Focus Area Committees

Focus Area Committees (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.

2023 Sign-ups are March 21 – May 26

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 our 2022 recipients.

Focus Areas And Committee Meeting Times

Some 2023 Focus Area Committees Will Meet In Person And Some Will Take Place Virtually – Check Back for Details!

There are five Focus Areas.

Arts, Culture & History:

High impact initiatives that cultivate, develop, enhance, or preserve the artistic, cultural and historic character of Sarasota and/or Manatee Counties.

Education :

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

Environment & Recreation :

High impact initiatives that restore, revitalize, or enhance the environment and/or create or improve recreational opportunities in Sarasota and/or Manatee Counties.

Family :

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

Health & Wellness :

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

FAC Members Review Grant Applications

The grant application review process begins in June with an orientation meeting and training. Members gain access to the grant applications via our online system in late June. Each member then independently reviews the applications within her focus area online, carefully considering the Impact100 SRQ 5Qs.

Committee meetings begin once applications have been reviewed and scored. Members collaboratively decide which initiatives will move forward to a site visit and what questions the committee would like to have addressed during that visit.

Site visit teams are then formed and visits, generally onsite but occasionally by Zoom, are conducted to gain a better understanding of the initiative and obtain answers to open questions. FAC members are strongly encouraged, but not required, to participate in site visits. Members who have served on site visit teams in the past will attest that they can be helpful, enlightening experiences. Site Visit Teams report their findings back to the FAC and a final vote is taken to decide which initiatives will be the committee’s finalists for the entire Impact 100 SRQ membership vote in November.

The number of committee meetings depends on the number of applications assigned to the FAC. This entire process takes place between mid-July and late September.

Community Investment Review Committee (CIRC)

FAC members with financial expertise may volunteer to serve on Community Investment Review Committee (CIRC). CIRC mebers receive training and attend additional meetings with the CIRC team. While 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.

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?
Will the initiative be of high impact?
Will we be good stewards of the dollars with which we have been entrusted by funding this initiative?

Grant Review Timeline

Watch for 2023 Timeline and Important Dates

Conflict Of Interest And Confidentiality Policy

Impact100 SRQ is committed to selecting our finalists in a fair and impartial process. FAC members will be asked to disclose if they have a significant relationship with applicants within their FAC and may be asked to serve on a different committee to maintain impartiality and the integrity of our process.

FAC members will also be asked to sign a Confidentiality Agreement, agreeing to not discuss or disclose information regarding the applications and discussions with members outside of the committee

2023 FAC Training Information

FAC Information Sessions will be scheduled in February, March and April. Stay tuned for dates and locations
FAC and CIRC member training will be held in June
Site Visit Information Session will be held in July

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, conduct site visits, 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-June (training meeting) through mid-September. Each committee meeting has a designated day and time. Some committees will meet in person and some will be on Zoom. Meetings do not generally occur each week. For example, the second meeting will likely not take place until late July. 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 June, committee members read, review, and score the grant applications. Also, members 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 & History, 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, & History: Cultivate, develop, preserve the artistic, cultural, and historic character of our community
Education: Further education opportunities or improve access to education for children and/or adults
Environment & Recreation: Restore, revitalize, or enhance the environment and/or create or improve recreational opportunities
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?

Stay tuned for 2023 meeting information

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

Yes. Some Focus Area Committees will meet in person. Some will also be on Zoom for the convenience and accessibility of members not able to meet in person.

How much time is required?

Each meeting is scheduled for 90 minutes. The number of meetings depends upon the number of applications under consideration. Applications are estimated to take 1 – 2 hours each to review online. 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 is called CIRC, or Community Investment Review Committee.

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

While 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, to the FAC.

Will I receive training?

Yes. The training will begin in June. We will have FAC, Site Visit, and CIRC training available to all members.

What do I need to do in advance?

Members joining an FAC need to review and agree to our Confidentiality Policy and agree to disclose significant relationships that could be conflicts of interest with applicants in their FAC.

How do I sign up?

FAC sign-ups start our Big Reveal on March 21, 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 May 26, 2023.

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 Ellen Foster 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 Ellen Foster