MIBOR’s Community Impact Initiative supports organizations and initiatives aimed at job attraction/retention and expansion, workforce development, placemaking, quality of life, affordable housing, tourism and regional collaboration.
Over the last 5 years, the Initiative has invested over $700,000 back into local communities in the MIBOR region. Each year, the MIBOR Community Impact Council—made up of MIBOR REALTORS® and Affiliates—reviews more than 100 applications for investment.
MIBOR is committed to strengthening every community in our region by fostering inclusive and vibrant places, attracting and developing a skilled regional workforce, and supporting efforts that bring and retain quality jobs in central Indiana.
Eligibility
To qualify for investment consideration, your organization must:
- Have current tax-exempt status as nonprofit/not for profit or be a government entity.
- Serve communities within the MIBOR REALTOR® Association service area, which includes Boone, Brown, Decatur, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Morgan, Parke, Putnam and Shelby counties.
- Serve communities inclusively, without discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, national origin, socioeconomic status, political affiliation, or other qualities by which we may define ourselves.
- Demonstrate measurable impact with a method to track and report program outcomes and results.
- Align with the MIBOR Economic and Community Development mission and vision:
- Mission: To support organizations and initiatives that build and maintain inclusive and vibrant communities, attract develop and retain a skilled regional workforce and work towards the attraction and retention of quality jobs for central Indiana.
- Vision: Through collaboration and shared commitment, central Indiana will become the best region in the country for people to live, work, play and invest.
If you have questions or want to discuss how your project or initiative might fit within the MIBOR Community Impact Initiative, please reach out to me at maddielove@mibor.com or 317-956-5261. You can review our past investments at mibor.com/communityimpact.
Application Timeline
Deadlines for submitting your application for investment are below.
- Round 1:
- Opens on January 1, 2026
- Due on March 6, 2026 at 12pm
- Reviewed by the Community Impact Council on March 26, 2026
- Investment announcements week of March 30, 2026
- Round 2:
- Opens on March 9, 2026
- Due on August 7, 2026 at 12pm
- Reviewed by the Community Impact Council on August 27, 2026
- Investment announcements week of August 31, 2026
To learn more about the application and investment process, go to mibor.com/communityimpact.
The application link will take you to our grant management system, SmarterSelect. If this is your first time applying, you will need to create an account in the system. If you encounter any issues with the grant system, please reach out. Note that each round requires a new link, so please visit our website for the most current application link.
You can also view the MIBOR Community Impact Initiative Investment Guide to learn what strong applications typically include.
Large Grant Requests
Large grant requests are defined as applications seeking more than $10,000 for a single project in any given year. Applicants interested in submitting a large grant request must first contact MIBOR staff to discuss the project and obtain the application. This must be done no later than one week prior to the application deadline.
Large grant applications will be considered only if the proposal meets at least one of the following criteria, in addition to all other program guidelines:
- The project has a regional impact
- The project is scalable
- The project is replicable
- The project serves as a catalyst for broader change
- The project represents a major initiative within the region