2023 Priority Giving Area: Education and Educational Attainment

This year, Inspire Giving is supporting an organization that advances Community and Education and Educational Attainment through its programming, in alignment with the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Four Point Business Promise to create a more vibrant community. 

Competitive applications will contain at least one if not multiple of the following components:

• Improves the quality of K-12 education, higher education, or specialized extracurricular education of residents in the Sacramento Region
• Empowers and supports residents to further their education and provides equitable access to education for all
• Supports underrepresented communities that often do not have the same access to education as the greater regional population
• Builds on current programming to continue to provide support to regional community members
• Focuses on activities and actions that are centered on education within the community

Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging Definition

Inspire Giving is committed to advancing Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging (DIEB) no matter the Priority Giving Area. The LOI materials and review process will evaluate how each organization advances DIEB through its programming. 

Inspire Giving believes that Sacramento is one of the most diverse cities in our nation, and as a region, we will truly thrive when all our communities have equal access to opportunities to be successful. Achieving this goal requires attention and investment, and Inspire Giving wants to do its part to catalyze that support.

While there are many definitions for Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging, the following definitions will be used for purposes of this year’s LOI process:

• Diversity: Refers to the variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance.
• Inclusion: Creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued as a fully participating member. 
• Equity: The guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all individuals while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. The principle of equity acknowledges that there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations and that fairness regarding these unbalanced conditions is needed to assist equality in the provision of effective opportunities to all groups.
• Belonging: An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect in words and actions for all people.

To be eligible for consideration, submissions must meet the following criteria:

• Applicant agency must have 501(c)3 status;
• Service area must be within at least one of the six counties (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba) covered by the Sacramento Metro Chamber Foundation;
• Applicant agency must have a proven track record and demonstrated success in the focus area listed above;
• Applicant agency must have at least two years of operational history with an annual operations budget in excess of $250,000; and
• Must not have been the recipient of an Inspire Giving grant or Leadership Sacramento project since 2016.
• For fiscally sponsored organizations:
  • Both the applicant agency and fiscal sponsor must have at least two years of operation history;
  • Applicant agency must have a current, annual operations budget in excess of $100,000. Fiscal sponsor must have a current, annual operations budget in excess of $250,000; and 
  • One designee must commit to representing the organization throughout the year and partner with Inspire Giving.

Activity	Date
LOI Launch	September 8, 2022
LOI Deadline	September 29, 2022, 5 p.m. Pacific
Grant Winner Announced	December 2022

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

The only submitted item needed for this grant opportunity is an LOI. Applicants are encouraged to identify their specific need for cash, in-kind services, skilled or unskilled volunteer support, and be as descriptive as possible as to how best to match your organization's needs with resources provided by Inspire Giving.

Completed LOIs are due by September 29 at 5 p.m Pacific. LOIs will only be accepted through the online system. No paper, emailed or late submissions will be accepted.

For questions regarding eligibility requirements and criteria, please contact sfox@metrochamber.org. For questions regarding the online submission process, please contact us.