We’ve spent a good deal of time these last few years reflecting on what’s working and what could be improved. Much of that time included listening to you, our members, as well as our nonprofit partners and community members.  One thing is for certain, we must continue to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of philanthropy, including adopting more trust-based practices, appealing to a wider, more diverse membership base, and building the organization for long-term sustainability.

We are making good progress executing on our strategic plan.  Link to the full plan here.  Here are highlights of our major initiatives:

1. Given feedback from both members and nonprofits, this year we will finish our selection process for grant recipients and notify finalists of the results three weeks before our Sept. 25 Annual Awards Celebration (AAC). We will not announce the names of the recipients to anyone else until the night of the AAC. This will reduce the stress endured by the nonprofit representatives while maintaining the element of surprise for our members.  The AAC will be a celebration for all!!
2. The Extend Your Impact pilot is in its second year.  Our hope is to prove the concept and value of providing smaller awards to the non-$100,000 finalists. This is another effort to improve the grantmaking experience for both nonprofits and members.
3. We are excited about updating our brand with a new logo and soon-to-be new website that better represents who we are!  The new logo will appeal to a wider audience and more dynamically reflect our relevance, community, and diversity. We will officially launch the new brand in September.
4. For 2026, we are introducing a third level of membership.  You will choose your membership level based on your capacity and comfort. At whatever level you choose, you will have an equal voice.  We call this one woman/one vote.
5. You may have noticed our recruiting efforts ramping up in a new way. We are trying to meet women where they are. Our sponsorship of Power to Pursue, along with our partnership with Cincinnati Magazine is getting us noticed.  At Cincinnati Magazine’s Girls’ Night Out, June 4, we introduced Impact 100 to hundreds of women! Look for our full-page ads in the magazine.
6. And, lastly, we are making efforts to improve the sustainability of the organization, including leadership succession and long-term funding.

None of this would be possible without the effort and dedication of our all-volunteer board and the many member volunteers who assist us.

In Gratitude,
Janet Collins