Impact100 Essex Awards $120,000 Grant to Schools That Can
Pictured: The Impact100 Essex Steering Committee (in green) with Tiffany Jackson, Manager of School Programs, Erin Sweeney, Executive Director and Stephanie Baker, Advisory Board Chair of Schools That Can Newark.
Montclair, NJ, January 15, 2019
Impact100 Essex awarded its second annual grant to Schools That Can, a nonprofit that reimagines education to provide real-world, hands-on, industry-specific STEM education and experience for high school students in Newark. Schools That Can was voted the awardee by the Impact100 Essex membership at their annual meeting after each of the four finalists for the grant presented a proposed project.
Erin Sweeney, Executive Director at Schools That Can received the award," This is a transformational grant for us, supporting our Career Skills Program where we work with Newark high schools to expand high-quality, middle-skill career and technical education programs, preparing students for successful careers throughout our region. Because of this grant, we will hire a Career Skills Manager to build out our program, from a one-school pilot to an expanded multi-school model. We are thrilled!"
“It’s a great pleasure to award the second Impact100 Essex grant to Schools That Can” said Helen Mazarakis, co-founder of Impact100 Essex. Impact100 Essex is a collective giving organization that funds annual grants for transformational projects in Essex County. “Our members were moved by the opportunity to support Newark students in their dreams to thrive professionally. It’s important that Newark youth are well-positioned to succeed as the local economy grows.”
Schools That Can was a finalist with three other nonprofits that proposed projects, including The Community Food Bank of New Jersey’s project to distribute monthly menstrual supplies to low-income women and girls, Imagine: A Center for Coping with Loss project to support and foster resiliency in children and families grieving a loss, and NJ Tree Foundation to fund tree planting in urban neighborhoods in Essex County.
“As heartwarming as it is to award this grant to Schools That Can, it’s also heartbreaking to see these other incredibly worthy projects go unfunded. All of these organizations presented compelling, impactful and well-designed projects for our membership to consider. We wish we could fund them all,” stated Margo Greenfield co-founder of Impact100 Essex. The Impact100 Essex grant pool is funded by gifts of $1000 per member, per year. “Our goal is to increase our membership from 120 to over 200 in the weeks ahead so we can fund two grants in 2019. We invite more women from across the county to join us in supporting these transformational local programs. ”Impact100 Essex is holding members night out January 30 at Papillion 25 in South Orange from 6-8pm and welcomes prospective members interested in learning more to join in.
Impact100 Essex:
Impact100 Essex is a philanthropic, collective giving group funded by women in Essex County. Impact100 Essex enables members to amplify their giving and empower solutions for the community. Each year, Impact100 Essex awards a minimum grant of $100,000 to support a transformational local project proposed by a nonprofit organization operating in Essex County. For more information about Impact100 Essex and to find out how you can join, go to: www.Impact100Essex.org.
Schools That Can – Newark:
Schools That Can Newark is part of Schools That Can, a national network currently reaching more than 190 schools across 15 cities, serving more than 75,000 students. Locally, Schools That Can Newark serves a network of over 30 district, charter, and independent schools, and is a leader in supporting career pathways for students.
IMPACT100 ESSEX ANNOUNCES 4 FINALISTS FOR $112,000 GRANT
March 1, 2018 -- Impact100 Essex formally announced the four nonprofit finalists who will present at the organization's Annual Membership Meeting on March 26th, where the winner of a $112,000 grant will be determined. They are: Covenant House NJ, Music and the Brain (42nd Street Development Corp. NJ), Prevent Child Abuse NJ, and Spectrum 360.
A total of 66 Essex County nonprofits applied for the grant. “We were impressed with the applicants and inspired by the grant proposals the local organizations shared with us,” said Helen Mazarakis, Chair of the Grants Committee. “Choosing the finalists was a difficult decision, but we are pleased with the four finalists, and believe that Impact100 Essex will be a catalyst for transformational change across Essex County for years to come.” Each of the four finalist organizations will provide a presentation at the Impact100 Essex Annual Membership Meeting on March 26. After completion of the presentations, each member will cast one vote. Membership votes will then be tallied, and the grant recipient announced.
The now international organization found its roots in 2001 when Wendy Steele of Cincinnati, Ohio was adamant that women could play a strong united role in philanthropy in their local communities. Her message was heard by Margo Greenfield, who first became member of Impact 100 Garden State, and then founded Impact100 Essex in January 2017. Worldwide, Impact 100 groups have engaged over 17,000 women who have donated over $55 million to hundreds of non-profits throughout the U.S. and globally.
“We exceeded all expectations in our inaugural year,” said Margo Greenfield, Chair of the Membership Committee. “Our initial goal was 100 women who would each donate $1,000 for a $100,000 grant. At the end of our 2017 membership cycle, we had 112 members.”
As membership grows, the organization will be able to make additional grants, the amounts of which will be driven by the membership numbers. Women may join now for the 2018 membership year, which began in January and ends April 30st, 2018. Current members will be organizing informal gatherings throughout Essex County. Please visit our website at http://impact100essex.org/ for more information.
Membership inquiries:
membership@impact100essex.org
Media inquiries:
Selma Avdicevic
selma@impact100essex.org
(917) 975-9034
About Impact 100 Essex:
Impact100 Essex is a giving circle founded and funded by women in Essex County. We bring women together to amplify the impact of their giving and empower solutions for the community. Each year, Impact100 Essex awards a grant of $100,000 to support an important, innovative project managed by a local non-profit organization.
Impact100 Essex Inaugural Grant Review is Underway!
The Impact100 Grants Committee is now beginning its process of evaluating the applications. Members of the committee attended orientation sessions, and four sub-committees will now review and discuss the applications. Each sub-group will recommend two or three organizations to move on to the next phase, which will include a full financial review and site visits. The four finalists will be announced on March 1st with a press event. Finalists will present their projects at the Impact100 Essex annual meeting on March 26, and the full membership will vote to choose the recipient. Inquiries: Grants@Impact100essex.org