Focus Area Committees
Focus Area Committee (FAC)
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
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.
2022 FAC Training Information
- FAC Information Session : view below in Training Videos
- FAC member training
- Site Visit Information Session June 28 6pm
- CIRC training : view below in Training Videos
Training Videos
Focus Area FAQs
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.
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.
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.
You do not have to attend every meeting. But participation is more rewarding if you can attend most of the meetings.
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.
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.
No previous experience! Just a willingness to participate with other members
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.