Impact100 Martin to award $200,000 in grants April 8

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Jackie Holfelder:

On April 8, Impact100 Martin will hold its 2021 grant awards celebration as both a live and a livestreamed event.

At the event, the philanthropic group will present two Martin County nonprofits with a $100,000 allocation each to be used for a compelling program or project that addresses a critical need or problem in the county.1

The four finalists are Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County, House of Hope, New Horizons of the Treasure Coast, Inc., and SafeSpace, Inc.

In the four years since its founding, the women’s philanthropic organization has awarded nearly $700,000 to local nonprofits, including the two $100,000 impact grants that will be presented April 8.  Impact100 Martin is a group of women that is part of the global Impact100 organization. There are currently 200-plus members in the local chapter.

This year, for the first time, the grant awards celebration will take place at St. Mary’s Pittenger Center, 701 SE Ocean Blvd, Stuart. Attendance is limited to Impact100 Martin members, finalists, and sponsor representation only, due to limited capacity with distanced seating. Attendees can RSVP here. All attending are asked to follow recommended CDC guidelines.

The entire event will also be livestreamed beginning at 9 a.m. to the general public; virtual attendees can RSVP here.2

The two nonprofits chosen to receive the $100,000 impact grants will be selected by the entire membership of Impact100 Martin and announced for the first time during the event.

Impact100 Martin empowers women to create positive, lasting change in Martin County through collective giving.  The philanthropic organization maintains a field of interest fund with the Community Foundation Martin-St. Lucie.

Impact100 Martin Funds Healthy Start’s Mobile Diaper Van

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New Look, Same Mission

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New Look, Same Mission

Impact100 Martin is celebrating our 4th year with a fresh look and feel. We are one of the early chapters to update our logo, colors and website to align with the new Impact100 unified branding strategy. The strategy is to create a unified central brand that will make Impact100 increasingly recognizable as an empowered female philanthropic organization nationally and worldwide while being able to be customized to meet the needs of local chapters.

Seastar Icon

The flowering seastar stems from Impact100 founder Wendy Steele’s passion for the sea and the starfish it supports, blended with her vision for Impact100 to reach beyond the sea to the stars. It’s both a seven-petaled flower and a seven-pointed star inspired in shape and form by the starfish and the seagrass that nourishes and provides a haven to the starfish. The flowering seastar unleashes the organization from the limitations of the starfish and represents the transition from the individual to the collective, from the past to the future and from the sea to the stars.

Impact100 Branding

The space between Impact and 100 has been removed to merge two separate strong ideas into one new brand name. The color lavender was chosen for our organization of philanthropic women because it represents a serious confident version of femininity and it is associated with welcoming, caring, inspiring, uplifting, vitality and transformation.

Chapter Sub-Brand Customization

At the top of the website is our new chapter logo, utilizing the icon and branding of our Impact100 parent but customized with the ocean color and special font to reflect the character of our chapter and area. We have maintained and are using our nautilus icon in the wallpaper pattern with the ocean color. We are also continuing to use the tangerine/orange color as a complement to the lavender and ocean colors.

Same Mission

Though our look is changing, we are more dedicated than ever to our mission: Women creating positive, lasting change in our community through collective giving. Thanks to our members, in our first three years, Impact100 Martin has awarded $482,000 to area nonprofits providing services to Martin County.

We hope you are excited about our new look, what we have accomplished together so far, and the future of our chapter. Please help us to continue making an impact in our 4th year!

 

COVID-19 Grants Final Report

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All $224,000 of Third Year Impact100 Martin Grant Funds Awarded

We are proud to announce that over a five month period from April through August,100% of Impact100 Martin’s 3rd year $224,000 grant funds has been awarded to 14 local nonprofits who needed assistance in providing services to our community during the pandemic. Sixteen grants were actually funded by Impact100 Martin with two organizations receiving two grants each in different months. A BIG thank you to our members for making all this possible through their membership commitment and their overwhelming vote to make a one-time change in the grants process to help nonprofits and those they serve during the COVID-19 crisis.

Plans are underway for our 4th year when we will be returning to our regular grants process of awarding $100,000 Impact Grants to programs that have significant lasting impact in Martin County.  We and the area nonprofits are counting on your continued commitment to make our 4th year a success.

August

ARC of Martin County – $7,000
In April, Impact100 had funded $21,323 for laptops to enable remote supervision and to cover additional services for new clients gained due to COVID-19. This second grant will assist in funding an employment program developed to offer job training and career opportunities to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities while assisting businesses in the community with much needed cleaning and disinfecting services in response to the pandemic. We are one of four funders who together will fulfill their total program request of $24,035.

Helping People Succeed – $5,638
As agreed with one other funder, Impact100 is paying for half of the $11,275 requested to purchase an additional server, licenses and security protection to enable additional employees to serve Martin County clients virtually. With the combination of this new server and the current server, 43 employees will be able to provide services remotely to current clients as well as to be able to expand enrollment.

Martin County Healthy Start Coalition – $25,916
Impact100 is funding the entire request for $21,416 to pay for a 2017 used Ford van, including vehicle wrap and one year of insurance and gas. The van is needed primarily to transport diapers and other supplies to regular as well as to satellite pantry distribution sites where pregnant women and new mothers have transportation issues and the demand for diapers has more than doubled. Having the van will mitigate liability risks and decrease expenses as staff is currently using their personal cars. With the vehicle wrap, there is opportunity for our Impact logo to be displayed so be on the lookout for it. We also funded $4,500 to help purchase new computers so the staff can work remotely to ensure continuity of operations and reaching clients through virtual home visits during the pandemic. Another funder awarded $9,500 for the balance of the computer request.

Martin County Police Athletic League – $4,940
Due to COVID-19 related closing of the Sheriff’s Office facility, Impact100 will help MCPAL continue their youth programs dedicated to sportsmanship, friendly competition and fitness for boys and girls living at or below the poverty level. Current programs (boxing, wrestling and youth leadership), which help to create relationships with law enforcement as mentors and coaches, are being moved to the Boxing Gym. Our grant will fund internet service, computer upgrade, TV, fans, tables and chairs, PPE supplies at the Gym, as well as boxing equipment starter packs for participants.

SafeSpace – $17,725
Impact100 is providing 50% of the total funding requested to employ a part time cleaning/janitorial person for a year and to purchase workstation and bed shields, air purifier and filters, PPE and cleaning supplies to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the Stuart emergency shelter for domestic violence victims and their families. Currently, cleaning and disinfecting are being done by shelter advocates which is taking away from their time working with victims and their children. One other funder is contributing an additional $5,000 and another reusable masks.

July

The Education Foundation of Martin County– $13,800
Impact100 funding will pay for 920 learning kits for elementary-aged children in Indiantown. The kits were designed with teachers’ input and consist of grade-level specific school supplies: flashcards, books to read, coordinating book study and math worksheet packets, coloring and activity or puzzle books. The kits will enable the children to continue learning regardless of school opening situation or internet connection limitations. Kits will be distributed at Warfield Elementary when families pick up meals provided by the school district.

June

Council on Aging of Martin County–$12,500
In April, Impact100 had funded $15,000 for a walk-in freezer needed to meet increased demand for the Meals on Wheels program due to the pandemic. A second Impact100 grant was given this month for a new commercial grade replacement dishwasher for the same and other senior programs provided by the organization.

Hope Rural School – $10,000
Impact100 funding will assist in the purchase of Chromebooks for one-on-one and virtual classroom teaching. This would allow for continued learning for K-5 children in Indiantown, including distant and/or blended learning, while adhering to social distancing mandates.  We are one of five funders who are fulfilling their total request of $67,251 for 140 Chromebooks with 3-year service contracts, insurance and hard shell protective cases.
 
Salvation Army of Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee Counties – $11,000
Our funding will help pay operating expenses for Compassion House in Martin County which provides shelter and meals for homeless women and their children while they work to find stable employment and housing.  Impact100 and two other funders are fulfilling their total request of $32,275.

May

House of Hope —$12,484
Impact100 funds will assist with operating expenses for their production farm and nutrition center which play important roles in HOH’s ability to provide food, especially with the increased demand during the pandemic. We are one of five funders who together are fulfilling their total request of $52,869.

April

ARC of Martin County — $21,323
Impact100 funding paid for laptops to allow ARC to supervise their 11 residential locations remotely and cover additional services for 16 new clients they gained due to other agencies closing.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County — $27,600
Funding was requested for technology, materials and supplies for a virtual academic enrichment program due to schools and clubs closing. Educational kits will be distributed to children in conjunction with meal distribution. We are one of three funders who together are fulfilling their entire virtual learning request of $65,600. Impact funds will cover 1,500 art kits, 1,500 social-emotional learning kits and nine Surface Pro tablets.

Council on Aging of Martin County – $15,000
Our funding will pay for an additional walk-in freezer for the Meals on Wheels program. This is needed to expand the capacity to meet the increased demand resulting from the pandemic.

Light of the World Charities — $12,632
We funded their total request for 60 days of operating expenses. They are providing emergency dental services only. Staff continues to work remotely answering calls, assessing families’ needs, electronically submitting prescriptions and conducting daily operations, such as grant/loan applications and virtual in-service training.

Tykes & Teens — $17,442
Impact100 funds are being used to maintain the Youth Enrichment Services (YES) program, an established counseling program for pre-teens and adolescents who are struggling with alcohol, drugs or other dangerous behaviors. Like many nonprofits’ programs, YES had a deficit due to a COVID-19-related reduction in revenue.

Volunteers in Medicine — $9,000
Our funding will pay co-payments for clients who are unable to get needed medications donated by drug manufacturers. This is a service VIM currently provides and they are seeing an increase in demand for this support since the pandemic has caused clients to lose their jobs

A Letter To Our Members

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Dear Impact100 Martin member,

Thank you for being a member of Impact100 Martin this past year.  We hope that you and your family are safe and healthy.

If life this year was “normal,” you would have been asked to recommit your membership to Impact100 Martin at our annual Grant Awards Celebration in April.  At that time, we would have chosen our 2020 Impact Grant recipients, heard words of inspiration, and collectively experienced the impact that we are making – together – in our community.

Alas, these are not normal times.  But thanks to you and your sister members, our response to this pandemic has been nothing short of extraordinary.  Our impact is truly being felt throughout Martin County – just in a different way than we’d planned.

By quickly regrouping in light of the developing pandemic and making a resounding decision to dedicate this year’s grant funding to COVID-19 relief, our membership has demonstrated flexibility, resilience and an unwavering commitment to create positive, lasting change through collective giving.  To date, 13 of our area’s nonprofit organizations serving those hardest hit by the pandemic have received grant funding through Impact100 Martin.

As we look forward to our fourth year, the philanthropic landscape in Martin County has transformed dramatically.  Our community needs us now more than ever.  During these unprecedented times, you can help us make an even bigger impact by renewing your membership for the coming year.  Can we count on you?

Enclosed is a membership commitment card and return envelope for your convenience.  We encourage you to reach out to either of us with any questions or input you may have.

Thank you for making an impact in our community through collective giving.  Together, we have accomplished much . . . yet in these challenging times, there is much more to be done.  We hope you will join us.

Sincerely,

Ann Barwig & Maureen Cotter

 

Florida Oceanographic Society gets Impact100 Martin grant for coastal restoration

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Mikayla Brody
Special to TCPalm

 

Florida Oceanographic Society has received a $25,500 grant from the Impact100 Martin grant program to support greater environmental stewardship of the St. Lucie Estuary and the Indian River Lagoon through the Living Shorelines to Save Our Waters project.

This project will improve water quality, restore habitat, protect shorelines from erosion, and create living classrooms to educate students, homeowners and land managers about the value of healthy shorelines. Florida Oceanographic is proud to have been selected as one of three finalists in the grant competition in April 2019, following several rounds of voting and elimination.

The project seeks to bolster the water quality in the St. Lucie Estuary and the Indian River Lagoon, which has been heavily impacted by Lake Okeechobee discharges, algae blooms and runoff from urban and agricultural areas.

By integrating oyster reefs with salt marsh grasses and mangroves to create a “multi-layer” living shoreline, researchers can create habitat and improve the health of the estuaries. Florida Oceanographic has been restoring important aquatic habitats in local estuaries for more than 10 years and will use the funds from the Impact100 Martin grant program to expand its capacity to construct these living shorelines.

Specifically, the grant will allow for Florida Oceanographic to collect more oyster shells from local restaurants and use the shells as the base to construct living shorelines at three sites in Martin County, one in the St. Lucie Estuary and two in the Indian River Lagoon.

These sites will benefit education, research and advocacy of local estuaries. One of the sites will be lat the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center and will serve as a living classroom for school groups and visitors.

These funds also will support one field trip to the Coastal Center and living shoreline site at no cost to the students or school. Based on the research and results of these living shorelines, Florida Oceanographic will provide recommendations to public land managers, interested homeowners and shoreline contractors. The proposed project will be completed over a two-year period.

Education Foundation of Martin County takes home $100,000 Impact100 grant

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Denise Belizar
Special to TCPalm

Impact100 Martin’s 151 members voted to select the Education Foundation of Martin County as its $100,000 Impact Grant recipient at the awards celebration April 11 at Piper’s Landing Yacht & Country Club in Palm City.

The Education Foundation will use the grant to expand its “EFMC Plays Across the District” program to all elementary schools in Martin County. EFMC Plays promotes language, literacy and social interaction with students at the kindergarten level, and has demonstrated significant results in a pilot program conducted this past year.

Other grant finalists included the Florida Oceanographic Society for “Living Shorelines to Save Our Waters” and Tykes & Teens for “Project TEACH (Training and Educating All Child Healers).” Each agency received a $25,500 grant.

“Our growing membership allows us to award a $100,000 Impact Grant as well as provide funding to our other finalists,” said Impact100 Martin Executive Chair Nancy Wong. “We look forward to underwriting even more promising nonprofit initiatives in the future.”

Wendy Steele, founder of the international Impact100 collective giving movement and recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service, gave a keynote address focusing on women in philanthropy.

Impact100 empowers women to dramatically improve lives by collectively funding significant grants that make a lasting impact in communities. The concept is simple: At least 100 women each donate $1,000, with 100 percent of the donations given directly to charity. Impact Grants of $100,000 are awarded to the non-profit organizations and programs where they will have the most transformative impact.

Major sponsors for Impact100 Martin’s second annual Grant Awards Celebration are: Wong Family Foundation, HBKS Wealth Advisors/HBK CPAs and Consultants, Morgridge Family Foundation, PNC Wealth Management and The Arati Hammond Real Estate Team.

Impact100 Martin is a giving circle within the Community Foundation Martin-St. Lucie.

Women interested in joining Impact100 Martin should contact Robin Cartwright of the Community Foundation Martin-St. Lucie at 772-288-3795 or download a membership application at www.impact100martin.org.

Wendy Steele, Founder of Impact100, is Keynote Speaker at Grant Awards Celebration

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Denise Belizar
Special to TCPalm

 

Impact100 Martin will award a $100,000 Impact Grant and $50,000 in additional grant monies to nonprofit organizations serving Martin County at its second annual Grant Awards Celebration.

The celebration will begin at 9 a.m. April 11 at Piper’s Landing Yacht & Country Club in Palm City. Reservations for the breakfast event, which is $25 for Impact members and $50 for guests, can be made online at www.impact100martin.org.

On April 11, nonprofits selected as finalists via Impact100 Martin’s grant award process will present their proposals for initiatives that will make a profound difference in Martin County. Following the presentations, Impact100 Martin members will cast their votes for the $100,000 Impact Grant recipient. The additional $50,000 will be split among the remaining finalists.

Impact100 Martin, established in 2017, is part of a rapidly growing international collective giving movement created and founded in 2001 in Cincinnati by Wendy Steele, who received the 2014 Jefferson Award for Public Service for her work in philanthropy.  She will be the keynote speaker at the Grant Awards Celebration.

Impact100 empowers women to dramatically improve lives by collectively funding significant grants that make a lasting impact in their communities. The concept is simple:  At least 100 women each donate $1,000, with 100 percent of the donations given directly to charity. Impact Grants of $100,000 are awarded to the nonprofit organizations and programs where they will have the most transformative impact.

Major sponsors for Impact100 Martin’s second annual Grant Awards Celebration are:  Wong Family Foundation, HBKS Wealth Advisors/HBK CPAs and Consultants, PNC Bank and The Arati Hammond Real Estate Team.

To learn more about becoming an Impact100 Martin sponsor, contact Genevieve George at 772-287-4110 or ggeorge@hbkswealth.com.

Impact100 Martin is a giving circle within The Community Foundation Martin-St. Lucie.  Women interested in joining Impact100 Martin or sponsoring a member should contact Robin Cartwright of The Community Foundation Martin-St. Lucie at 772-288-3795 or download a membership application at www.impact100martin.org.

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