By Michelle Ruschman
When Joni Wallace, the current President of Impact100 of Northwest Florida, thinks about the hope this organization can bring to our community, it comes down to this: Multiply success by collective giving.
The goal in 2024 is for Impact100 NWF to have 500 members by April 30th, all paying a $1000 membership, to change the trajectory of a non-profit in each of these five key areas:
• Arts and Culture
• Education
• Environment, Recreation, and Preservation
• Family
• Health and Wellness
With 500 members, it means that a $100,000 grant can be given to five non-profit organizations that will multiply the health of the community it serves in ways that will have generational impact. As Joni points out, “You could certainly write a check for $1000 and give it to a non-profit who would certainly appreciate it and use it. But when you give $100,000 as a collective gift, that is what takes a nonprofit to the next level. It’s transformational, no matter how transformational is defined. $100,000 is a big investment.”
The local chapter started in 2012 with 12 women from both Okaloosa and Walton counties. They dreamed about the changes that could happen when this level of generosity is given to local nonprofits and decided they wanted to be part of this international movement. Its mission: To be a collective force for good; uniting and empowering women to give together, creating transformational impact, locally and globally.
One such recipient in 2023 was the EOD Warrior Foundation under the Health and Wellness category. They strive to support the quality of life and reduce the challenges that come from volunteering to take on one of the most dangerous jobs in the military, the safe disarming and disposal of bombs and other explosives. EODWF recognizes that members of the Special Forces have the highest rate of suicide and mental health struggles that can lead to physical and familial instability. The grant from Impact100 NWF allowed them to expand their care by directly affecting two critical parts: Updating and renovating the EODWF building and expanding existing support as well as creating new programmatic support.
It’s not just locally started non-profits who benefit. Even more well-known international organizations who want to serve locally, such as The Salvation Army, applied to Impact100 under the “Family” category. With its grant, The Salvation Army bought a disaster response vehicle and went to Northern Florida after Hurricane Idalia, serving 500 meals per sitting. The truck was equipped with Starlink, and it gave those who were affected a chance to reach out to family, offering some peace of mind during a devastating time. The truck doesn’t just operate during natural disasters. Every week, the truck goes to Crestview on Tuesdays to feed the hungry, a day when meals aren’t so readily available.
Both of these programs would have been impossible to grow with a single $1000 donation, and it would have delayed critical services as funds were gathered. However, with 100 people linking arms in each of these categories, members of our military and those who face food insecurity are already feeling the benefits of these grants.
Impact100 is also designed to vet those who are seeking a grant to ensure the money is used as outlined in the proposal. “Any organization has to be a 501c3 for at least two years upon application. So, there’s some financial history that can be reviewed. We also need them to be registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture which provides the license to solicit contributions. They also have to be registered with the Florida Division of Corporations and file their reports regularly with SunBiz. We also ask that they have directors’ and officers’ insurance as well as general liability. We don’t want to fund someone who could get sued and then lose it. If it’s a religious organization, they can’t require that recipients of their services prescribe to their particular faith even if they identify to one in particular. Forcing that would disqualify them from applying for our grant. Same with mandatory political affiliation.”
If you are an organization ready to make a massive headway for the people you serve, then note that the Letter of Intent deadline is May 15, 2024, and the application deadline is July 15, 2024. Interested nonprofits must submit the letter of intent and meet those qualifications before being given the grant application.
How does membership work for those who want to be part of Impact100 NWF? “Many of our members will write a check and that is the extent of their involvement. That contribution, however, allows them a vote for the organization they want to offer a grant to. For those who want to get more involved, there are committees under each category and it’s those people who will have a more intimate knowledge of each applicant as they get to know the founders and tour facilities.
“We want members to be able to participate in the nonprofits and activities where they want to see change. Many women join us because they want to make a difference in specific areas like education or environmental preservation. The reason we are promoting membership is each person has one vote for every $100,000 that’s available. This means if we don’t have the full amount in each category, members have to vote for the categories they feel most passionate about. With less money available, critical areas will go unserved. Last year we only had four grants to give, so members had to choose the four categories that they wanted to vote in. This is why five grants is so important. We want every category to have a chance to grow.”
With all 500 membership slots filled, exponential good could be injected into Okaloosa and Walton County. Join by April 30th and, together, positive change will be inevitable.
For additional information on applying for a grant or joining as a member, visit impactnwf.org.
Impact100 has become an international organization since its start in 2001. Its founder, Wendy Steele, launched the organization to activate women through large grants that would make a massive impact. In February of this year, Wendy was named Florida’s honoree for USA TODAY’s Woman of the Year.
