Impact100 SRQ, a collective of local women philanthropists committed to funding high-impact, sustainable initiatives, recently celebrated their fifth Giving Year by awarding a total of $763,000 to Sarasota-Manatee nonprofits.
The 763 members of Impact100 SRQ funded seven grants for $109,000 each during their annual Celebration & Award Ceremony. In keeping with the organization’s giving model, at least 100 women annually donate $1,000 each to fund grants of at least $100,000 to nonprofits.
The 2023 Impact100 SRQ grant recipients:
· Art Center Sarasota: The proposed Youth Digital Art Lab & Classroom Upgrade: Building a Digital Arts Program + Expanding Classroom Capabilities initiative will create opportunities for students to explore digital art such as photography, animation, graphics, and visual effects by expanding the youth program to include digital technology, and will upgrade classroom space to allow for increased enrollment.
· Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida: The proposed Girl Scouts Amphitheater on the River initiative will provide a gathering space for educational, recreational, environmental, and social activities at Camp Honi Hanta with the construction of a new outdoor amphitheater.
· The Paul A. and Veronica H. Gross Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida: The proposed Help Florida’s Raptors Soar Flyway for Raptor Rehabilitation initiative will strengthen the healthy raptor population and the local ecosystem with the construction of a critical rehabilitation flyway for birds of prey.
· Legal Aid of Manasota: The proposed Legal Lifeline For Youth initiative will assist children in foster care at every stage of their proceedings by expanding the Lifeline Project with the funding of a second children’s attorney.
· Teen Court of Sarasota: The proposed Empowering Families through a Second Chance initiative will provide more support for first-time misdemeanor youth offenders and their families by funding an additional client coordinator and support staff.
· Easterseals Southwest Florida: The proposed Bringing the Magic of Gardening to Children, Teens, and Adults with Disabilities initiative will construct a new, wheelchair accessible Grow and Learn Garden, where clients will have experiences in nature that will enhance learning, support motor skill development, and improve self-esteem.
· Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the Suncoast: The proposed School and Family Wellness Support Services initiative will improve the emotional, social, and physical well-being of more youth/teen clients and their families by funding a mental health professional with a focus on family and a part-time case manager.
Seeking sustainable impact
At the event, the 10 nonprofit grant applicant finalists each gave short presentations to explain their initiatives and the sustainable impact each project would have on the community. Following all the presentations, Impact100 SRQ members cast their votes for which initiatives they wanted to fund.
“Thanks to the generosity of our dedicated members, Impact100 SRQ continues to make meaningful and positive change in our community,” Impact100 SRQ president Pam Kandziora said. “By making philanthropy accessible for all women in Sarasota and Manatee Counties through our collective giving model, the impact is multiplied by each and every member and we truly make a difference.”
Impact100 SRQ has provided 22 grants totaling $2,400,000 in its five-year history. A membership drive for 2024 is open until March 26. To learn more about Impact100 SRQ and how to become a member, visit Impact100SRQ.org.
Submitted by Tonya Tremitiere