Happy Fall!  It’s gratifying to reflect back on how memorable the past month had been for Impact100 East Bay. In mid-September, we held our Meet the Finalists event, announcing that we would award 3 grants for the first time in our chapter’s history, totaling $160,000.

Later in September, we came together for our first in-person Grant Celebration since 2019. One by one, the three nonprofit finalists described their proposed projects with compelling presentations. Left with difficult decisions to make, our members ultimately voted to award the following grants:

• Community Resources for Science – $100,000 grant to fund innovative science curriculum and materials for K-5th graders in impoverished schools 
• Dentist on Wheels – $35,000 to provide free dental services to a total of 240 lower income residents 
• Meals on Wheels – Diablo Region – $25,000 grant to provide an additional 16,000 breakfast meals to elderly residents

Your generosity did not wane during the pandemic; it grew!  As we enter our sixth year as a chapter, our successes include funding $660,000 in grants to local nonprofits. We are making a difference, yet there is so much more to do. 

During Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month, we affirm our commitment to involve diverse voices in the process of grant evaluation and award determination. We’re taking inspiration from the national campaign “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.”  It contends that when all voices are represented and welcomed in public discourse, communities are strengthened and our nation emerges even stronger.

We are actively engaged in outreach to nonprofit organizations and individuals through our Taste of Events, which highlight unmet community needs. Please send a message to membership@impact100eastbay.org if you want to get involved or know of organizations you’d like us to contact.

Our 2023 grant year membership drive runs through the end of this year. Expanding our membership grows our impact. Help us extend our reach and ability to fund a wider range of local nonprofit organizations, thus making even greater transformational changes in the lives of underserved residents of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. If you haven’t renewed or joined yet, please do so today at Membership Application – Impact100 East Bay. 

As we resume face-to-face meetings, let’s use the momentum to ignite our shared philanthropic passion and fuel an even greater impact.

With abundant gratitude,

Stephanie Shaw

Impact100 East Bay President