Press Releases

January 22, 2022

Impact100 Sonoma Announces 2022 Grants Cycle and Funding

Sonoma Valley nonprofit offers local women the opportunity to unite their voices and deepen impact in the community

January 22, 2022, Sonoma Valley, CA…… Impact 100 Sonoma is a women’s collective giving organization that pools its funds to support nonprofits from Schellville to Kenwood. Impact100’s misson is to support a thriving Sonoma Valley as well as empower local women to invest in a more sustainable nonprofit community through giving and responsible stewardship, while emphasizing diversity, equity and inclusion. On Saturday January 22,  Impact100 members gathered virtually over Zoom for their Annual Meeting to hear presentations from the organization’s Co-Presidents, Treasurer, Grants Chair, and Membership Chair. The Membership Chair revealed Saturday that, with increased membership and additional donations, Impact100 Sonoma would be giving a total of $335,500 to local Sonoma Valley nonprofit organizations during the 2022 grants cycle.

“I am so proud to announce that our 2022 grant pool is the highest annual grants pool in our organizations’ history and the community needs it more than ever,” said Sarah Carroll, Impact100 Sonoma Membership Chair. “Our group of 311 members is growing every year, and now we can give more funding and support to our local nonprofits so they can attain their goals of serving Sonoma Valley.”

Since its founding in 2009, Impact100 has granted almost $3 million dollars to local nonprofits, making it one of the Valley’s largest funders. By the end of this calendar year, Impact100 will have distributed $3,324,500 of grant funds.  The amount of funds that Impact100 can put toward grants depends on the number of members who join each year. 100% of grant donations go directly towards the grants pool in order to offer funding opportunities to the most nonprofit applicants as possible. For this new calendar year 2022, grant applications will be due January 27.

“For the second year in a row, Impact100 will be awarding Impetus Grants of up to $25,000 to each nonprofit selected,” said Dana Simpson-Stokes, Grants Committee Chair. “The Impetus Grants were originally conceived as a response to the additional obstacles local nonprofits faced as a result of the pandemic, and allowed Impact100 to spread out grant funds more broadly. We are thrilled that we can award the grants earlier this year at the Awards Celebration on April 30 which is open to the public to celebrate the nonprofits and their work.”

Other key highlights of the Impact100 Annual Meeting included the introduction of twelve NextGen leaders. These women will work to increase membership with younger women and explore ways to innovate with a focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Impact100 members learn about and serve the nonprofits in the community by working on committees that focus on Grant applications and the study of the local nonprofits; membership engagement and recruiting; communications and marketing, and more. There is also the opportunity based on the proposals and presentations by the finalists to support the organization’s mission by simply voting on the nonprofit applicants. With additional members, Impact100 will be able to help more nonprofits address their current obstacles and challenges as well as work towards their goals of long-term sustainability.

For more information, please visit impact100sonoma.org or email info@impact100sonoma.org

Media Contact: Brenda Lhormer, brenda.lhormer@gmail.com