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From the Presidents |
Dear
Members and Friends,
We are in awe of the generosity and enthusiasm of the 139
women who have joined Impact100 for the upcoming 2010 grant. In a year when funds are badly needed
to support nonprofit activities, it is thrilling that we can award funding to three deserving organizations through a
project grant of $100,000, and operating grants of $20,000 and $ 19,000.
We especially want to thank last year's Founding Members who
shared their positive experiences with others, and helped to bring in 57 new
members this year. This sense of ownership by all of us is the key to Impact100's future growth
and ability to provide even more funding in the future.
Given the current economic climate, we are delighted that
nearly three-quarters of last year's members renewed. For those who called with regrets, we look forward to your
coming back some time in the future, and will keep you posted on happenings
until then.
Members will receive a separate email today asking
you to review meeting dates for the Focus Area Committees and
to sign up for your preference. If
you do not serve on a committee, please know that your membership and
participation in the final vote in June are just as important to Impact100. As always, you decide how involved
you would like to be.
From the high attendance at our November workshop for
applicants, it's clear that interest in Impact100 funding is very strong. Thank you for coming together to create
a major funding opportunity that will reach even more people in need in the
coming year. We are honored
to "give as one" with all of you.
Best wishes for the holiday season!
Mary Broach & Beth Dahle
Co-Presidents
Pictured above: Beth and Mary at the Welcome Reception on Oct. 19 at 333 Belrose Bar & Grille in Radnor.
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PCEH and Impact100: Working Together to Make a Difference
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One need look no further than Alisha Jackson to understand the power of collective philanthropy. Through the work of the Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness and the combined donations of Impact members, this 19-year-old mother and her two toddlers have a place to celebrate the holidays this December -- something they thought impossible a year ago.
Alisha dropped out of a community college so she could juggle the care of her 2- and 3-year-old and her ailing grandmother, and find a full-time job. She found a job but couldn't scrape together what was needed to move out of a bad living situation. What's more, her dream of getting an education, then making a home for her daughters, was over.
Enter PCEH and its SafeHome Philadelphia program aimed at moving people into stable homes. Their hard work and Impact dollars aligned this fall to help Alisha and other families in need. Please click here to read more in the PCEH winter newsletter.
 Alisha's family is one of 10 families helped so far by PCEH with the Impact grant awarded in June this year. PCEH plans to find housing for another 15 families with the grant money, including a total of 60 children. The SafeHome program also has
helped families with furniture, including beds, bedding, sofas, tables and chairs.
Since moving into their homes, one woman has enrolled in
community college, another has taken a second job to increase her income, while
another has earned a medical assistant's degree, hoping to one day become a
nurse. All families have
paid rent on time.
"When all else fails, they can say 'I want to go home,' and they have one," said Ruth Holland, PCEH Housing Advocate (photo above at Impact's Welcome Reception Oct. 19). "When they get a decent place to live, they do everything they can to pay the rent....You have changed people's lives."
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Welcoming Back Members, Greeting New Ones at October Reception
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Members and friends came together Oct. 19 at 333 Belrose Bar & Grille in Radnor to enjoy food and drink, and hear more about Impact100 Philadelphia. The restaurant generously provided appetizers and a cash bar for the event. The Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness (PCEH) provided a brief update on the 2009 grant from Impact100. Photos: Members and friends chat with Co-president Mary Broach above; members mingle below left; Board members Stephanie Maguire and Beth Burrell, below right. 
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Letting Nonprofits Know:
How to Apply for Impact Grant?
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 How do Focus Area Committees (FACs) evaluate a grant proposal? Can a grant winner one year re-apply the following year? How does a nonprofit choose a focus area when applying for an Impact grant?
Nonprofit organizations in the Philadelphia region asked these and more questions Nov. 5 during two consecutive workshops held by Impact100 at the Center City law offices of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC. The purpose of the sessions was to fully describe Impact's grant-making process, funding priorities, application guidelines and upcoming deadlines.
The combined workshops drew representatives from 83 local nonprofits. Co-presidents Beth Dahle and Mary Broach, Grants Chair Anita Lockhart and Educational Programs Chair Wendy Peck presented to the group, then took questions. To see the PowerPoint, click here (see Grant Applicant Workshop Presentation Slides). Beth advised attendees not to skip questions on the application form - and to answer them thoroughly. At the same time, the clarity, more than the quantity, of information supplied is critical.
 One of Impact's goals has been developing materials that are clear and concise so that the grant application process is "a mutually supportive experience for both sides," Mary said.
A representative from a nonprofit that applied last year said she found the application process positive and not overly onerous; moreover, she said, "It's very encouraging getting this kind of feedback'' from a granting organization.
Impact100 is very grateful to Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC,
for providing meeting space and beverages for these workshops. We also
thank Anita Lockhart and Wendy Peck for organizing the sessions.
If you know of nonprofit organizations that may be interested in applying for the Impact100 grant, please tell them to submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) by Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. The application form is available by clicking here.
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PathWays PA Honors Impact100
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 Co-Presidents Mary Broach (left) and Beth Dahle accepted a 2009 Trailblazer Award Oct. 29 in Valley Forge. PathWays PA,
a recognized leader providing social services for women, families and
children in the Greater Philadelphia area, presented the award to
Impact100 at its 31st Anniversary Celebration.
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Thank you for reading our fifth e-newsletter. We are grateful to members who contributed photos for this issue, Carrie Brodsky, Stephanie Corp Maguire and Cheryl Haze Luehrs. We also thank member Karen Nathan for proofreading.
A happy and safe holiday to all our members.
Sincerely,
Beth Burrell
Communications Chair
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Save the Date
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Jan 21: Impact workshop: Demystifying Financial Statements. Lunch meeting in Center City OR evening at Haverford College.
Feb. 1: Deadline to join a Focus Area Committee (FAC). Separate email coming today.
Feb. 16: Impact Workshop: The Art of Proposal Evaluation. Evening at Main Line Reform Temple in Wynnewood, Pa.
June 7: Annual Meeting Members vote to determine 2010 Grant Recipient. | Additional workshop details will be posted soon at www.impact100philly.org.
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As Nonprofit Dollars Decline, Impact Members Step Up
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Impact members have stepped forward to give generously this year at a time when many nonprofits are struggling for funding. By our December 1st deadline, 139 women had either joined Impact for the first time or renewed their membership. Their combined donations -- $139,000 -- represents a 25 percent increase over donations last year. To see Impact's press release, click here (see News).
A recent survey by GuideStar, which tracks and provides information on the nonprofit sector, found that public and private charities reported a 51 percent decrease in revenue in 2009 over 2008.
The survey's purpose was to compare how charitable organizations fared during the first
nine months of 2009 and to gauge how the nonprofit sector has been affected by the struggling economy.
That makes Impact's 25% increase in
2009, and success at the $1,000 giving level, even more remarkable.
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| 2010 Grant Policy |
In May, the Board of Directors voted to cap Impact100 grants at
$100,000 beginning in 2010. This upcoming year, funds over that amount --$39,000 -- will be distributed to the 2nd and 3rd place grant finalists. For more details on Impact's new grant policy for 2010, please click here.
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Corporate Matching Gifts
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Does your company provide matching gifts for charitable donations? If so, please ask for a match for your Impact100 donation. |
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Understanding Philanthropy in Today's World
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| The face of philanthropy is changing in this country, and in fact, worldwide. Many women have a larger role in allocating their own and their family's dollars for charity each year. In November, The New York Times devoted an 18-page special section to philanthropy called "Giving." To read, please click here. Also, in November, The Wall Street Journal ran a story "What's Wrong with Charitable Giving?" The article notes that nonprofits strongly need grants for operating costs, as well as for special projects. To read, please click here. |
Gathering Friends
to Talk about Impact100 |
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Founding member Mary Brown (above right) hosted a gathering for members and friends Oct. 26 at her Washington Square home in Center City. Pictured with Mary are members Jeannie Pierce and Peggy Shaver.
Founding member Sharon Taffet (below) addresses a gathering of nearly 60 members and friends Nov. 19 at her Merion Station home. We thank Mary and Sharon for their generosity and for enthusiastically spreading the word about Impact.
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Promoting Impact100 Online
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Interested in discussing how Impact100 can best use social
networking sites to spread the word about our organization? Please
volunteer to join a new discussion group. Email us at info@impact100philly.org |
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Board of Directors
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The 2009-2010 Board
Co-President
Beth Dahle
Co-President
Mary Broach
Treasurer
Cheryl Haze Luehrs
Secretary
Ellan Bernstein
Grants
Anita Lockhart
Educational Programs Wendy Peck
PR/Marketing Stephanie Corp Maguire
Membership/Website Charlotte Schutzman
Recruiting
Jacquie Kelly
Communications
Beth Burrell |
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