Women-Led Philanthropic Group to Award Four $100,000 Grants Among Eight Finalists

Cincinnati, OH – 7/20/2020 – For 19 years, Impact 100 has awarded major grants to local nonprofit organizations in Southeastern Indiana, Northern Kentucky, and Greater Cincinnati totaling more than $5.12 million.  Impact 100 grants serve to support deserving local nonprofit organizations and their commitment to improving and transforming their communities.

Impact 100 was founded in Cincinnati in 2001 as a meaningful way to respond to the needs of local communities through a collective giving concept: people can pool their resources together to make a greater change than often one can do alone.  Every year, Impact 100 members contribute or raise funding to make these impactful grants in our Greater Cincinnati community.

“While 2020 has shaped up to be a year of physical distance in the world, for Impact100 it has been a year of getting closer. We are getting closer to our work than ever before,” said Impact 100 President Sarah Grace Moore.  “While we’re all weathering the same storm, we are certainly not in the same boat. An unfortunate reality we are now forced to face is the disparity in the health, wealth and safety in our community. The most vulnerable of us are being affected in ways many of us cannot fathom. This year’s grant finalists are each helping to transform our community in a lasting and impactful way.”

Impact 100 will award $400,000 in 2020 to four breakthrough nonprofits.  Four of the following eight grant finalists will receive a $100,000 grant this September 10th during the first-ever virtual Impact 100 Annual Awards Celebration.  All eight finalists will present their proposals to the Impact 100 membership, and, after member votes are counted, four will each receive a $100,000 grant to implement their projects.

Candidates submit applications for funding in one of five key IMPACT areas: Culture; Education; Environment, Preservation & Recreation; Family; and Health & Wellness.

The 2020 grant finalists are:

Ohio River Foundation

Mussels in the Classroom and River Explorer: A Huge Leap in STEM Enrichment

Expand experiential learning opportunities regarding the local watershed and its ecology, enhancing academic performance and building environmental caretaking habits for thousands of regional K-12 students, through purchase of an ORF van and hiring a full-time coordinator.

Elementz

Arts Program Expansion to the Price Hill Neighborhood

Expand programming accessibility by opening a Cultural Arts Center in Price Hill, focused on art from Hip Hop Culture as a catalyst for change through music and art for inner-city youth.

Gateway Community and Technical College Foundation, Inc.

Food Pantry Expansion

Expand Food for Thought Pantry to three campus locations which will include fresh, nutrient-rich food options by adding storage and refrigeration removing barriers to academic success such as food insecurity and economic instability.

Changing Gears

Bridge Program

Build a fleet of additional leased vehicles to CityLink training graduates starting new jobs, to solve the transportation dilemma of how to get a job without a car, and how to get a car without a job.

New Life Furniture Bank, Inc.

Turning Empty Houses into Livable Homes

Expanding capacity to turn empty houses into homes by purchasing new and gently used trucks to furnish more homes for families, thereby increasing dignity, supporting productive lives, and enhancing mental and physical development of children.

MORTAR Cincinnati

MORTAR 3.0

Expand a successful culturally-competent entrepreneurship education curriculum, including long-term evaluation and strong mentorship, to provide minority entrepreneurs with additional tools and expertise to expand their businesses, strengthen their communities, and build wealth towards economic self-sufficiency.

Women Helping Women

DVERT: An Enhanced Police/Advocate Response to Domestic Violence Incidents

Ensure survivors in Hamilton County receive immediate trauma-informed care on-scene, disrupting typical barriers and strengthening support to survivors to access services and develop a plan for safety to reduce re-victimization and, ultimately, prevent domestic violence homicide.

Althea Augustine Technical Learning Center, Inc.

Digital Equity & Technology Infusion

Create a 21st century technology and learning center in the historically African American village of Lincoln Heights to close gaps and disparities in educational resources and employment opportunities for residents of all ages.