Impact100 to Announce 10 Semi-finalists for $100,000 Grant
WHERE
WHEN
PRICE
Impact100 to Announce 10 Semi-finalists for $100,000 Grant
New Nonprofit Provides Grassroots Support for Local Organizations
Waterford, CT – A newly organized 501c3 designed to benefit local nonprofits will introduce its 10 semi-finalists for a $100,000 grant on Feb. 26 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Charter Oak Federal Credit Union Community Room, 1055 Hartford Turnpike, Waterford.
Impact100 Southern Connecticut is the newest chapter of a world-wide organization and supports nonprofits serving New London, New Haven and Middlesex counties. Launched in 2025 by Westbrook resident, Lucille Pelletier, the chapter will be giving its first grant this year.
The Impact100 model was created by Connecticut College graduate Wendy Steele in 2001 in Cincinnati as a way to expand and encourage women’s role in philanthropy. Impact100 empowers women to see themselves as philanthropists and overcome the barriers women have historically faced in this arena. It is designed for transformational grant-making within local communities, with a targeted grant size of $100,000.
The way it works is each Impact100 member gives $1,100 to create a grant fund to be given away to nonprofit organizations serving the local community. Impact100 Southern Connecticut has no paid staff, so 100% of each member’s annual contribution of $1,000 goes directly into the grant pool and the rest helps cover administrative costs.
Nonprofit finalists are chosen by grant committees through a competitive application process, and grants are awarded based on a membership vote at the annual meeting. Every woman who gives $1,000 or more has one vote.
Nonprofits in the region have already gone through a preliminary application process and the group has whittled the pool down to 10 organizations. At the Feb. 26 event, these nonprofits will be introduced to the public. Also at the event, recipients of two Fairfield County Impact100 grants, EmergeCT and The Rowan Center, will speak about the transformational impact of their $100,000 grants.
Learn more at https://www.impact100sct.org/. Register for the Feb. 26 event at https://www.impact100sct.org/events.php
