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February Newsletter
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Vol. 24 2012
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Save the Date
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ANNUAL MEETING
Monday, June 4 , 6-9 pm
World Cafe Live, Philadelphia
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In the News
- Grantee WePAC covered in the Philadelphia Tribune
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Find and Follow
Impact100
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Follow us on Twitter |
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Proposal Review Begins!
Dear Members and Friends, This is an exciting week, as our Focus Area Committees begin to meet. From letters of inquiry submitted in January, Impact100 volunteers selected applicants from each focus area and invited them to submit a full proposal. FAC members will review a total of 38 full proposals. What do Impact's applicants look like? In organization size, the pool of about 200 LOI applicants reflected Impact's emphasis on smaller organizations: About a quarter had budgets under $500,000; a quarter had budgets between $500,000 and $1,000,000; and half had budgets greater than $1,000,000. Across the five focus areas, we have, on average, seven or eight proposals per committee. Within that pool, the majority of organizations are located in Philadelphia, but applicants draw from all six counties in our region: Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia. We are highly impressed with the quality and scope of the proposed projects, and look forward to the experience of our FAC volunteers as they learn about these organizations over the next few months. The number of worthy projects makes us even more excited that our members have bonded together to award five grants in June -- including two $100,000 project grants. 
Impact's April newsletter will offer an update about the grant process and the work of FACs as they move into the site visit phase of proposal review.
Anita Lockhart, Grants Co-Chair
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The Poor: Perception and Reality
By Barbara Matteucci
The status of the poor and the question of their safety net have generated much debate among presidential contenders this year. The candidates would have benefited greatly from attending Impact100's winter educational program on February 13, held at the Free Library of Philadelphia, entitled "The Poor: Perception and Reality." The speaker, Alfred Lubrano, presented a well-researched yet very personal picture of poverty in America, gleaned from his investigative reporting.
 | | Speaker Alfred Lubrano |
Lubrano, a reporter and writer at the Philadelphia Inquirer for 25 years and the author of Limbo: Blue Collar Roots, White Collar Dreams, has, for the last three years, reported on poverty at the Philadelphia Inquirer. His work has compelled him to dig ever more deeply into the reality of poverty. Two themes dominated this discussion of his work: the harshness of all aspects of a life in poverty ("The poor don't live in America. They live under America," he said) and the degree of hatred that is unashamedly directed against the poor. Using examples from his interviews in homeless shelters and decaying apartments, Lubrano delineated the hurdles that the poor must overcome. At the same time, he systemically addressed and then diffused the most potent indictments leveled against the poor: "welfare queens" have babies just to get the checks; people lead the good life on food stamps; "poor" people shouldn't have cell phones, refrigerators, air conditioners.  | | Member Tish Boath, Programs Chair Deb Correll |
Looking at the volatile issue of food stamps, he explained how opponents of assistance programs fail to grasp the severity of hunger among the poor. He noted that in the present economy, food stamps are inadequate, covering costs for only three weeks out of the month. By week four, mothers are depriving themselves to feed their children. While his articles on hunger have generated significant donations to food banks, the sad truth is that Philadelphia has more than 900 such food cupboards . "If someone has to go to a food bank, it's an American failure." Much of Lubrano's lecture painted a grim picture of the lives of 13 percent of the U.S. population. But sprinkled throughout his lecture, and in the question and answer period following, the discussion of constructive programs like Philadelphia Futures, and dedicated individuals like Dr. Mariana Chilton at Drexel School of Public Health, provided hope for the fight against poverty. He stressed the critical role of living wage jobs as the only road out of poverty. To the question "What can we do?" he suggested monetarily supporting organizations committed to ending poverty. His concluding statement, however, seemed to sum up his personal solution - utilizing the power of the written and spoken word. Lubrano uses his writing to confront the public and to expose the reality of poverty. In closing, he said someday, he "wants to write the perfect sentence that allows people to stop hating the poor."  | | Gathering at the Free Library before Lubrano's talk |
This article was written by Barbara Matteucci, a physician and teacher. She is a first-year member of Impact100.
Impact100 Philadelphia thanks Alfred Lubrano, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and Diverse Catering for their support of this program. |
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Member Spotlight: Melissa Margulies
By Renee Margulies
 | | Melissa Margulies |
Whoever said "You can't do it all" hasn't met Melissa. She has seamlessly combined school, marriage, career, children and volunteer work for most of her life. Born in New York, Melissa moved to Livingston, New Jersey, where she attended the public schools before moving on to college at Franklin and Marshall. During her years at college, Melissa volunteered at a women's shelter and enjoyed the feeling that helping those in need gave her. At that time she met a classmate, Stuart, who would become her husband a few years later. Since law school graduation, Melissa has worked mostly full time, and has raised three children while stretching the day to include giving back to the community. At Adath Israel, she has served as chairperson of the pre-school board, on the synagogue executive committee and the board of directors, and co-chaired last year's fundraiser. From 2009 to 2011, she volunteered at WePAC and was delighted when this group received Impact100's project grant last year. Currently, she tutors second graders for Philadelphia Reads and cooks and delivers meals to families in crisis. When Impact100 came calling, Melissa was attracted to the idea of pooling funds with others and having a voice in choosing how those funds would be used. "I love these women," she said. "I love setting a good example for our children. I love knowing that my contribution is as important as everyone else's." Another reason for Melissa's support of Impact100 is that 100% - not 20% or 60%, but all of the donations - goes to grants. Everyone is a volunteer, and very little is spent on administration. Melissa hopes that Impact100 will continue to make a difference in the lives of many people in the metropolitan Philadelphia area for many years. This article was written by Renee Margulies, an Impact100 member since 2010, and Melissa's mother-in-law. They are among many family members who have joined Impact after learning about it from a relative. |
Many thanks to our guest writers Renee Margulies and Barbara Matteucci and photographer Beth Burrell for their contributions to this issue.
Look for more news about the grant process in our April issue. Please email us at info@impact100philly.org to share any feedback or questions, or if you would be interested in helping with future newsletters.
Mary Broach, Communications Chair
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