Impact 100 Inc

I love that 100% of my membership dollars fund transformational grants for nonprofits in our community. An added bonus is my membership exposes me to and allows me to work alongside some of the wisest, kindest, women in the region who are willing to make a significant difference in the lives of others. I have made lifelong friends and grown personally and professionally by being a member of Impact 100.

Sustaining member since 2016
Becky Scheeler

I participated in Impact 1000 for two years. I believed in the very worthy goals of the organization and am impressed with what it has done to benefit our community. But I felt that the selection of award recipients was compromised. As a retired healthcare provider, I chose to participate on the "health" committee. There ended up being a well-known local anti-abortion activist on the committee and quickly realized that her role was to be instrumental in ensuring that no funding was diverted to any organization that might play a role in abortion rights, no matter how remote. I struggled with what I believed to be a conflict of interests. But because the organization understandably wished to avoid controversy, this was allowed to happen. For the second year, I chose to to remove myself from that situation and switched to the "environment" committee. A similar scenario emerged in that I felt that two members were pushing preferences for catholic charity proposals at the expense of proposals that served a more diverse organization with fewer existing resources that could have realized greater sustainability impact. I understand that funding must consider recipient organization solvency. This was not the case. The proposal I questioned actually had the resources it needed but was requesting funding for making them nicer for the population they served. ALL proposals received and selected for consideration were always worthy of consideration for funding. I just felt that selections were being skewed by outside faith-based forces that conflicted with the goal of the organization. So, I decided that my time $1000 could be spent in a manner with lest personal conflict and I have not participated since.

I’ve been a member for about 10 years, and am always impressed by how open, straightforward, fair and consistent we are in our grant processes and follow up. They provide members opportunities to learn about and volunteer with many local nor for profits, and happily support all levels of participation in the organization.

Impact 100 has been such a welcoming group. I have met so many wonderful women and learned so much. You can be apart of the grant recipient selection and really get a better understanding of the needs in the community. Thank you!!

Impact 100 Cincinnati offers an immersive experience for women interested in lending their time, talent and treasure philanthropic efforts to advance local community. They recognize the power of collective action to drive community results and the power of networks to create transformational change.

Impact is a magnificent organization. I have been involved since 2019 and only have great things to say about the work they do, the other board members, and the non-profits they help.

Impact100 is a powerful organization run by all women. Collective giving makes Impact on Non-Profits in our community touching lives to make their lives better socially, environmentally, and educationally. Impact 100 members are enthusiastic about giving their time to volunteer to make Impact 100 events and operations run smoothly. Everyone cares so much in Impact 100! All membership dollars go to Grants to Non-Profits.

I enjoy being a part of this organization. The members are very thoughtful, well organized and have an impeccable system for evaluating potential recipients to make an impact on the community with several $100,000 grants each year. It is truly inspiring to hear about the many ways that lives are changed because of Impact 100

I have been an Impact 100 member for nearly 10 years. I am awed by the members I have met and the nonprofits we have learned about and awarded grants to. The women of this group have so much heart, and through our collective giving, we are making transformational change possible in our Greater Cincinnati region. This organization not only has made an incredibly positive impact on dozens of nonprofits, it has been life-changing for me. I am proud to be a donor and member.

Impact 100 Cincinnati is a fantastic group of women dedicated to meeting the needs of our local community. I have learned so much about the landscape of local nonprofits and am grateful to work and learn from them as well as from fellow members.

I've been a member of Impact 100 for over 10 years now and wouldn't dream of leaving. Impact 100 is a women-based nonprofit that funds transformational $100,000 grants by pooling women's dollars. Each nonprofit is vetted thoroughly (that includes financially) by members. I can be a part of as much of the process as I want. Besides making such a difference in our community, I get the opportunity to work with fantastic, engaged, inspirational women. That's a win!

I love how Impact 100 continues to evolve each year - growing, learning, adapting to feedback from its members, and the nonprofits they serve. I've been a member for A LONG time, and it's been wonderful to see well thought out evolutions to the collective giving model - especially focusing on diversity, equity & inclusion in our communities.

Do you have a spare $100,000 to donate to one area nonprofit? I certainly don't. But each year for $1,000 (you can also donate $500) I am joined by 99 other women and together we can donate that $100,000 to an area nonprofit. This is the basic premise of Impact 100 (Cincinnati), a women's collective giving network. It is a wonderful feeling to see how my funds can go so far to improve my community. Also, 100% of my donation goes toward the grant fund.
Thus, in addition to donating money, I also donate my time by participating in a grant selection committee, serve on committee to recruit new members, serve on the Board or contribute my time to other endeavors needed to run the organization since there is no paid staff. A bonus is that I get to interact with a group of intelligent and motivated women. I have been a member for 12 years and look forward each year to learning about the needs of my community through the applications for grant money. If you want to make a difference in your community, but have limited funds, Impact 100 may be the place for you!

Impact 100 has been making a transformational impact in the Greater Cincinnati community for over 20 years! Learning about the needs in our community has been eye-opening. I am proud to be a member.

When I first came to Impact 100, I was a member of a group of 4 with only one vote for 4 people. I wanted my own vote because I did not agree with the agency they decided to put forth. So I became a full member the next year and they had to find someone else to share their quartet. Best decision I ever made! I am now a sustaining member and I love that the extra &110 helps us to afford our clerical service!.After each AAC I came home and told my husband “I just gave away $200,000 and it feels great!” It still feels great! If you haven’t joined, what’s holding you back?!!

Impact 100 has been a great way to learn more about the needs of my community. I have enjoyed meeting of women from all over the city and discovering new ways to give back.

Being a member of Impact 100 has been a very rewarding experience. I have been introduced to many worthy non-profits, that I would never have known about, and met so many admirable women in Impact 100. I definitely recommend getting involved in a committee or two, especially a grant review committee. You can devote as much or as little time as you want, and it gives you a personal connection to the nonprofits we are supporting.

I learned about Impact 100 as a grant finalist for my environmental program many years ago. I thought the grant process was very thorough and well organized. It taught me, step by step, the value of writing a concise, well thought out grant. That year there were only 2 grants awarded out of the 6 finalists and my nonprofit was not selected. The magic happened that night when an Impact 100 member came up to me and said, "I work for PNC Bank and I'd like to fund your program!" Now I am on the Impact 100 board and so happy to sing the praises and impact of this amazing organization on our community. T

My first experience with Impact 100 Cincinnati was working with a team to evaluate nonprofit projects worthy of a $100,000 grant. The other women on the team were very thoughtful, thorough and knowledgable while welcoming a newcomer! The projects we considered were impressive and creative. I learned a lot about the enormous need in our community and the organizations, large and small, that are addressing those needs. The women leading Impact 100 shepherded a process that eventually awarded 4 grants within our region.
In addition to be impressed with the grant process, I also was able to paricipate in events and that allowed me to meet smart, successful, connected and caring women. I attended webinars where I learned more about diversity, equity and inclusion. I connected with women that otherwise, I would never have met. The passion for improviing our community has been infectious and as a result, I have continued to become more involved in Impact 100. I am proud to call myself a member of this organization and feel that I am a better human and community member because of my membership.

Through Impact 100 I have learned about challenges and ideas/projects to ameliorate them. I learned about compassionate, caring and considerate approaches to solving the challenges. I am proud to be a sustaining member.

I've been a member of Impact for over 5 years and have had a wonderful experience with this organization! Being involved in Impact has helped me learn about the disparities in our community and the amazing non profits that are working so hard to eliminate them! I am honored to be part of this community of women and be part of such an important organization in our community driving change.
The women of Impact 100 are amazing!

At a moment of transition in my life, I wanted to learn more about my community, the issues it was facing, and the ways that nonprofits were making a difference. When I learned about Impact 100, I knew I had found a way to not only learn, I could help contribute to those solutions by joining forces with other women to collectively fund transformative grants ($100,000) that have a lasting impact on the community. With 4 grants being awarded in September 2022, Impact 100 will have invested nearly 7 million dollars in our Greater Cincinnati community. Impact 100 also allows me to share my gifts of time and talent, to meet and serve with a diverse group of women with a heart for philanthropy, and to see tangible results in the community. All women are welcome to join!

Impact 100 Cincinnati has enabled me to multiply the value of my donation to local nonprofits and to help create impactful change in the community. It brings tears to my eyes each year at the Awards Ceremony to hear and see the results of Impact grants from kitchens being built to trucks purchased to new programs started and more that enabled a nonprofit to expand their offerings and energize additional resources to help more people. Impact 100 is a warm and welcoming group. I am so appreciative of the opportunity to connect with many inspiring, creative, and giving women through this experience and to learn about the work of many nonprofits in Greater Cincinnati.

I've been a member of Impact 100 since 2013. This is a wonderful group of women who truly care about the community and want to have a positive impact to make the Cincinnati tri-state area an even better place for all. It is "no pressure" - when I started I could not participate other than with my funds and voting due to family health issue that I needed to support. By 2015 I was able and wanted to participate on one of the sub-committees which was a truly rewarding experience. I learned so much about the needs of the region and was delighted that I was able to participate in helping meet those needs. 100% of the donations goes to the non-profits who are awarded. Impact 100 is a fantastic and rewarding way to have my donation help the communities I live in, be able to influence where the money is spent and to be able to do it in so many ways across Health, Family, Education, Culture and Environment. Critically important is knowing that the CIRC sub-committee investigates and follows up to ensure that the money goes directly to the non-profit and is spent in the way they indicated it would be spent. A truly rewarding and impactful experience each year.

Impact 100 offers a way for women to give together, learn from each other, learn from the region where we live and make a positive IMPACT. I have never met so many motivated, kind, and wise women. I feel blessed to be part of this great organization that has a stellar reputation for providing a way for nonprofits to make a transformational difference in the region.

As a board member of Impact100, I have found Impact100 to be grounded in principles and nimble governance to guide our decisions to fairly and responsibly support our mission to empower women through collective giving to improve our communities by funding significant grants which make a truly lasting impact. It is an absolute joy to work with so many talented women who truly care to make a lasting difference in our communities.

Have been with impact since 2016, 1st year served as a FAC member and now on the board. I am proud to be associated with this organization for multiple reasons. The integrity, trust knowing not even one cents is wasted, the network of compassionate women wanting to make an impact, the friendships, the learning, all in all is priceless!

Integrity, transparency and a shared passion for giving back - this is why I am a proud member of Impact 100.

I have been involved for over 13 years beginning as a member and then serving for seven years on The Board including a term as President.
I continue to be inspired by the mission of Impact 100 which brings women together to fund transformational grants in our community.
Although, I contribute to fund the grants the biggest benefit I receive is learning about all the nonprofits in my community and the work they do to address and solve various community needs.
Finally, I love the flexibility of Impact 100 — I can be as involved as I am able. Minimally, I make my annual contribution entitling me to a vote to determine recipients. I can also be involved in committees to review the grants, committees that support the Board (nominating, marketing, governance, etc) or special events. My level of involvement is solely up to me and can change year to year with regard to my other commitments both personally and professionally.

Impact 100 is a wonderful nonprofit organization. I contribute $1,000 each year - and this contribution is pooled with that of other members to enable awards of $100,000 to nonprofits in our community. Impact 100 has awarded over $4 million to local nonprofits for transformative programs - and the Impact has been amazing!
I love getting to know many of the creative nonprofits in our community as they apply for our grants and as they implement them. I value the fact that every membership dollar contributed goes to a nonprofit awardee. And I love getting to know the many wonderful, philanthropic women who are members. Other members have become some of my closest friends and colleagues.
I've been an Impact 100 member for 13 years - - - and plan to be a member forever!

In a world where often times the voices of women are silenced, Impact 100 gives women a platform to be heard and to make a dramatic difference in the communities in which they live and work. There is something very special that happens when you bring together women of different backgrounds, experience/expertise, age, etc. These women work together toward a common goal: to make our city a better place to live through the spirit of philanthropy. The committee meet-ups are good way to get to know other members and to become more aware of the challenges that many non-profits face as they work toward their specific causes. The conversations are rich and informative.

To speak from the other side of fence, it has also been nice to actually witness Impact 100’s gifts in action--From visiting Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and noticing hospitalized children visiting with their family pet in the Impact100 Family Pet Center to seeing Fountain Square packed with children that are anxiously awaiting a bus that will transport them to a fun (and free!) day outdoors with The Outdoor Adventure Club, Impact100's presence is huge! I feel extremely honored and proud to be a part of such an amazing organization.

I've been with Impact 100 (Cincinnati) for a few years now, becoming more involved each year. The professionalism and heart of this organization is amazing and I continue to learn more about our community through our efforts.

I have been a proud member of Impact 100 since 2016. Impact 100 pools membership dollars together to make transformational change in our community. I enjoy being a member because I have met so many kind, smart, women who want to make a difference. At events I smile hearing about the many friendships that have been forged between members and seeing the diversity among the members. But the best part of Impact 100 is knowing 100% of my membership dollars are going directly to a well vetted local nonprofit organizations that help our neighbors.

Activities Beyond the Classroom(ABC) is a non-profit that increases and enhances extracurricular opportunities for students in the Cincinnati Public School District. Impact 100 granted ABC $100,000 to transform an abandoned swimming pool building into a modern multi-purpose sports complex to be used by 250-350 students, daily. It was an honor and delight to work with Impact 100. Their integrity, seriousness of purpose and dedication to charity is unmatched.

I have been a member of Impact 100 since 2009. When I first joined, I just wrote my check and that was the extent of my involvement. I loved the "zero guilt" component of the organization. Over the years my involvement increased as I found that the work was energizing and inspirational. I am constantly amazed by the impact that Impact 100 has on the community as well as inspired by the incredible non-profits who work tirelessly every day to improve the lives of our local community members.
We make a much bigger impact by working collaboratively to award transformational grants than by working alone!

I am so proud to be part of Impact 100. It's inspiring to be surrounded by other women who want to make a difference in our community, and I love learning about the non-profit organizations who are working to improve the lives of those in our region.

Joined in 2013 after being introduced to Impact 100 by friends. I have been involved in some way ever since.
Love the mission of Impact 100, love the members and all the non profits who have been awarded grants and are transforming our communities!

Impact 100 has shown me how powerful a group of women can really be. The idea behind pooling donations in order to make a life-changing grant to one organization shows intention and brilliance. As an employee of a former grant recipient and current Young Professional Scholarship recipient of Impact 100, I've seen how transformative being a part of this network can be. At my job, we have been able to expand violence prevention programming to 3 additional area schools and expand in so many other ways. In my personal life, I've been introduced to so many amazing women and organizations that are truly changing the landscape of our city.

Being a part of Impact 100 has brought me closer to the city I now call home. Before joining, I had no idea how big the needs in our community were. Being a part of this collective giving organization has enlightened me & provided an opportunity to make a much larger Impact than I could on my own. I am so proud to be a part of Impact 100, which has allowed me to be a part of positive change that benefits those in need and our community as a whole.

Impact 100 made a HUGE impact on our small non-profit organization. They gave us recognition, moral and coaching support, and funding at a time that was pivotal for a new and immensely important project we are undertaking. Their role can not be understated when it comes to the growth and respect that our organization has undergone over the past year.

I have been a member of Impact 100 for about 6 years. At the time I was new to Cincinnati and working for a local nonprofit. I attended an event hosted by Impact 100 and was able to hear a few progress updates from past grant recipients. I was looking to be a part of a group, meet new people, and make a difference. Impact 100 offered professional, social and educational growth for me. Additionally, I have appreciated the no-guilt policy of the organization (you choose your level of involvement.) When I first joined as a young professional I was very excited to have a lot of hand on experience within the group, so I joined committees and volunteered frequently. Recently, my job/life have been busier, so I was able to take a step back from the hands on aspects of being a part of Impact 100, but still be a member and contribute to the grant investments. I would recommend Impact 100 to any woman!

Impact 100 isn’t just empowering its nonprofit recipients & their clients, it empowers its members as well. The entire organization is always looking for more effective ways to increase its impact for all stakeholders

Impact 100 champions engaged philanthropy and has greatly educated me as a donor, volunteer, and member. Through the grant review committees that I have served on across four years, I've learned much about the challenges faced in our community and the creative, effective approaches many local nonprofits are currently taking to address them. Working in partnership with other like-minded women who are passionate about this region, we pool our dollars and our time to collectively invest in grants that have the power to transform organizations and outcomes. I love being a part.

Since I'm not from Cincinnati, I originally joined Impact 100 to learn more about my adopted hometown. What I found was an organization of women who opened by eyes to the remarkable nonprofit organizations who creatively serve our greater Cincinnati community. What I've received is a community of diverse friends who all care about making a difference in people's lives. I will be forever grateful to be a member of Impact 100.

I love being part of this organization. I joined Impact 100 it's second year and have thoroughly enjoyed all my years as a member. I get to learn about many nonprofits doing great work in the greater Cincinnati area, and meet some incredible women who are also passionate about what is happening in the greater Cincinnati area. I also know my money I have invested in Impact 100 is going to help do great things in our area. I love what a collective giving circle can do.

As a donor and supporter of Impact 100, I've seen an entire grant cycle first-hand and have witnessed the integrity and quality control that goes into the Impact 100 process. Women donate $1,000/year to be a part of Impact 100 and the power of collective giving allows Impact 100 to give away hundreds of thousands of dollars to deserving non-profits every year. The grant review process is led by experienced grant reviewers and committees of women go through a grueling and intense review process to decide the ultimate recipient of the grant funds.

Impact 100 is a wonderful non-profit organization that brings together women who want to made a major impact with their pooled dollars. We make the difficult decision each year which non-profits in our community will be grant recipients. This is based on in depth reviews of each grant proposal and follow-up site visits with the leading contenders. It culminates with an award event in the Fall where five finalists present their case to the entire membership, and we vote. All members choose how much they want to be involved.

I am the founder of Impact 100. My experience with is non-profit has been life changing. I am not in a position to make large grants on my own, by pooling my resources with others, I am a part of a significant grant - the kind of grant that changes lives. THe "impact" of these grants has been tremendous to the non-profits...but even greater in my own life. Though this work, I have had the privelige of getting to know so many non-profits in the community. I've learned about new solutions to long term issues and much needed assistance to those in great need. I no longer live in Cincinnati, but will always contribute.

I have only started learning about Impact 100 over the past few years via the amazing Wendy Steele.

I try to visit the website and learn a little more as I have time. I have read personal stories of how Impact 100 has helped so many!

It's inpsiring and helps to propel me toward wanting to be more involved, learn more and help more.

I truly love Impact 100. I have been a member since 2008 and have learned so much about my home town - its challenges and attributes. I really enjoy working with women who are different from me and bringing so many new and interesting points of view to our grant review process. MOst importantly, I really love being a part of something much bigger than myself - helping to give away over $200,000 in one night is a rush.

Just over a year ago, on Cincinnati's NPR station, I was reminded about Impact 100. The organization was not unknown to me. I had heard about Wendy Steele and power of women creating opportunities for grants that transformed charitable organizations. I joined and worked on one of the grant commuties. The money provided to two groups last year convinced me that the pillars of Impact 100 can and must be sustained. The work of Impact 100 changes communites and lives. My experience led me to start recruiting others to the organization.

I have been a member of Impact 100 since it was founded 10 years ago in Cincinnati, OH and I continue to be enriched by my experiences with this wonderful philanthropic organization. I initially was attracted to the idea of women joining together to make a difference in our community – pooling their financial resources and their collective wisdom to decide where funds are needed most. I love the Impact 100 model where 100% of the membership dollars go directly back out into our community in the form of $100,000+ transformational grants to deserving non-profit programs in the Greater Cincinnati area. Over time I became more and more involved in helping Impact 100’s mission and vision, leading grant reviews, enrolling new members eventually serving as board President. I am now a retired board member helping with outreach and start-ups in new cities. With each year I've gained more knowledge about the needs of our community and the incredible non-profit organizations developing programs to better meet these needs. I've been impressed with the quality of the grant requests we've gotten and the diligence of all Impact 100 members in reviewing and selecting those most deserving of funding each year. Over the past 10 years, Impact 100 grants been able to change numerous lives for the better and I’m proud to have been a part of these efforts. I believe that there's incredible power in the collective giving and wisdom of all the Impact 100 members involved in this process. I love the amazing, dedicated, charitably-minded women I’ve met through my experience with Impact 100 (in Cincinnati – and ‘sister’ cities throughout the U.S.) – they all truly inspire me.

I joined Impact 100 last year after attending the year end presentation the prior year. I didn't expect to get involved much until I was talking to a friend about the group. She commented that I seemed really committed to this organization and the intention to make an Impact on Cincinnati. This was the push I needed to join a grant review group. It was exciting to work with so many bright women, all of whom want to make things better for these non-profits who are applying for our help. It is so great on the big "voting" night to see so many smart and energetic women in the city, all with the same goal: to make our money count toward a very specific goal/project that will help those right here in our own backyard.

I've been a member of Impact100 for about 3 years and so happy that I found the organization. The women in the group have the biggest philanthropic hearts. I've made some outstanding friendships through the group and found a way that my donation can have a huge impact on the Cincinanti community by being pooled with everyone's donation. The changes and impacts that we've been able to make on organizations and individuals through our combined grants each year is amazing. If we could only get more members and touch more lives with the grants each year. There are so many organizations in need!

It's been a few years that I've heard about the Impact 100 organization and the grants they provide to deserving non-profits each year, but it was not until last year that I personally became involved. The heart of this organization is huge and the women that run it are so passionate about making a difference in our community.

Each year, Impact 100 hosts an Annual Celebration giving the chosen finalists the opportunity to tell the community why they feel they should be the deserving non-profit to be awarded $100,000. These stories are so "real" and heartfelt, a few had me in tears. I'm looking forward to participating again this year and plan to get more involved.

All women involved in Impact 100 truly "Make A Difference"!

I started in Impact 100 in college with a joint membership with my grandmother. With my grandmother living out of state and me going to school in another state, Impact gave us another reason to connect and discuss the world we live in and how we can make a difference. I can't imagine a better way for my grandmother, who was a life-long volunteer, to pass on her values to her grandchildren, living out of state, of being thankful for what you have and giving back to those who aren't as fortunate.

While I am now just starting my professional career, Impact 100 gives me the opportunity to connect with other like-minded women from all over the city. Not only do I get to meet so many fantastic role models, friends, peers from all different walks of life and spend time with them, but together-- these women and I-- we are able to change the lives of people that we don't yet know by giving over $100,000 to (usually multiple) deserving charities in our own backyard. If I were to do nothing for the rest of my life, I would know that as a member of Impact 100 I changed lives, both in large and small ways and not only for those that recieved the grants, but those that were members and those non-profits that went through the review process and those that were finalists, and those who were just a guest at one of our many events.

In the end being a part of Impact 100 means that you made a difference and that is what I believe life is all about.

Impact 100 is one of the best non-profits I have ever volunteered with. The fact that I can contribute $1000 and the organization gives away $100,000 is such a great way to truly make a difference in our community. The possibilities of supporting life changing programs are only limited by the number of women that join us. I would hope that others will jump on the band wagon and help make a difference right here in our community.

Impact 100 has a tremendous ripple effect, which brings about transformational change. Our members have donated (with 100% of member donations going to the grantee) to new dental equipment that provided hundreds of thousands of dental care to the underprivileged, a mobile medical van providing needed medical care, violin lessons and classes to underprivileged children, food for the hungry, housing for the homeless and many other grants. Over $2 million distributed, in the form of $100,000 grants to transform our local community. And.. it doesn't stop there, this model is replicated over 12 times across the country and over $13 million has been distributed in very large grants.

I love the fact that Impact 100 Cincinnati is:
a) all about women and philanthropy and making an IMPACT on the city
b) very well-run by volunteers
c) thoroughly researching how non-profits operate and how grant applicants can make a sustainable difference with a grant from Impact 100
d) paying appropriate attention to strong financials, but understanding that our recipients may have different situations now than they will have after a grant is received.

I've been a member of Cincinnati's Impact 100 for 3 years now. My first year, I served on the Family grant review committee. We saw some agencies doing awesome work ... and our recommended finalist was one of the two grant recipients this year. The grant review process is thorough, but (hopefully!) not intimidating.

It's so exciting to follow former grant recipients and see how they have used their Impact 100 grants as a springboard to increased impact in the community. This is one of the most productive charitable contributions I make, outside our church contributions!

I became involved in Impact 100 over 5 years ago because of a desire to give back to my community and know that the funds were making a difference! Since then I've been part of buying a van to enable outreach, enabled a weekend food program to add MANY new schools (so children aren't hungry on the weekend!), created an after school program and much more. More importantly, I've been part of transforming lives of people impacted by grants.

Professional organization that runs lean, is open and transparent with good process and records..and phenomenal volunteers!