Additional menu

ICMM

ICMM’s Tiered Grant Funding Model

Advancing Financial Wellbeing, Resilience, and Equity for LMI Communities

The Institute of Consumer Money Management (ICMM) is committed to improving the financial wellbeing, resilience, and equity of low-to-moderate income (LMI) individuals and families. Beginning in 2026, ICMM will introduce a tiered grant funding framework to support a diverse range of projects, from small-scale pilots to large-scale impact initiatives.

Our approach balances applied, “research-to-practice” projects (~70%) with foundational basic research (~30%), ensuring our grants generate both immediate, actionable insights and long-term knowledge.

Grant Opportunities

Grants are closed at this time.

How to apply

Our Focus Areas

We prioritize research and projects that address pressing financial challenges in LMI communities, including:

  1. Emergency savings
  2. Housing stability
  3. Retirement security
  4. Financial education 
  5. Financial inclusion

Guiding Principles

All ICMM-funded projects are expected to:

  • Advance our mission and equity goals: Projects must clearly benefit LMI communities and address equity and inclusion.
  • Demonstrate rigor and measurable impact: Projects should use sound methods and define clear outcomes, scaled to project size.
  • Bridge research and practice: Proposals should connect academic research to practical interventions with a plan for real-world use.
  • Plan for sustainability or scale: We look for ideas that can grow or have lasting impact beyond the grant period.

Grant Tiers

Small Grants:
Seed/Innovation

Funding & Duration

  • $25K–$75K
  • 6-12 months

Project Focus

  • Early-stage pilots of innovative ideas
  • Proof-of-concept work

Expected Deliverables

  • Short report or working paper
  • Preliminary findings
  • Foundation for larger study

Medium Grants:
Implementation

Funding & Duration

  • $100K–$200K
  • 12–24 months

Project Focus

  • Applied research or program implementation with rigorous design

Expected Deliverables

  • Peer-reviewed article or policy brief
  • Measurable outcomes for ~500 participants
  • Tools/resources for practitioners

Large Grants:
Impact & Scale

Funding & Duration

  • $250K–$400K
  • 24–36 months

Project Focus

  • High-impact initiatives with national or sector-wide relevance

Expected Deliverables

  • Multiple publications
  • Policy briefs
  • Evidence of large-scale outcomes (~1,500+ participants)
  • Influence policy change

How to Apply

ICMM uses a two-stage process: 

  1. Letter of Intent (LOI) – a brief (1-2 page) summary of your idea.
  2. Full Proposal (invitation only) – details project scope, design, and outcomes.

Expectations for reporting are scaled to the grant size: Small projects may submit a short final report, while larger projects may provide annual updates and a comprehensive evaluation.

Partnering with ICMM

ICMM seeks partners who share our vision for equitable, evidence-based solutions to financial challenges. By funding research-to-practice projects, we aim to empower organizations, policymakers, and communities with tools and insights that foster long-term financial wellbeing.

Together, we can turn innovative ideas into lasting impact.