Impact 100 Garden State

MAGAZINE GAR D E N STA TE

IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 1

Table of Contents 2

A LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER & CEO WENDY STEELE

3

ABOUT IMPACT100

7

A LETTER FROM YOUR

CHAPTER PRESIDENT

9

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Hear from Chapter members.

11

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT:

15

THE IMPACT OF IMPACT100 See the results of our member and grantee research.

22

IMPACT 100 GARDEN

STATE GRANT

RECIPIENTS

2013-2021

Oasis

13

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT: Zufall

© 2021 MFF Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 1

WENDY STEELE Founder & CEO, Impact100

truly fulfilling local needs. At the

Looking through these pages,

same time, the Impact100 model

I am struck by the generosity

provides enough flexibility that

of each Impact100 chapter.

anyone can get involved no

The Impact100 movement is

matter the amount of time, skills,

thriving. By the end of 2021,

or giving experience.

our 20th Anniversary year, together, we will have given

The stories within this magazine

away more than $100 million in

showcase the transformational

grants to deserving nonprofits

Twenty years ago, I pulled out

work of the Impact100 chapters

around the globe. That’s

a spiral notebook and began

on a global scale. It shows what

amazing! What makes it even

writing out the reasons women

we can accomplish together and

more so, is the fact that today

felt they couldn’t give. For

how the impact multiplies with

we have even more women, in

some, it was a matter of time

each new chapter.

more communities, eager to

commitment. For others, it was

expand the movement further.

being discouraged by what

Most importantly, this magazine

Imagine the Impact we will make

they perceived as too small of

tells the story of Impact100 on

together!

a gift. I wanted all women to be

a local level. Inside these pages

invited to the giving party, and

are relationships that have been

so I created an inclusive, flexible

built, communities that have

model in that spiral notebook.

been empowered, and new

That model became known as

initiatives that change what is

Impact100.

possible. It brings into focus

Wendy Steele

the hundreds of thousands of

Founder & CEO, Impact100

Today, Impact100 Global offers

lives that are better because

the structure, resources, and

Impact100 brought individuals

community to ensure grants are

together to make a difference.

2 • IMPACT100

HOW IT WORKS

100 WOMEN $1,000 EACH =

$100,000

1 WOMAN =

TRANSFORMATIONAL

GRANT IMPACT100’S FLEXIBLE, DEMOCRATIC

GIVING CIRCLE

APPROACH empowers women to be active changemakers in their community

1 VOTE Impact100 has collectively made a

The global movement has expanded to

60+

CHAPTERS WORLDWIDE

$100 MILLION INVESTMENT

in transformational change worldwide.

WITHOUT IMPACT100,

women often face roadblocks to giving their time, treasure, and talent (i.e. families, careers, lack of access to information, resources, or connections)

CHAPTERS ARE VOLUNTEER-LED 3 • IMPACT100

THE GROWING REACH OF IMPACT100 ESTABLISHED IN DEVELOPMENT

UNITED STATES

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

UNITED KINGDOM

IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 4

IMPACT100 IN CONTEXT What is a giving circle?

A giving circle is defined as a hyper-local group of people who pool their resources to more effectively give back.

Giving circles are often brought together by a common interest or quality, such as gender, race, religion or a passion for the environment. Given the local and specific focus of these groups, their grassroots activism often breathes new life into underrepresented and underfunded organizations and causes.

Philanthropy Institute and the

So, where does Impact100

Collective Giving Research

fit in?

Group found that giving

While Impact100 closely

circles engage people new to

resembles giving circles in its

philanthropy and that those giving circle members leverage their experience by building powerful philanthropic social

model and functions, it sets itself apart in a few key ways.

Impact100 is both a grassroots

networks.

and top-down organization.

Interest in starting a chapter

As giving continues to grow

and mobilizing members

and evolve, there’s no doubt

happens at the local level, while

that giving circles will play

resources, structure and tools

an important role in shaping future philanthropists and their priorities.

come from Impact100 Global.

While each chapter determines their specific focus areas and

Charitable giving has become more and more a social act. As a result, the popularity of giving

Chapter Count & Inquiries: 2019-2020

circles grew significantly over the last two decades. The Future of Giving, a report on trends in philanthropy by sparks&honey

54

63 51

and the Morgridge Family Foundation, found that the number of giving circles increased 225 percent from 2006-2017.

Not only are giving circles popular, they’re effective. A 2018 study by the Women’s 5 • IMPACT100

2019 Chapters

2020 Chapters

2020 Inquiries

Oakland Chapter membership at their 2019 Grant Announcement Event

chooses their own grantees, they share a common goal and model. Chapters around the world can communicate and learn from each other.

In just a single year - in the midst of a pandemic 9 new Impact100 chapters were launched around the world, while 51 additional communities raised their collective hands to inquire about starting their own chapters. Impact100 Global is the fuel that accelerates this growth—turning connected, local missions into a cohesive global movement so that more women in more communities can change the world.

There are nearly as many communities eager to launch an Impact100 chapter as there are existing chapters. This abundance of interest means Impact100 has the potential to grow exponentially in the coming years. We not only have the potential—we have the plan. Together, there is no

In just a single year - in the midst of a pandemic - 9 new Impact100 chapters were launched around the world, while 51 additional communities raised their collective hands to inquire about starting their own chapters.

limit to the impact that we can achieve.

IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 6

A Letter from your

Chapter President

DEBORAH SEME Garden State Chapter President As President of Impact100 Garden State, I find myself inspired on a daily basis by the women (355 as of this writing) who make up our membership.

a member, I invite you to learn more about us at www. impact100gardenstate. org and to contact us by writing to member@ impact100gardenstate.org.

If you are a nonprofit interested in applying for one of our Impact grants, you can also go to our website to learn more, or contact us directly at grants@

impact100gardenstate.org.

And if you are a corporation considering becoming one of our sponsors, we would be honored to have your financial support. You can reach us at info@impact100gardenstate.org.

We’re especially proud to say our Impact goes beyond the checks. The relationships that we build with our grantees are

The word “inspire” comes from a Greek word which means “to blow through.” The inspiration that blows through Impact100 Garden State isn’t just a gentle breeze—it’s a gale-force wind!

The more members that I get to meet and know, the more I am blown away by their passion, their genius, their talents, and their desire to serve.

Those of you who are current members know what I mean. To those of who may be considering becoming

7 • IMPACT100

Impact100 Garden State 2021-2022 Leadership Team: from top of stairs, left to right, Lisa Wallburg, Cindy Fleischer, Jennifer Avers, Marijane Lundt. Second row, from left, Bette Schultz, Ann Stachenfeld, Martha Lewis, Susanne von der Linde.

Third row, from left, Pat Rochkind, Lee Bashe, Lori Wilson, Louise Murray. Front row, Suzanne Thoeni, Ruth Zowader, Lee Connor, Debby Seme. Not pictured: Mary Jane Robertson.

as sustainable as the programs we fund. Best of all, our members benefit from these interactions and can truly say they are philanthropists in every sense of the word, as they also volunteer and serve with many of these nonprofits in a variety of ways.

Serving

If you choose to get involved with Impact100 Garden State, you will meet and work with some of the most inspiring, most engaging, and most wonderful women on the planet. They are truly the helpers the world needs now, more than ever.

All the best, Debby Seme President, Impact 100 Garden State Chapter

MORRIS, PASSAIC, SOMERSET, SUSSEX AND UNION COUNTIES NEW JERSEY

2012 Year Founded

Total Giving

355

Number of Members

$2,400,000 Focus Areas:

Children and Families

Environment, Preservation and Recreation

Education

Health and Wellness

Arts and Culture

In 2021, Impact 100 Garden State was honored by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey “in grateful recognition of its outstanding record of charity.”

41

Total Number of Grants Awarded

82%

of members retained year-over year while obtaining new members

IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 8

Member Spotlight FEATURING

MARY JANE

MELANIE

Member since 2012

Member since 2018

ROBERTSON

SMITH

Why did you join Impact100?

nonprofit programs vetted

in the corporate world. I had

MARY JANE: I joined Impact

and selected by the members, I

just retired when I joined

was in!

the leadership team in 2014

100 Garden State in our inaugural year (2012-2013). At the time, I was serving on the board of another nonprofit in our community and was approached by a fellow member of that board to consider joining Impact 100 Garden State. It turned out she was one of the six ladies who founded our chapter and of course made a very effective and passionate pitch! She actually didn’t have to try very hard: I

and it felt like being part of MELANIE: I was about to

a small startup, something I

return to the U.S. after a three-

had done earlier in my career

year expatriate assignment

and thoroughly enjoyed. To

in Shanghai, China when a

this day—almost seven years

neighbor of mine suggested

later—I continue to find

that I join Impact 100 as a way

meaning in being involved in

to reenter the community, meet

the management of a volunteer

people, make an impact and

operation in service of a very

have some fun! I attended the

worthy cause. That said, last

Annual Awards Meeting that

year’s live responses by our

year as her guest and was sold!

grant recipients upon hearing of their selection at our first

Describe a meaningful

virtual annual awards meeting

moment from your Impact

in the middle of the pandemic

whether my money was really

100 experience.

was SO touching!

being put to good use. As soon

MARY JANE: My answer to

as she explained the concept of

this question may be different

members pooling their money

from most. I spent decades

to give meaningful grants to

as a senior financial executive

had long made donations to charities but always wondered

9 • IMPACT100

MELANIE: While leading a site visit for our grant review committee, I was able to speak at length with the Executive

Director of the organization and

most interested in the idea of

to meet like-minded women.

she was moved to tears about

collective giving having a greater

There are many compelling

the prospect of becoming a

impact, others may be attracted

facets of the Impact 100 model

grant recipient. She thanked me

by the opportunity to engage

and those facets are valued

profusely for spending so much

with nonprofits, others still may

differently by different women.

time with her and her team to

be looking for an opportunity

learn more about what they do and how they planned to use the grant if selected. It showed me that there is real impact throughout the entire process and the non-profits who apply genuinely appreciate the work we do.

What about Impact 100 inspires you to return year after year?

To this day—almost seven years later—I continue to find meaning in being involved in the management of a volunteer operation in service of a very worthy cause.

MELANIE: Hearing the grant recipients each year talk about how, because of Impact 100,

MARY JANE Impact 100 Garden State

they will be able to transform the lives of those they serve.

It’s also quite inspirational to hear from those who directly benefit from our work!

What would you tell someone thinking about joining their local Impact 100 chapter?

MARY JANE: The beauty of the Impact model is that its merits are numerous: some prospective members are

Impact 100 Garden State Annual Awards Meeting, 2019

IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 10

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT

Oasis The mission of Oasis is to

poverty line ($26,200 annual

address the challenges of

change the lives of women and

income for a family of four).

living in poverty. Our education

children by breaking the cycle of

Many Paterson residents

programs include GED,

poverty through compassionate

are Black, Latinos, or recent

ESL, Computer Training, Job

programs designed to feed,

migrants to the United States,

Readiness and Citizenship, as

clothe, educate and empower

and they suffer poverty at higher

well as fully academic after-

women and children in need

rates than average.

school programs for children

in Paterson. Paterson is a city

and teens. We provide meals in

of 150,000 people, one third

Oasis provides holistic services

our soup kitchen, food pantry

of whom live at or below the

to help women and children

packages, diapers and personal

11 • IMPACT100

hygiene products. Importantly,

Below, 2021 Impact100 Garden State grant recipients. From left: Norwescap, Community Options Enterprises, and Family Promise of Sussex County

we have three full-time social workers and a family navigator to assist families with any challenges they may face.

Impact 100’s grant enabled us to expand our GED program so that we could help many more women living in poverty earn their high school equivalency degree, enabling them to dream of a better life for themselves and their children. Specifically, we were able to add a basic literacy and numeracy class, so that women who were testing at early elementary school levels who needed to learn basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills could gain the proficiencies they needed to move forward.

Impact 100 members are engaged at every level of the

Impact 100’s grant enabled us to expand our GED program so that we could help many more women living in poverty earn their high school equivalency degree, enabling them to dream of a better life for themselves and their children.

process. They are thoughtful and thorough and are true partners in the work they support. The engagement does not stop once the grant period is complete, as Impact 100 members continue to engage and support Oasis programming on many levels.

43%

of members surveyed offered additional support to nonprofits they learned about through Impact 100 Garden State

8 in 10

members surveyed said they gained more knowledge about local community needs through participation in Impact 100 Garden State

IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 12

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT

Zufall Zufall Health has been providing high-quality, affordable medical treatment to New Jersey’s working poor, uninsured, and underserved populations for more than 30 years. Zufall is committed to its mission of offering high quality, affordable healthcare in a culturally competent way to all in need, regardless of their ability to pay. In 2020, Zufall served almost 40,000 patients in 176,000 visits. Almost 80% of Zufall’s patients are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, 53% are uninsured, 78% identify as Hispanic or Black, and 61% are best served in a language other than English. Approximately 25% of all Dover residents and 100% of uninsured Dover residents are patients at Zufall.

Impact 100’s grant has had a significant positive impact on the Dover community by increasing access to food for residents. It is critical to intervene while patients are young to prevent obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dental disease, and other serious chronic conditions in this next generation. Zufall’s focus on prevention includes the Zufall Eats food truck that will take

13 • IMPACT100

As our application was in process during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Impact 100 review team communicated well with us and provided guidance at every step along the way.

Thanks to Impact 100 Garden State’s $100,000 grant, Zufall Health was able to fund a van for its Mobile Meals for Dover Families in Need program—outreach that proved especially critical as the pandemic kept children out of school and without access to school-provided meals.

healthy meals and nutrition education to the

meals, Zufall Eats has distributed 4,340 pounds of

neighborhoods where they’re needed most.

donated food from local pantries and farms.

From December 1, 2020, through April 1, 2021,

As our application was in process during the

the Zufall Eats van distributed 11,840 school

peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Impact100

meals. Originally, the Zufall Eats program was to

review team communicated well with us and

be focused on summer meal distribution. During

provided guidance at every step along the way.

the pandemic, however, Dover students were

Since receiving the grant, Zufall has continued

learning virtually and had to go to the schools

to have regular, ongoing conversations with our

to pick up meals. By adjusting the program plan

main contact at Impact 100. Additionally, we have

(with support of the Impact 100 Garden State

had contact with other Impact 100 members who

team), Zufall staff was able to bring meals to more

have donated items for the project as well as

convenient locations for the families on a regular

volunteer time.

basis during the school year. In addition to school IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 14

INTRODUCTION While there is comprehensive and diverse literature on giving circles in general, there has been no research conducted specifically on Impact100 to measure its growth, impact on members, and influence on grant recipients. In order to fill the knowledge gap, Impact100 Global partnered with the Morgridge Family Foundation to conduct qualitative and quantitative research with 15 participating chapters. The research focused on three main tasks: 1. Highlighting the components of membership

One of the strongest values of Impact100 is that we know how and where the money is going to be spent.

MEMBER Impact100 South Australia

that are most empowering and measuring the value of member empowerment 2. Investigating factors that affect member satisfaction 3. Assessing the impact of chapters locally through the transformative work of their grantees

MEMBER EMPOWERMENT Impact100’s core mission is two-fold: to enact positive change in communities around the world and to empower women to expand their role in philanthropy. Impact100 was built on the idea that participating in philanthropy is more than just

On the following pages are the highlights of

giving. It is about learning, building community and

this research. Through individual testimonies

empowering each other.

and collective statistics illustrating common experiences, the research painted a clearer picture

When researching member empowerment in

of how Impact100 enacts positive and lasting

Impact100 chapters, it was important to first define

change on the lives of its members, its grantees

what empowerment means and how to recognize

and its communities around the world.

its existence, or lack thereof. This research defined

15 • IMPACT100

“empowerment” as having a few critical features, namely a sense of control over outcomes, an individual’s belief in their ability to impact those outcomes and awareness of one’s environment.

On these factors, Impact100 members rated their experience highly. Results can be seen below and on the following page.

91.67%

93.15%

of members feel that their chapter clearly communicates vision, mission, goals

of members say they are knowledgeable about a grant’s impact

92.34%

of members report having enough information to make voting decisions

Proportion of members who gained knowledge about local community needs from their Impact100 membership From the nonprofits’ presentations at the end of the year event

77.42%

From the summary of nonprofits provided to all members

73.79%

From the events that past grant recipients talked about their work and their experience

48.79%

Through site visits to local nonprofits hosted by the chapter

48.12%

From the conversations with other Impact100 members

42.61%

From serving on the Impact100 chapter committee

41.94%

5.24%

Other (please specify) Not Applicable (I don’t gain knowledge of local needs from my Impact100 membership)

1.61%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 16

70%

88.44%

of members feel educated about local issues and community needs

>50%

of members who have never given a single gift of $1,000 to a nonprofit prior to joining feel more confident in giving for charitable purposes

of members discovered meaningful nonprofits from participating in Impact100 and took action to provide additional support

The more active you are the more rewarding [Impact100] is. You learn about what is out there in the community and what organisations there are that may help people you know.

MEMBER Impact100 Western Australia

Proportion of members who take action to support nonprofit organizations they learn about through Impact100

What are those actions?

40.1%

Offering additional donation Introducing that nonprofit to family, friends, and prospective donors

18%

24.7% 23.4%

Being a volunteer 52%

30%

Giving feedback, advice, and consultation

17.6%

Being in that nonprofit’s leadership team

10.2% 4.8%

Other Yes

17 • IMPACT100

No

No, but thought about it

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

MEMBER HAPPINESS Once the research established that a majority of Impact100 members felt empowered, a unique measurement that is critical to the success of the Impact100 model, we sought to evaluate more common measurements of donor experience: retention and happiness. On this measure, Impact100 members once again scored their chapters highly.

78.49% 91.7%

The average annual retention rate among Impact100 chapters (78.49%) is higher than the average donor retention rate of small and medium sized nonprofits (47%)

say they would recommend chapters to their friends

89.78%

of members plan to continue their membership

55%

say Impact100 helps them expand their social network

Clockwise from top: Indian River Chapter, Palm Beach County Chapter, Metro Denver Chapter

IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 18

GRANTEE IMPACT The final pillar of Impact100’s mission is to enact positive and lasting change. While enabling women to become empowered and knowledgeable philanthropists is certainly an example of positive and lasting change, a key part of the organization’s impact is how its grantees around the world use the transformational donations they receive from Impact100 chapters. Our research solicited direct responses from grantee organizations to evaluate how Impact100 grants of all sizes transformed the nonprofit organizations themselves as well as the people and communities they serve. The highlights from those findings can be seen below and on the following page. Overall, the grantee surveys show the value Impact100 has contributed to local communities: even small gifts make a big difference.

91.7% 89.78% 1 of 5

of the surveyed grantees have used their grants to implement new programs, which aligns with Impact100’s mission of empowering their grantees while creating transformative changes to their local communities

have been able to fulfill plans of serving more people

grant recipients have used their grants to hire more staff

I am constantly impressed by the women of Impact San Antonio, and the amount of work the volunteers are able to achieve. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to understand the need in our community, and learn more about the amazing agencies that are working hard to address those needs.

MEMBER Impact100 San Antonio

19 • IMPACT100

How Impact100 grants are used 50

Implementing new programs 44

Serving more people 42

Expanding pre-existing programs 27

Renovating infrastructure/facilities 23

Hiring more staff

20

Other

10

20

30

40

50

Number of Grantees

Additional benefits from being an Impact100 grantee More publicity about the work of your nonprofit (i.e. through Impact100’s website, social media, word of mouth, etc.

90.7%

New connections gained from attending Impact100’s events

80.4%

Consultation, feedback, and advice from members of Impact100

63.6%

Additional financial support from members of Impact100 (i.e. some members decided to reach out personally and make additional contributions, matching gifts)

39.3%

More funding opportunities from other foundations directly or indirectly associated with Impact100

37.4%

21.5%

New Impact100 volunteers

6.5%

Other

4.7%

We are unable to determine at this time

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 20

Ocean First Event (Jersey Coast Chapter)

Being involved in Impact100 has really strengthened my appreciation of the issues facing the larger New Jersey community. I have a newfound appreciation for the good work being done by so many nonprofits in our area.

All of our members get information that empowers them to make important decisions throughout the year.

The ongoing communication about current members is inspirational. I hope to continue to learn more from the remarkable women that are a part of the Impact experience.

MEMBER Impact100 Jersey Coast

MEMBER Impact100 Garden State Rina Ramirez and Michelle Blanchfield of Zufall Health Center receive their grantee check (Garden State Chapter)

21 • IMPACT100

$100,000+ Grant Recipients

Impact 100 Garden State 2021 Community Options Enterprises Family Promise of Sussex County Add a little bit Norwescap of body text

2017 Oasis Project Self-Sufficiency of Sussex County

Add a little bit of body text

2020 Cornerstone Family Programs Homeless Solutions, Inc. Zufall Health Center

2016 Interfaith Food Pantry Roots and Wings

2015 New Jersey Community 2019 Development Corp.

County College of Morris Foundation Head Start of Morris County

CUMAC Union County Economic Development Corp.

2018 Greater Bergen Community Action Samaritan Inn Table to Table

2014 America's Grow-a-Row 2013 Printmaking Center of New Jersey

Additional, smaller grants have been awarded, for a total of more than $2.4 million. Learn more at www.impact100gardenstate.org.

IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 22

IMPACT100GLOBAL.ORG • 231-632-4034 23 • IMPACT100