VERO BEACH – For the first time in the 12-year history of Impact 100 Indian River, a virtual meeting was held on April 23 where more than 44 percent of members were in “attendance.” The Grant Awards and Annual Meeting has historically been held at Oak Harbor, but when the coronavirus upended plans, Impact 100 President Amy Acker and a dedicated team of talented women were able to jump to Plan B… and bring real-time excitement to the awarding of the 2020 grant funds!
The voting process itself was also a first, with an extraordinary number of members participating: Members were able to view 5-minute videos from each of the eight Grant Finalists along with details of each grant project. They then were able to cast their ballots either online or by mail. The addition of technology brought in a record percentage of voting participation; over 75 percent of Impact 100 members were able to vote and make their voices heard!
Since this year’s total grant award amount is $520,481, five $100,000 High Impact grants were awarded, with the remaining $20,481 awarded as Merit Award grants. Each year, Impact 100 awards every dollar of its membership funds in grants to Indian River County nonprofits. Of the eight finalists this year, five are receiving High Impact grants, with the remaining three receiving Merit Award grants.
With this year’s grant awards, Impact 100 of Indian River County will have awarded more than $4.6 million to local area nonprofits to transform the lives of the residents of Indian River County.
The five recipients of the 2020 $100,000 High Impact Grants are:
- Big Brothers Big Sisters – The Big Mission
- Camp Haven – New Multipurpose Services and Programs Building
- Children’s Home Society – Dodgertown Elementary Community Partnership School
- The Source – Dining with Dignity Food Truck
- Treasure Coast Food Bank – Mobile Mercado, Indian River County
In addition, the following three nonprofits are Merit Award recipients each receiving $6,827:
- Ocean Research and Conservation Association (ORCA)
- The Arc
- Visiting Nurse Association of Indian River County
“In these challenging and uncertain times, the need among those served by our nonprofit community is greater than ever. We are proud to be partnering with these local organizations to help in the best way possible.” said Grants Chair Suzanne Carter. “I return to these words of Nelson Mandela and find them more appropriate than ever: ‘Our human compassion binds us, the one to the other – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learned to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.’”
Board President Amy Acker echoed the sentiments of Suzanne Carter, stating, “Our nonprofits need these grant dollars more than ever. Of course, I am disappointed that we cannot be physically together to celebrate the amazing year we have had. But right now, that is secondary to the urgency felt by all of us on the board to keep our process going and find an innovative way to award our grant dollars this year. I am grateful to our members who jumped in enthusiastically and supported our ‘virtual award process.’ As I have said often, our members are the heart and soul of this organization – their support has given me so much energy this year!”
About Impact 100
Impact 100 comprises women who collectively impact the lives of individuals and our community through transformational giving. Each member contributes $1000 and gets one vote. High impact grants of $100,000 each are awarded to the recipients selected at the Grant Awards and Annual Meeting following a comprehensive grant application and vetting process.
