Policies FAQ
How do I join?
Community Membership is free and open. Community partnership is offered through the EPIC PSL Membership. Approved holders in the United States can apply and purchase a PSL Membership at /psl-memberships.
Does a PSL Membership ever expire or renew?
No. A PSL Membership is a one-time purchase held for the life of the program, with no recurring charges and no add-on fees.
Are Community Grant Awards guaranteed?
No, Community Grant Awards are not guaranteed and are subject to funding, verification, program rules, and approval.
Who administers Community Grant Awards?
Community Grant Awards are administered by the EPIC team and depend on funding, verification, program rules, and approval.
What is a PSL Membership?
A PSL Membership is a serialized community participation designation. EPIC has 1,000 individually serialized PSL Memberships organized into 100 parent PSLs, with 10 memberships associated with each PSL. Holding all 10 memberships associated with one PSL means holding the complete PSL. Memberships are issued and transferred in whole units only. A PSL Membership is a contractual program-participation designation. It is not an investment, not a security, not a franchise, not equity, and not ownership in the Community Grant Fund or in EPIC. It does not create corporate membership in Educational Partnerships to Impact Children, Inc., organizational voting rights, or governance rights. It carries no guaranteed return, no guaranteed liquidity, no guaranteed appreciation, no guaranteed resale, no guaranteed grant award, and no transferable claim to grant funds.
What does one PSL Membership do?
Every PSL Membership participates equally in EPIC's Community Grant Fund structure, whether it is held by an individual, a business, an organization, or a Community Partner. Participation is counted in whole memberships held. Each weekly grant cycle is claimed, not divided. A single holder may claim the entire remaining grant pot for that week for allowable purposes. Claims are honored first-come, first-served in order of membership seniority — the lower the serial number, the higher the priority — and then by the time the claim was submitted. Once the week's pot is fully claimed, remaining claims are closed for that cycle. After a successful claim, that PSL Membership enters a 60-day cooling period and cannot be used to claim again until the cooling period ends. Other memberships a holder owns are unaffected and keep their own seniority. A holder cannot participate in a grant cycle until the PSL Membership has been held for 4 consecutive weekly grant cycles. Participation begins with the first weekly cycle that opens after that holding period is complete.
Does a PSL Membership make me a Community Partner?
PSL Membership ownership and Community Partner status are separate. Community Partner visibility and eligible-provider privileges require separate Community Partner approval, and holding a PSL Membership never grants them automatically.
How soon after buying a PSL Membership can I participate in a grant cycle?
A holder cannot participate in a grant cycle until the PSL Membership has been held for 4 consecutive weekly grant cycles. Participation begins with the first weekly cycle that opens after that holding period is complete.
How is a weekly grant pot claimed?
Each weekly grant cycle is claimed, not divided. A single holder may claim the entire remaining grant pot for that week for allowable purposes. Claims are honored first-come, first-served in order of membership seniority — the lower the serial number, the higher the priority — and then by the time the claim was submitted. Once the week's pot is fully claimed, remaining claims are closed for that cycle.
Is there a cooling period after a successful claim?
After a successful claim, that PSL Membership enters a 60-day cooling period and cannot be used to claim again until the cooling period ends. Other memberships a holder owns are unaffected and keep their own seniority.
What does a PSL Membership cost?
The current issuer price is $10 as a one-time purchase for each PSL Membership, with continuing participation for the operating life of the program and no annual renewal. From one to 10 available memberships may be purchased in a standard order.
How many PSL Memberships can one holder hold?
A holder may hold no more than 100 PSL Memberships per beneficial-control group. Related accounts under common control are counted together.
Who is eligible to hold a PSL Membership?
Eligible adults who are at least 18 years old may purchase and hold available PSL Memberships under the general program terms, whether they live in Rockford or elsewhere in the United States, subject to identity verification, availability, ownership limits, payment settlement, and program restrictions. Business ownership and Community Partner status are not required. Eligible businesses and organizations may hold memberships in their legal names through verified authorized representatives. A parent or legal guardian purchases and holds while identifying a minor as the intended beneficiary.
Do Rockford-only benefits apply to holders outside Rockford?
Rockford is EPIC! is exclusive to Rockford. Verified adult City of Rockford residents may participate regardless of business ownership or Community Partner status and may use the Rockford-specific preference features. Purchasing or holding from outside Rockford does not create eligibility for Rockford-only preferences, grants, giveaways, or other local benefits.
Can a PSL Membership be resold?
A 30-day holding period applies before a PSL Membership becomes eligible for resale. Resale pricing is set by the seller but can never be below 102% of that serial's actual acquisition basis, calculated in whole cents. The approved resale methods are fixed-price resale and 3-day ascending auctions. Auctions may use an optional reserve and minimum bid increments, apply a rolling 5-minute anti-sniping extension, and require full authorization of the current leading bid. Transfers happen only through EPIC. The PSL Membership Marketplace is open. Eligible holders in the United States may list, browse, and purchase fixed-price resales subject to the holding period, resale floor, ownership limits, and marketplace fees in effect at the time of the transaction. No resale, liquidity, appreciation, profit, or financial return is guaranteed.
What does EPIC charge on a resale?
EPIC charges a marketplace fee of 10% plus the actual payment-processing cost on each completed resale.
When does a seller get paid?
Seller proceeds are held for 7 days before becoming distributable, with a 10% reserve held for 60 days. Disputes and reversals may freeze or adjust a payout. The PSL Membership Marketplace is open. Eligible holders in the United States may list, browse, and purchase fixed-price resales subject to the holding period, resale floor, ownership limits, and marketplace fees in effect at the time of the transaction. No resale, liquidity, appreciation, profit, or financial return is guaranteed.
What is the Community Grant Fund?
The Community Grant Fund is the pool EPIC uses to help Community Supporters buy goods and services from Community Partners. We don't just promote businesses—we help create customers for them.
How long does a PSL Membership last?
A PSL Membership is purchased once for $10 and carries continuing participation for the operating life of the program. There is no annual renewal, no expiry date, and no recurring charge.
Can I purchase a PSL Membership right now?
Primary issuer sales of PSL Memberships are open. Eligible adults, businesses, and organizations in the United States can apply, review the terms, and complete a purchase on the PSL Membership page. Eligible adults who are at least 18 years old may purchase and hold available PSL Memberships under the general program terms, whether they live in Rockford or elsewhere in the United States, subject to identity verification, availability, ownership limits, payment settlement, and program restrictions. Business ownership and Community Partner status are not required. Eligible businesses and organizations may hold memberships in their legal names through verified authorized representatives. A parent or legal guardian purchases and holds while identifying a minor as the intended beneficiary. Visit /psl-memberships to review the terms and purchase.