to be the primary FAC members to conduct the financial assessment. This group within each FAC is called CIRC, or Community Investment Review Committee.

What do the CIRC members do, and when is it in the process?

Once the FAC members independently review the applications, the CIRC team reviews the financial statements and initiative budgets. They report their findings, including questions for the Site Visit Teams for those organizations moving forward in the process, to the FAC.

Will I receive training?

Yes. The training will begin in May. We will have FAC, Site Visit, and CIRC training available to all members. Links to recorded training sessions are also available on our website.

What do I need to do in advance?

If you haven’t already, you need to review and agree to our Conflict of Interest Policy. It is critical for us to have a grant application review process that is fair and objective and therefore free of potential conflicts of interest. Accordingly, as part of this process, we ask you to list on the Disclosure Form the nonprofits with which you have a relationship so you can be placed on an appropriate committee. Members complete a new Disclosure Form every year.

Am I able to be on an FAC if I am a Board Member or have a significant relationship with a nonprofit?

Yes. We will review the Disclosure Form that you completed when you agreed to the Conflict of Interest Policy. If you have a significant relationship with a nonprofit who submits a grant application for the FAC that you chose, we will discuss the relationship with you. If it is determined it is a potential conflict of interest, we will ask you to move to another FAC.

How do I sign up?

FAC sign-ups start our Big Reveal on March 8, where we will have an FAC table. Members are encouraged to use our link on our website page to join their preferred committee. We will also be looking for members with financial experience to indicate their interest in CIRC participation as part of their FAC role. Members can sign-up until meetings begin in mid-May. 2022 FAC Signup period has closed.

Once I have joined an FAC, may I switch to a different one?

Yes, you may switch to a different FAC prior to the grant applications being available for FAC member review. Please email Kathy Paulsen to inquire about switching.

Our Members Find The FAC Process Extremely Rewarding

"This is a feel good experience at every level. I look forward to bringing more women into the fold so we can fund all five grants."

"As a new FAC and CIRC member, I gained significant insight into the Impact100 model. Having been a member of numerous nonprofit boards, I'm thrilled to be a part of this organization. Great work, dedicated volunteers, and just a great group of women!"

"The experience is tremendously rewarding knowing I‘m playing a small part in making a difference in our community and making new friends at the same time."

"Impressed with the professionalism of the process, the leadership and the committee members. Felt tremendous engagement."

"Love being a site team lead!!! Visiting the nonprofits in person is by far my favorite part of the IMPACT100 experience."

"It gives me the opportunity to see the needs within our community and the impact we make to address these needs."

"As a new member I was very impressed with the process from training to submitting our votes."

For more information about FACs please email Kathy Paulsen or Sara Winer.