HADDONFIELD, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — An unusual method of philanthropy is delivering on an annual promise of granting big awards to Philadelphia and South Jersey nonprofits.
Impact 100, a global organization, has Philadelphia and Haddonfield-based South Jersey chapters among its worldwide presence.
Every year, the women give $1,150 of their own money, with $1,000 earmarked for direct giving and the rest for administrative costs. After reviewing applications, they award a sizable grant of at least $100,000 to an organization of their choice.
South Jersey Chapter President-Elect Kate Williamson says individual donations add up for these organizations.
"You and I put together our money and 98 more of our friends put together our money, and we make one $100,000 donation to an organization … we agree which one that is that can be transformational," says Williamson.
"There is something really powerful about pooling it together, and being able to fund an organization, to do something that for them is truly transformational in what they can do."
Now with 200 members from Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Cumberland Counties, they are making an even bigger impact. Williamson said nonprofits can do much more with large cash infusions, especially if they have big projects they are trying to get off the ground.
"That's the kind of thing that they apply for grants for from us, and that's the kind of thing you need a chunk of money to go do,” said Williamson. “That's what we're trying to accomplish by pulling it together … to be able to do that kind of funding."
She admits that coming up with $1,000 every year is quite a chunk of money for individuals, so many of them stretch out their grant pool donations across the year.
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"We want to make this doable because we're not all wealthy white women from Haddonfield. I've heard that before,” said Williamson. “First of all, if that was a criterion, I wouldn't meet it."
Each chapter has its own focus.
In South Jersey, the focus is on education, community health and well-being, and women, children and families.
In 2021, Impact South Jersey made a $100,000 grant to Family Promise, which serves homeless families in Southwest Jersey. In 2020 they awarded $100,000 grants to LUCY, a youth organization in Camden, along with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Cumberland and Salem Counties.
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Williamson says they do it because they are passionate about making a direct impact on organizations that can put large sums of money to good use.
In Philadelphia, their membership deadline for the 2022-23 grant-making year is Nov. 15.
The group welcomes women 21 years old and older to join and be part of the 15th year of collective giving in the region. Find out more at impact100philly.org.
In South Jersey, their membership deadline is Dec. 1. More information on that chapter can be found at impact100sj.org.