A Season of Impact: Milestones, Momentum, and What’s Next
Spring is finally here and things are heating up for Impact 100! In our 25th anniversary year, we officially have 451 members diving in to make change in Greater Cincinnati. We will once again be able to award four $100,000 grants and $10,000 awards to all other finalists. Special welcome to our 84 new members and all of you who continue to spread the word and invite your friends to join us in philanthropy.
At this point in the year, our 2026 grant review cycle is beyond the half-way point as teams prepare for site visits, one of my favorite parts of our process. Seeing heroes in their environments serving and solving for those less fortunate is eye-opening and inspirational. That work is followed by financial and risk reviews and final selections, to be announced at our Meet the Finalists event June 18. Mark your calendars!
In parallel, the Impact board continues to seek new and innovative ways to evolve the organization and improve the experience for our nonprofit partners and our members. Thank you to the nearly 100 members who attended the recent Member Connect event and shared your perspectives on several key issues. Discussions centered around the size of grants (smaller?; larger?), types of grants (unrestricted?), and criteria (organization size/length of time in existence). We’ll combine your input with more research, a historic impact study and a new strategic planning process to recommend any changes. As a membership organization, your input matters. If you have any additional thoughts, please feel free to email ideas@impact100.org.
Along with Impact100 Global, we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary throughout the year. Thank you and congratulations to the many women who came before us – women together, changing lives. As stated in our April Cincinnati Magazine ad, “Every Impact 100 grant represents more than funding – it’s a catalyst for human connection, healing and hope.”
Join us in our yearlong celebration!
Janet Collins
