April 11, 2016
Impact 100 Garden State, a philanthropic women’s organization has raised a record-breaking $244,000 for nonprofit grants: two $100,000 grants and one $44,000 grant. The grants must be used to fund programs in Morris, Passaic, Somerset, or Sussex counties. Grant applicants should focus on one of five grant categories—Arts and Culture; Children and Families; Education; Environment, Preservation and Recreation; or Health and Wellness. All applications must be submitted online by May 25, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.
“Impact 100 is based on a unique collaborative giving process. Each member contributes $1,000 and every dollar of that contribution is used to fund grants,” explains Impact 100 Garden State President Elisabeth MacDonald (Mendham). “Over the past four years, we’ve raised over $760,000 for nonprofit grants.”
A key goal of the organization is to encourage nonprofits to develop innovative programs that address unmet needs and underserved populations in local communities.
“We want to change lives for the better in New Jersey, and we recognize that local nonprofits are often in the best position to bring about this change,” adds Grant Committee Co-Chair Suzanne Herrmann (Morristown). “Whether applying for a $100,000 grant or $44,000 grant, we expect the nonprofit to propose a program that can be truly transformative.”
In the past, grants have been awarded to support programs that serve at-risk youth, veterans, the elderly, the homeless, and the food insecure.
The grant application and requirements are posted on the Impact 100 Garden State website www.impact100gardenstate.org. Grant finalists will present their programs to the Impact 100 Garden State membership at its Annual Awards Meeting on November 2 at the Olde Mill Inn in Basking Ridge. Members will then vote for grant recipients.
To help nonprofits better understand the process and grant criteria, staff and leadership of these organizations are invited to attend Impact 100 Garden State Information Sessions offered as follows:
- Monday April 18, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Bernardsville Public Library, 1 Anderson Hill Road, Bernardsville;
- Thursday, April 21, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Community Soup Kitchen of Morristown, Church of the Redeemer, 62 South Street, Morristown;
- Monday, April 25, 10:00 a.m. to noon at the United Way of Northern New Jersey, 2 Spring Street, Newton; and
- Monday, May 2, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at New Jersey Community Development Corp, Rogers Meeting Center, 32 Spruce Street, Paterson.
To register for a session, send an email to grants@impact100gardenstate.org. Grant applicants are not required to attend these sessions, but have found them to be helpful in the past.
The Community Foundation of New Jersey is pleased to not only host Impact 100 Garden State, but also provide significant administrative support to the organization. When Impact 100 was just an idea incubating at the Community Foundation, we could not have imagined what a successful philanthropic partnership it would become.
Established in 1979, the Community Foundation of New Jersey is an alliance of families, businesses and foundations that work together to create lasting differences in people’s lives and communities. Its mission is to support charitable giving that is inspired by its donors, targeted at making communities stronger, driven by creative solutions, and effective in achieving lasting change.
Details about membership in Impact 100 Garden State are available on www.impact100gardenstate.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @impact100nj.