MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

FEATURING

MARY JANE

ROBERTSON

Member since 2012

MELANIE

SMITH

Member since 2018

Why did you join Impact100?

MARY JANE: I joined Impact 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 had long made donations to charities but always wondered whether my money was really being put to good use. As soon as she explained the concept of members pooling their money to give meaningful grants to nonprofit programs vetted and selected by the members, I was in!

MELANIE: I was about to return to the U.S. after a three- year expatriate assignment in Shanghai, China when a neighbor of mine suggested that I join Impact 100 as a way to reenter the community, meet people, make an impact and have some fun! I attended the Annual Awards Meeting that year as her guest and was sold!

Describe a meaningful moment from your Impact 100 experience.

MARY JANE: My answer to this question may be different from most. I spent decades as a senior financial executive in the corporate world. I had just retired when I joined the leadership team in 2014 and it felt like being part of a small startup, something I had done earlier in my career and thoroughly enjoyed. 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. That said, last year’s live responses by our grant recipients upon hearing of their selection at our first virtual annual awards meeting in the middle of the pandemic was SO touching!

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 she was moved to tears about the prospect of becoming a grant recipient. She thanked me profusely for spending so much time with her and her team to 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?

MELANIE: Hearing the grant recipients each year talk about how, because of Impact 100, 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 most interested in the idea of collective giving having a greater impact, others may be attracted by the opportunity to engage with nonprofits, others still may be looking for an opportunity to meet like-minded women. There are many compelling facets of the Impact 100 model and those facets are valued differently by different women.

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.

MARY JANE Impact 100 Garden State

Impact 100 Garden State Annual Awards Meeting, 2019