September 10, 2014
Impact 100 Garden State, a philanthropic women’s organization for which the Community Foundation of New Jersey provides extensive administrative support, has selected nine nonprofit organizations as finalists for $185,000 in grants it will award in October.
Impact 100 invited applications from nonprofits in Morris, Passaic, Somerset, and Sussex counties that were in search of funds for transformative programs aimed at helping their local communities and improving the quality of life for people in these counties. More than 70 organizations submitted applications for two grants – a $100,000 grant and an $85,000 grant, both of which are completely funded by Impact 100 members.
For the $100,000 grant, the finalists are: The Growing Stage-The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey, Netcong (Arts and Culture grant category); Cancer Support Community Central NJ, Bedminster (Children and Families); Lake Drive Educational Foundation For Children Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Mountain Lakes (Education); New Jersey Audubon Society, Bernardsville (Environment); America’s Grow-a-Row (AGAR), Pittstown (Health and Wellness).
For the $85,000 grant: the finalists are: The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Madison (Arts and Culture grant category); Middle Earth, Inc., Bridgewater (Children and Families); Students 2 Science, Inc., East Hanover (Education); The Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, Morristown (Health and Wellness). There was no finalist in the Environment grant category for the $85,000 grant.
“What makes out program unique is not only the size of our grants but also the fact that every member has a voice in determining the recipients,” emphasizes Impact 100 President Carole Rogers, a founder of the organization, which is modeled after similar groups around the country. “When we formed the organization two years ago, our goal was to ensure that we could provide transformative grants – grants for organizations that have a clear-cut vision with measurable results. All of our finalists have such a vision.”
Each of these organizations will make a brief presentation to Impact 100 members at the Annual Membership Meeting at 6pm on October 8 at the Olde Mill Inn in Basking Ridge. The membership will then vote for the two recipients and the results will be announced immediately
Women may join now for the next membership year, which begins November 1, 2014. The leadership of Impact 100 Garden State looks forward to enlarging the organization’s membership in 2015 and thus increasing the size of the grants to be awarded.
The organization’s website is www.impact100gardenstate.org. Questions about the grant process or about 2015 membership should be directed to impact100gardenstate@gmail.com