Inspire Atlanta FAQ’s

If you have any additional questions, email us at info@atlantawomen.org.

Application Questions

Do I determine the appropriate level, or will I be placed in a level?

  • Applicants will self-select during the application. The selection committee reserves the right to change the applicant’s level upon acceptance.

Can I access the application before I begin filling it out?

  • Applicants cannot access the full application. Much of the application is seeking information. There are the following essay questions and most require a short answer of 200 words or less:
    1. •Why did you choose to apply to Level One or Level Two? (200 words or less)

      •Why are you interested in participating in Inspire Atlanta? (300 words or less)

      •When reading about the Women’s Pathway To Success Program and the Promoting Women's Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing Project, what resonated with you the most and why? (250 words or less)

      •What are your philanthropic aspirations? (200 words or less)

      •What would you like to gain from this experience? (200 words or less)

      •Have you volunteered with or fundraised for a nonprofit in the past? (Including through your employer, faith based, club & organization, etc.) Please describe. (200 words or less)

Can I save the application and come back to it later?

  • Unfortunately, at this time you cannot save your application as you go along. The application should take you 15-25 minutes. Be prepared to answer the essay questions above when you get started.

I work for a nonprofit, can I apply?

  • You are welcome to apply, but we strongly suggest that you review your organization’s conflict of interest policy. Once the applications close, we will send our own conflict of interest form to all nonprofit applicants that will require a signature from your supervisor stating they will allow you to fundraise for an outside organization.

Fundraising Questions

How do I fundraise? Do we get to come up with our own fundraising ideas or will they be given to us?

  • We suggest a diversified approach to fundraising through individual, corporate and event support. We will go into more detail during the orientation and trainings. Monthly newsletters will be sent with fundraising ideas and shared successes from fellow participants. Participants will choose how they fundraise. A customizable webpage will be set up for each participant.

One of the organization’s you fund through your grantmaking is my favorite, can I just fundraise for them?

  • While we are a foundation and a funder, as a 501c3 organization, the work we do is 100% funded by the public. This program will be one of AWF’s funding streams to help fund our grantmaking efforts and our collective impact approach to grantmaking. AWF plays an essential role in creating the space for collaboration and supporting nonprofits as they work together to achieve better results across the entire community. Therefore, participants will be fundraising solely for The Atlanta Women’s Foundation.

What happens if I don’t reach my fundraising minimum by June 29th?

  • AWF and our committees will provide fundraising support throughout the program. As we close in on the month of June, we will assess each participant’s fundraising efforts and collections, and will work with each fundraiser to come up with a customized plan to help them reach their goals.

What happens if I don’t reach my fundraising goal by September 13th?

  • The goal is just that – a goal! We do hope and expect that all participants will do their best and strive to go above and beyond the goal with over six months to fundraise. The top fundraisers of each level will receive special recognition.

General Questions

I was nominated; do I also need to have a reference submitted?

  • Yes. The reference can be the person that nominated you or someone different. It’s up to the applicant! The nomination and reference links can be found on the Inspire Atlanta homepage: <INSERT MAIN INSPIRE ATLANTA PAGE LINK>

What do you mean by employer support under the “Who should apply” section?

    • First, participants do not need to be employed to apply. However, if they are employed, you will want your employer’s support because, a) you will be missing a few days of work and b) if you have permission to fundraise at work that is one way to help you reach your goal.

Will there be a detailed schedule of activities provided?

    • The most up to date schedule can be found in the information packet. Please ensure you can attend all mandatory events before applying. We will have a comprehensive schedule at Orientation as well.

There are multiple dates listed for the grantee tours, do I need to be available every day listed?

    • We will have several tours and each participant is encouraged to attend a tour (each tour will take about two hours with travel). A sign up for each tour will be posted and it will be first-come, first-served.

When is the acceptance fee due?

    • The acceptance fee is due at orientation.

I’m not able to apply this year, but would like to help a participant with their fundraising. What do I do?

    • That is great! The participants are encouraged to form committees to help them fundraise. If you know a selected participant, simply reach out to them directly. If you do not and want to jump in where needed, the need for committee members will largely be determined after orientation. Please reach back out to us then!