The Ifft Foundation Fund is a charitable grant program managed through the Idaho Community Foundation (ICF) and guided by the philanthropic vision of Sara Ifft and her late husband, Nicholas Ifft III. Established in 1984 and integrated into ICF in 2001, the fund seeks to give back to the communities of southeastern Idaho that supported the Ifft family’s newspaper publishing enterprises for generations.
The fund provides grants that typically range from $3,000 to $10,000 to support projects benefiting community beautification, public recreation, education, history, and the arts in southeastern Idaho. The fund’s advisors—Richard W. Garvin, Mark Buckalew, and Howard Burnett—review applications and make funding decisions, with final approval through the Idaho Community Foundation.
Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities, governmental agencies, or public educational institutions located in or serving one or more of the following Idaho counties: Bannock, Bingham, Bear Lake, Caribou, Franklin, Oneida, and Power. Projects must focus on enhancing the public realm and improving quality of life, with a strong preference for landscaping and beautification initiatives.
There are two funding cycles per year, with deadlines on March 15 for the spring cycle and August 15 for the fall cycle. Award notifications are expected by late April and late September, respectively. Applications must be submitted through the ICF online portal.
Certain types of projects are ineligible for funding. These include requests for salaries, benefits, operating or administrative costs, real property purchases, fee-based services, materials development like brochures, and projects located on or benefiting private property. In addition, funding is not available for private schools or churches, nor for most public school programs except in cases of landscaping or public-use auditorium improvements.
Grant recipients are required to submit an End of Grant Report within one year of the cycle in which the grant was received. Questions can be directed to ICF staff via email at Grants@idahocf.org or by phone at 208-342-3535. Technical support is available at ApplicantPortal@idahocf.org.
