Increase Your Impact by 100.

By Marilyn Machlowitz

Although Impact 100 was founded in 2001, I didn’t hear about it until 2023. The concept is elegant in its simplicity:

• One hundred women each donate $1,000 (which is tax-deductible);

• $100,000 is awarded to a local charity.

Since I am sucker for matching gifts programs – where my contribution is doubled—I was quite attracted to this multiplier.

I recently attended the kickoff event for Impact 100 NYC. While not all participants are in the Lustre stage of life, many are. Although the person who invited me was a retired nonprofit executive, no particular expertise is required to participate. She had been impressed by the dedication of donors and thrilled to get involved and learn of a little-known nonprofit, Sure We Can, which supports those who collect cans and bottles to make a living.

Moreover, donors can do much more than write a check or authorize a credit card. Donors, called “members,” can spread the word so that nonprofits complete the application process and compete in a rigorous member-directed selection process that evaluates applicants’ financial strength and program effectiveness. New members receive training and a buddy. Members can and do make site visits and, later, may choose to stay involved with winning nonprofits (grantees) as volunteers, mentoring staff or serving in other ways. In selecting the winning nonprofits, each woman has one vote.

Impact100NYC is completely volunteer-led (there is no paid staff, so members’ donations do not support overhead). Committees include:

• Membership;

• Member Education and Events;

• Marketing and Communication;

• Nonprofit Outreach;

• Grant Review;

• Technology; and

• Finance.

The range of nonprofits that benefit is broad:

• In Cincinnati, the Impact100 group selected Found Village, which provides a community of care to those aged 18 to 25 who have aged out of social services to as they navigate the transition to adulthood.

• In Westchester County (NY), Impact 100 made a grant to The Sharing Shelf, a clothing bank for children from birth to 19, offering a week’s worth of clothing plus such essentials as diapers or period products.

Each annual funding cycle has multiple outcomes: members become acquainted with the range of needs and innovative solutions in their own communities; members learn about nonprofits in general and lesser-known nonprofits in particular; and then members create an impact in their own communities by serving unmet needs and under-resourced populations.

The nonprofits fall into broad focus areas: Arts & Culture; Education; Environment, Preservation & Recreation; Family; and Health & Wellness.

For Impact 100 NYC, nonprofits need to be classified as 501(c)(3) public charities, have operating budgets between $500,000 and $5,000,000 and provide three years’ worth of CPA-audited financials. Other chapters have similar but not identical criteria for eligibility.

Impact100 groups exist in more than 60 areas in the United States and elsewhere in the English-speaking world. Many chapters attract more than 100 women and make multiple $100,000 grants. Each chapter regularly seeks additional members in order to offer more grants.

For more information and to learn whether an Impact 100 group exists near you, go here.

Marilyn lives, works, writes and volunteers in New York.