IRONPIGS CHARITIES MISSION
Established in 2007, before the Lehigh Valley IronPigs ever played an International League game, IronPigs Charities (IPC) was created to support educational and recreational opportunities for Lehigh Valley youth. A year round fundraising effort is made through in-game activities and special events. IPC provides support and financial assistance to charitable organizations in the Lehigh Valley area, many serving children with disabilities or economic disadvantages. Throughout the past 17 years, IPC has donated over $1.2 million dollars to Lehigh Valley to youth serving non-profit organizations.
ELIGIBILITY
IPC makes financial grants to non-profit, tax exempt 501 (c)(3) organizations in the Lehigh Valley and immediate surrounding areas. IPC will only consider requests that relate to a specific project/program and does not consider requests for general operating expenses. Grants for 2025 will be awarded in the range of $1,000-$10,000. Projects that encompass both youth education and youth recreation will be given greater consideration. Awardees must agree to a site visit. Upon receiving grant funds, awardees are required to dedicate 3 social media posts tagging IPC. The posts should recognize the acceptance of funds, the midway point of their project and a final post showcasing the completed project/program with either a photo or video component. Funding requests that are not consistent with IPC guidelines will not be granted including buildings, endowments, employee salaries, political campaigns and activities, religious programs, individuals, fundraising events or fraternal organizations.
2025 APPLICATION TIMELINE
Application Available: Immediately
Application Deadline: November 15, 2024, at 5:00 PM
Organizations Notified: December 2024
Grants Awarded: January 2025
IronPigs Charities Community Grant - Frequently Asked Questions
What is IronPigs Charities?
The mission of IronPigs Charities is to support educational and recreational opportunities for Lehigh Valley youth, with a focus on underserved populations.
What is the Community Grant?
The Community Grant is an annual grant given out by IPC that relates to a specific project or program that specializes in education and recreation for youth. This application goes live in the summer, with an application deadline in November. The grants will be awarded in January the following year.
Who is eligible for the grant?
Financial grants are given to non-profit, tax exempt 501 (c)(3) organizations in the Lehigh Valley and immediate surrounding areas. The only nonprofit that would be exempt from eligibility is a nonprofit that received proceeds from a jersey auction the season before.
What amount does the grant come in?
The Community Grant is awarded in the range of $1,000 - $10,000 and will be decided on by the IPC board. Grants can cover all the costs or may only cover partial costs.
What does the Community Grant not fund?
The Community Grant will not cover an organization’s general operational costs, fundraising events, employee salaries, buildings and rent, transportation or endowments. Please note that IPC does not support political campaigns and activities, religious program, individuals, or fraternal organizations.
We received a community grant last year, are we still eligible?
Yes, nonprofits can apply multiple years in a row for the community grant. You will only be ineligible if your nonprofit received proceeds from a jersey auction or cap raffle the season before.
Do I need to submit a recent Federal Tax Return 990?
No, but please note that IPC will be checking all nonprofits applying to make sure their tax-exempt status is up to date.
What geographical area does IronPigs Charities Support?
IronPigs Charities supports the Lehigh Valley and its surrounding areas.
What is expected of Community Grant recipients?
Upon receiving grant funds, nonprofits should expect to set up at least one site visit and submit an end of project summary and agree to at least one site visit.
Fundraising
• 50/50
• Cap Raffles
• Jersey Auctions
• Paint the Pig
Programs
• Community Grants
• GameOn! Lehigh Valley
• Strike Out Cancer
• Suites N Treats
Special Events
• Hackers and Homers
• Meet the Team Dinner
• Phillies Winter Caravan