On a rainy March Saturday morning, over 75 people, representing more than 60 members of Impact100 Sonoma and their guests, gathered at the Sebastiani Theatre to hear about the impact of Impact grants.  Presenters from seven organizations discussed how Impact100 grants have brought positive change to their organizations and to their broader communities.  Here we present each of these heart-warming reports.

Abel Tirado, Tori Cooper of Sonoma Valley Teen Services

Sonoma Valley Teen Services – winner of the 2011 Impact grant of $100,000

Tori Cooper is a senior at Sonoma Valley High where she is involved in agriculture and is raising a steer for 4H. To meet her leadership requirement for 4H, she volunteered in the No Name Café, a Skills for Life program located on the Sonoma Valley High School campus.  After completing her volunteer hours, she was hired as a paid attendant at No Name. Tori now also has a paid position at Blockbuster which she believes is the direct result of her work experience at No Name.  For her senior project, Tori developed a logo and signage for the No Name Café, a project she says she could not have completed without the help of Impact member Virginia Bertelsen.

Abel Tirado is a home-schooled student who joined the “Skills for Life” program and worked “the front of the house” at the recent Ragazzi Pop Up restaurant. This required that he commit 20 hours to complete a “five-star level” of training where he learned, among other skills, how to set a table for a four-course meal, greet customers and escort them to their tables, provide menu listings to the guests, take orders and relay them to the kitchen, all while ensuring the comfort of his guests.  When asked how he benefited from the program, Abel said the experience opened his eyes to fine dining.  He now wants to work in five-star restaurant.

Photo will be uploaded shortly

Caption: Diana Schraner, Women’s Initiative for Self Employment

Women’s Initiative for Self Employment – recipient of $15,000

Diana Schraner attended the Paso A Paso (Simple Steps) program funded by Impact.  An 11-week, 22-session business management training program, it helps high-potential, low-income women start, strengthen, or grow their small businesses. Following the completion of the program, Diana opened Earth Colors Painting in Cloverdale.  In addition to being an on-site painter and decorative concrete installer, she has expanded her business to include refinishing furniture and offering furniture “upcycling” workshops where the public can bring in furniture to refinish using Diana’s supplies, books, and space.

Carolyn Manzi and Flor Suarez of Sonoma Mentoring Alliance

Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, recipient of $7,500

Carolyn Manzi and Flor Suarez met when Flor was eight years old and could not speak a word of English.  They have been a mentor and mentee for six years.  Flor now lives with Carolyn and her husband Fritz as they are her legal guardians.  From not speaking of word of English nine years ago, Flor now speaks English and Spanish beautifully, plus she is studying Japanese, French, and German. Through opportunities afforded her through the Mentoring Alliance, Flor attended Sonoma Big Idea Dinners and made a film about the experience with a professional filmmaker.  She also spent a week living and studying at Sonoma State last summer.  Flor is waiting to hear about college acceptance, including from Stanford University, but her biggest dream is to live, study, and work in Germany.

Carolyn talked about the joy that Flor has brought into her life and that of her husband and about the rewarding experience it has been for them to watch Flor blossom from a painful beginning, experiencing bullying at school when she could not speak English, to her confidence and poise as a teenager, now that she is coming into her own.

Vicki Schnurpheil and Carol Sharp of FISH

Friends in Sonoma Helping (FISH) – recipient of $15,000

Vicki Schnurpfell is a board member and coordinator of Client Services for FISH.  Before Impact’s grant, FISH volunteers, all of them over 65, worked in a clothing distribution building that lacked heat and air conditioning and that leaked when it rained.  Now, thanks to an Impact grant, Vicki says her volunteers “can’t wait to get to work” as the building has a new roof, upgraded electrical system, and a heating and cooling unit.   Vicki thanked a group of Impact members and their husbands who painted the building, removed old carpeting, installed new flooring, and built shelving.  She recognized Gretchen Gardner, another Impact member, and David Appelbaum who painted a beautiful mural on the exterior wall. Another Impact member was also acknowledged.  Barbara Sachs Senn is serving as volunteer chair for FISH’s Layette Program which distributes and delivers clothing and supplies to newborn babies.

Carol Sharp, a FISH volunteer for 10 years, is responsible for management and coordination of the federal surplus food program.  Carol talked about how this program has been an inspiring source of cultural integration as food is distributed to our Hispanic community and, as a result, FISH now has Hispanic volunteers.

Mark Newhouse, Restoration and Sonoma Garden Park Program Manager, Sonoma Ecology Center

Sonoma Ecology Center – recipient of $7,000

The Sonoma Ecology Center is involved in education, restoration, and research.  It all comes together in the Garden Park, according to Mark. He credited the Impact grant with setting off a chain of events. Impact’s grant paid for lighting in the garden, but now there’s also lighting in the barn, and the Ecology Center has more donations, more volunteers, and more potential than ever. In short, Impact has expanded the Ecology Center’s capacity to handle more functions, including outreach efforts.

Darryl Bellach, Treasurer of the Sebastiani Foundation

The Sebastiani Theatre Foundation – recipient of $3,500

With their grant, the Sebastiani Theatre Foundation will install a fire door in the theater in the next couple of months which will bring the theater into compliance with current building codes, including ADA requirements. Without the new fire door, the operation of the theater would be in jeopardy.  “But the fire door is a small part of what the Impact grant is doing for the Foundation,” Darryl said.  “We’re about changing lives, same as Impact.”   He talked about an experience the Foundation had with bringing abused children to a movie.  “We saw magic in their faces.”  Darryl went on to say that the Foundation was about creating magic and continuing the legacy of the Sebastiani Theatre, which he described as the heartbeat of Sonoma.

Kathleen Bianchi-Rossi, Grants Coordinator at Sonoma Valley Community Health Center

Sonoma Valley Community Health Center – recipient of $9,000

The Center is the largest medical/behavioral health office in Sonoma Valley.  It serves individuals working in local agriculture, monolingual minorities, low-income, uninsured/under-insured and the disfranchised, including the homeless. In 2010 SVCHC provided care for 7100 individuals which included more than 27,000 patient visits.  In March of this year, Impact’s Grant Oversight Committee approved a request by the Health Center to use their Impact grant for diagnostic equipment rather than medical equipment carts and supply storage units for two new exam rooms.  By purchasing an electro cardiogram, spirometer (which measures the volume of air expelled by the lungs), and a vitals monitor, the Center is able to serve more patients and provide them with the best possible level of care.

With thanks to our sponsors:

The Impact of Impact100Sonoma meeting was sponsored by Sebastiani Theatre and Get a Second Wind, Inc., a Sonoma firm specializing in events for women at midlife and beyond.   Katherine Forsythe, the owner, is a member of Impact.

Sponsored by:

Close to 100 of our Impact100 members gathered for the January 28 Members-only Educational Forum held at theSonomaCommunity

Members at Event

Center.  Impact100 President B.J. Bischoff welcomed both new and returning members with the news that our numbers had reached 195 and what that would mean to our level of giving in 2012 – a distribution of $195,000  to be added to the $267,000 already contributed since our inception in 2009, for a total of $462,000 for our Sonoma Valley nonprofits.  Attendees were reminded that following the presentations, they would have the opportunity to sign up for a variety of committees that will ultimately be responsible for supporting the grant-making process for 2012. For a list of those committees, click here. Committee descriptions.

The focus of attention then turned to our guest speakers and the topic of microfinance – first from an international perspective, then to the local, and to the personal.

B.J. with Nicole Levine, Betsy Brill and Ann Reder

Betsy Brill, a former newspaper journalist, shared the stories of women that she encountered during her travels inEgypt,India,Bangladesh, andIndonesiaas she and her husband were studying and writing about different approaches to microfinance. Her talk began with a simple photograph of two women fromBangladeshsmiling broadly at the camera with a warm, strong confidence, and we soon learned the story behind their personal journeys. These were two of thousands of women who have crossed the poverty level of a $1/day existence thanks to the development of numerous women’s micro-loan programs that have grown up throughout the third world. The sizes of the loans vary from $25 to $500 and resulting in a variety of significant self-employment opportunities – a woman’s purchase of a cart to carry multiple bolts of cloth to market each day instead of the single bolt that she could carry on her head; the ability of a woman to purchase quality potatoes directly for re-sale and then expand her business to include the sale of  other vegetables; the purchase of a cow to sell its calf and its milk and then invest in the purchase of chickens and the sale of their eggs…  With such loans the small borrowers’ incomes have increased 12.9% over three years, and the women boast a 95-98% repayment rate, with the opportunity for reinvestment and more money to loan to others.

But this model is not exclusive to the countries described above. The second speaker, Nicole Levine described the impact of the Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment (WISE), which has been assisting high-potential low-income women in the San Francisco Bay Area to reach their dreams of business ownership.  The program includes three phases: training to learn personal skills and how to develop a business plan, funding with loans ranging from $500 – $35,000, and support to provide ongoing services and a sense of community.  Starting in the Mission District of San Francisco, there are now 14 WISE locations inNorthern Californiaand they have produced more than 5,000 jobs in the Bay Area alone.  WISE has recently come toSonomaand was one of the recipients of an Impact100 community grant in 2011. They will begin their first training session this spring at the Sonoma Valley Teen Services.

The final speaker brought microfinance to a personal level.  Bridget Hayes had been an adult education teacher focusing on bi-lingual education when the economic crash suddenly resulted in her unemployment and the need to re-invent herself.  It was a bit of serendipity that brought her to WISE, but today she is starting on a new journey of her own – a mobile classroom that will enable her to bring her educational skills to where they are needed.  She described the experiences gained in the WISE program as walking in with nothing but questions, fears, and doubts and walking out with answers, faith in herself, and a game plan.

For a podcast of the entire event, click here… {upload in progress}

We thank all of our speakers for their stories and insights and our sponsors:

Tuesday, January 10              4:00 – 6:00 pm

St. Leo’s Church East Wing, 601 W Agua Caliente Rd, Sonoma 

Impact100 Sonoma is offering its third and final workshop to assist SonomaValleynonprofit organizations.  The workshop, Tips on the Impact100 Grant Application Process, is particularly important for those nonprofits that will be applying for funding through Impact100 Sonoma in 2012, as it will focus on all of the how-tos associated with the new Impact100 grant application process.  Attendees will receive tips on how to write an lmpact100 Letter of Inquiry and will be guided through a demonstration on how to use their new electronic grant forms.  There will be plenty of time for Q&A following the presentations.

Download the PowerPoint presentation here.

The download forms below are in two forms, .doc for Microsoft Office users before version 2007 and .docx for Microsoft Office users using 2007 and later.

2012 IMPACT GRANT Full Proposal .docx version

2012 IMPACT GRANT Full Proposal .doc version

2012 Comm Grant Full Prop Application .docx version

2012 Comm Grant Full Prop Application .doc version

2012 Letter of Inquiry Form .docx version

2012 Letter of Inquiry Form .doc version

The Impact100 Sonoma December Holiday Reception: An inspirational event!

More than 100 women gathered on Friday, December 9th at the Sonoma Community Center on Napa Street to connect with new and old friends, enjoy good food & wine, learn more about Impact100, and to hear from the 2011 Impact100 finalists – but it turned out to be much more than that.

Following welcoming remarks and introductions of the Board, President B.J. Bischoff described the new areas of focus for Impact100 Sonoma in 2012 and how important it is to expand our membership in order to address the needs of our community.  There was a wonderful warmth and energy in the room, but the true impact for those attending were the messages from our 2011 Impact100 finalists:  Barbara Cullen, Executive Director of WillMar Family Grief & Healing Center, Kate Eilertsen, Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (SVMA), and Matt Martin, Executive Director of Social Advocates for Youth (S.A.Y.), who sat as a panel to share information about their organizations.  B.J. posed three questions to the each of the panelists.  Key points from their responses are captured below.

Question #1:  What makes your organization unique?

• WillMar: We recognize that grief is a great leveler.
• SVMA: We are able to reach people who learn in a different way.
• S.A.Y.:  One of 3 unique features is that S.A.Y. is the only provider of mental health care for youth within our schools.

Question #2:  What evidence do you have that your organization is making an impact?

• WillMar:  We have developed strategies to achieve a sense of calm that allows important conversations to take place.
• SVMA:  We serve a broad audience with unique programs such as our program in which every 4^th and 5^th grader in Sonoma works on a project with a real artist.
• S.A.Y.:  We not only impact individuals in need, we also impact the economy of the Sonoma Valley, by reducing costs to county services.

Questions #3: If you received one million dollars, what would you do with it?

• WillMar:  I would expand our efforts through bilingual satellite programs to better reach the four corners of Sonoma Valley.
• SVMA:  I would like to concentrate our efforts on developing more programs for the elderly in our valley.
• S.A.Y.:  I would build a building to increase capacity for the growing number of homeless youth in SonomaValley.

The panelists also had the opportunity to respond to the following questions from the audience:

• You have many common goals, do you work together?
• What has been the impact on your organization from your involvement in the grant process of Impact100?
• How do you involve your large donors in your programs?

Early in her comments, Kate Eilertsen suggested that we move away from the term “nonprofit organizations” and adopt the term “public benefit organizations.” As she talked about the ways that art can open up new doors for learners, and Matt shared powerful stories of our youth in need and Barbara described strategies for relieving the burdens from loss, this term certainly seemed more than appropriate.

Yes, this was truly an inspirational event – not only from the glimpse of the passion and dedication from the panelists, but also from the increased awareness of the great need within our community, and for the recognition that a group of 100+ women can truly make a difference – that is the heart and soul of Impact100 Sonoma.

Click here to listen to the Holiday Reception 1st Half

Click here to listen to the Holiday Reception Panel 2nd Half

Thank you to our sponsors:

Planning for Strategic Partnering/Collaboration

 December 6  St. Leo’s Church East Wing

The goal of this workshop was to expand community conversations about the possibilities of strategic partnering and collaboration, examine effective models, and discuss the steps in the partnering process, including both benefits and risks. A panel of experts initiated the discussions:

Bob Harrington		Katrina Thurman	Robert Judd

Celia Canfield

Bob Harrington, Partner, of La Piana Consulting, provided guidelines and insights into planning a successful collaborative program. Katrina Thurman, Executive Director/CEO of West County Services, shared her experiences as a Sonoma County nonprofit leader whose organization merged with another nonprofit and partnered with several others. Robert Judd, Vice President of Programs, Sonoma Community Fund described strategic partnering programs that have been funded.

Celia Canfield, a skilled communications expert served as the moderator.

This workshop was sponsored through a generous donation from Kathleen Leonard of Alain Pinel Realtors and in-kind support from Rabobank.

Sponsored by our friends:

The first of Impact100 Sonoma’s three workshops for Sonoma Valley nonprofits was highly successful.
More than 60 people attended, including 49 from the nonprofit community and 15 Impact members. Following a warm welcome by President, B.J. Bischoff and

B.J. Bischoff opens first Nonprofit Workshop

the announcement that membership has now reached 117, Constance Grizzell, VP of Grants & Greater Impact presented the Grant Calendar 2011-12 , focusing on the second nonprofit workshop that will be held on December 6.

Patti England, Chair of the Impact Grant Program, discussed the five new New Focus Areas and Lorraine Ashton, Chair of the Community Grant Program, explained the new aspects of the Community Grants.

There was ample opportunity for explanations on eligibility requirements and grant guidelines, clarification on misperceptions about the types of programs Impact100 Sonoma is interested in funding,

Guests at Workshop

and for responding to individual questions.

The PowerPoint presentation containing additional details on all of the above can be found here.

Following the workshop, many of the attendees adjourned to Saddles for our monthly First Thursday No-host Happy Hour.

Many thanks go to Constance, Patti, and Lorraine for the organization of the workshop and also to our sponsors for their generous support:

• St. Leo’s Catholic Church
• Victor L. Conforti, Architect, Sonoma
• Rabobank

Sonoma Sun – September 29, 2011 – Sonoma Valley Teen Services – Skills For Life

Sonoma Index Tribune – September 26, 2011 – Sonoma Valley Teen Services

   Impact100 members enjoyed a reception and grant update at

“Thank you for helping us change lives.”

That was the message that greeted us and was constantly reinforced as members and friends of Impact100 Sonoma gathered at the Sonoma Valley Teen Services (SVTS) on Saturday, October 1st to learn about SVTS progress as a result of our $100,000 grant to their Skills for Life program.

“¿Listo?”  [Ready?], asked Jean Hopeman-Chambers (member of both the SVTS Board and Impact100) of a smiling, but slightly nervous young man named Oscar, and he and the rest of the SVTS speakers certainly were.  Following Impact100 updates, we were treated to an energetic report of accomplishments that left us all with jaws agape (and often teary eyes) as we learned of all that has been achieved in only three short months since receiving our gift.

SVTS Board President, Tim Boeve, reminded us that in 2009 more than 50% of our high school students did not go on to college.  “This is important to change, but it is also important to recognize that there will always be a percentage of our young population that will follow a different pathway.”  It is those young people whom SVTS is helping to make positive choices through the Skills for Life Program.

Program Managers, Rebecca Hermosillo and Cristin Lawrence, and SVTS Board member, Osias Encarnacion, gave us updates on the numerous programs that are part of this effective program.  A more detailed progress report is available on the Impact100 website, click here, but here are just a few of the highlights they shared:

Lovin’ Oven program

The primary goal for this time period was to re-establish the Lovin’ Oven presence in the Farmers’ Markets and to grow student and volunteer participation.

• Students decided to focus on the higher revenue generation Saturday market and to apply for the Friday market.
• Student participation has grown by 11 new core members and 21 part-time.
• The SVTS is now a fully qualified Food Safety Certification provider.
• Adult volunteers include Anea Kamahele, who is leading an effort to increase the food product offerings and the initiation of a ‘pop-up’ restaurant event to feature teen culinary students.

Esther, a founder of the program:  “I was given a life opportunity and now I can help others to have similar opportunities.”

No Name Café program

With the goals of connecting more teens in more significant ways and improving the sustainability of the No Name Café in theSonomaValleyHigh School, the reports are very positive:

• Sales are up 73%
• Whole Foods is making quarterly donations so that prices can better fit a student budget, yet still provide a profit.
• Students can now receive class credit or complete service learning requirements by working at the No Name Café.
• Student participation in the skills training program has grown from 15 teens to 40.

Oscar, who works at the café: “I spend every day in the No Name – they brighten my day!”

The Shop

There have been two highly successful DJ events at The Shop – 80 teens in attendance at the first, raising $350 in revenue and 100 teens at the second.  All logistics, planning, and implementation are by the students. The DJ was a student, Jose, who has career aspirations for a broadcast media and entertainment career.

Life Skill Classes to begin this Fall

• Employee 101
• Resume & Interviewing
• Food Handling Certification
• Trial run of Barista training

The closing summary remarks from SVTS: “We had an idea – a very good idea – and then you guys came along and gave us a vote of confidence and the opportunity to really make an impact.”

Rebecca Hermosillo speaks to members

Georganne Papac, Cristin Lawrence, Osias Encarnacion, Esther OrosRebecca Hermosillo speaks to members

Sonoma Valley Teen Services was formed last year when Operation Youth and the Valley of the Moon Teen Center merged. Their Skills for Life program was democratically selected as the grant recipient during Impact100′s annual meeting on Saturday.

The program will helps teens develop business skills and find apprenticeships to guide their career paths.

“We’re delighted,” said Tim Boeve, president of the Teen Services board. “It’s a huge, huge shot in the arm for us.”

The program has already proven effective. Teen Services runs the No Name Café at Sonoma Valley High School, where students train to become baristas and gain an understanding of the food service industry, from making drinks to handling cash. Over at the Teen Center, four students successfully launched the Lovin Oven, making baked goods and prepared foods they now sell at the Tuesday night farmers market. Demand is now so high, Lovin Oven recently brought in more teens to help with the baking, employing even more students in a time when there are few job prospects.

“It’s something we already know works,” Boeve said. “It’s already proven to be successful.”

Boeve said the funds would be used to help both Lovin Oven and the No Name Café.

In the application, Boeve explained how these two lines of business could eventually turn into revenue streams for Teen Services to use to continue funding the program when the grant funds have dried up. In addition, Teen Services plans to expand the Skills for Life program to offer apprenticeships in industries such as automobile mechanics, sound system installation and other areas teens have expressed an interest in exploring.

“It’s a simple idea, giving them the experience to succeed,” Boeve said. “We want to link up that interest and drive with those who have expertise to teach.”

Grant money will be used to raise to full-time status Teen Services’ two part-time employees, Rebecca Hermosillo – the executive director of the Teen Center – and Cristin Lawrence, who oversees the programs established by Operation Youth.

“This is exactly what the organization needed,” Boeve said. “We didn’t have the staff power to develop this program until now.”

Impact100 was formed in 2009 when 100 women came together and each promised to give $1,000 to form a $100,000 grant to be given to a Valley nonprofit. After thoroughly vetting each of the proposals, a handful of finalists are selected to make a presentation during the annual meeting, after which each woman gets to vote for the project she’d like to see get the funds.

The funds are given every quarter and reviewed by Impact 100 to ensure they are spent appropriately.

“We need to be good stewards with the member’s money,” said B.J. Bischoff, communication chair for Impact100.

Last year, the Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma Valley received the grant to launch its College Bound program to help provide members with comprehensive support to get into college.

“The Boys & Girls Club presented Saturday. They had four of the kids in the College Bound program speak about what impact meant to them,” said Bischoff. “That made all of the women feel wonderful.”

This year, the organization attracted 157 members, meaning Impact100 was able to give away $57,000 Greater Impact Community Grants ranging from $3,500 to $15,000, which were also selected by a democratic vote. The recipients were:

• Friends in Sonoma Helping (FISH) received $15,000 to improve its clothing room.
• The Sebastiani Theatre Foundation got $3,500 to replace a fire door.
• The Sonoma Ecology Center received $7,000 to bring electricity to the Sonoma Garden Park.
• The Sonoma Valley Community Health Center got $9,000 for equipment for new exam rooms.
• The Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance got $7,500 for the Girls Empowerment Fund.
• The Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment received $15,000 for micro-enterprise training.

Impact100 is launching its membership drive for the new fiscal year. Any woman who joins by Dec. 31 will be invited to vote for next year’s grant recipient. To learn more, visit www.impact100sonoma.org or call 939-5007.

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Now more than ever — impact matters.