A few highlights from 2022:

• Over 150 members participatedin the 2022 grant cycle as members of a Grant Review Team or Community Investment Review Committee. (CIRC).  Thanks to all who gave of their time and expertise in this core mission task for Impact 100.  Please consider joining a team for 2023!   See information in this newsletter and your inbox for information on signing up for one of the GRTs- teams- Ruby, Pearl, Sapphire, Emerald, and Diamond gems!   Teams begin their work in mid-January.
• Held our first in-person Signature Event- Meet the Finalists– in June.  It was an exciting time to be back together and see smiling faces!
• Celebrated our collective giving at the Annual Awards Celebrationat Music Hall in September by awarding four (4) $101,000 grants to City Gospel Mission, Found Village, Price Hill Will, and Life Learning Center.  See our website for their Wish Lists- along with the Wish Lists of the 3 finalists who did not receive grants this year- to continue to support each of them.
• Sponsored a well- attended and well-received EDU event highlighting the issues and challenges of the Disparities in Health Carein our region and in the nation. Also held our end of the year Giving Tuesday event at 2015 recipient May We Help, where we celebrated our giving to Impact 100 and our 2022 grant recipients.
• Held numerous gatherings– member connection/spread the word events and DEI Equity conversations in member homes, Mercantile Library, Holocaust Humanity Center, and at previous grant recipient locations such as LaSoupe and Dress for Success.
  • Implemented strategic initiatives that:
  • Increased our number of sustaining members,
  • Revised our Letter of Intent and Grant applications to reflect greater simplicity and a lens on greater equity.
  • Increased connections to the larger community to “get the word out” about Impact 100 through promotions on NPR and with Movers and Makers, meeting with community leaders such as the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Chambers and the Women’s Initiative at Johnson Investment Counsel and serving as an in-kind sponsor for Cincinnati Magazine’s Cincinnati Gives Initiative.
  • Added texting capabilities to keep members informed and connected, and researched and identified a new comprehensive membership software solution that will be more efficient and integrate membership, events, and communication.  Watch for details on implementation in the Spring of 2023.
• Conducted a comprehensive Membership Surveyin the Fall of 2022.  Thank you to the almost 100 members who took the time to thoughtfully respond to the survey.  The Impact 100 Board of Directors has analyzed and reviewed the results and will continue to use the information gathered to inform our work moving forward.  A couple of highlights from the survey:
  • Members overwhelmingly (99%) express satisfaction with their Impact 100 membership with 43% indicating that they are Extremely satisfied.
  • 75% of respondents shared their Impact 100 stories that emphasize our collective giving, our transformational grants, and the connections to one another and the nonprofit community.
  • 98% of respondents are in favor of the Mission and Vision statements revised in 2022 that state:
    • Mission: “The women of Impact 100 dramatically improve lives in our Greater Cincinnati community by collectively funding transformational grants that make a lasting impact.”
    • Vision: “To be a significant catalyst for creating an equitable thriving community for all”

NEWS FOR 2023:

• As soon as our membership numbers are finalized, we will be announcing the number of grants we will award in 2023.  Look for that announcement around the end of January.
• Our New member orientation will be held virtually on January 11.
• Grant review teams will kick off with Equity in Grant Making training virtually the week of January 16 with Grant Review teams beginning their work the week of January 23.
• NEW: We will host a Membership Signature Event the week of March 6 (hiatus time for the GRTs). Event purposes include:
  • Making intentional connections for our members with other members
  • Celebrating what we have accomplished and what is ahead in 2023
  • Seeking input from members on key directions and much more.
  • Sharing a mission moment/update from one of our grant recipients.
• Stay tuned for details and a specific SAVE THE DATE announcement.

Thank you for the support and encouragement that you share with me and with the entire volunteer board of Impact 100.  May 2023 be for you and your families one of health, happiness, adventure, and joy!

In gratitude,

Kathy Thornton

President