About Impact100
Celebrating 20 years of making an Impact
Launched in 2017, Impact100 Greater Chesapeake is one of the newest chapters of the Impact100 family. Founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2001, Impact100 now has grown to 51 chapters in the United States and 10 overseas. Our 10,000+ members worldwide have donated over $80M to their communities over the past two decades.
We are a 100% volunteer group of women who want to support local nonprofits with TRANSFORMATIONAL grants—-those grants that allow them to make a significantly higher contribution to those they serve.
Our Mission
Impact100 Greater Chesapeake is an all-volunteer women’s philanthropic community dedicated to improving lives in Anne Arundel County, Maryland by collectively funding transformational grants to local nonprofit organizations.
From the Impact100 Greater Chesapeake President
I am honored to be a part of the growth of the Impact100 Greater Chesapeake Chapter. When our founder, Heather DeBuse approached me 5 years ago about this amazing organization I was in from the start. I have been involved in a range of philanthropic activities for years, including Junior League here in Annapolis, I was inspired by what can be done when women come together for the good of the community. Over the last five years our grants have directly supported Anne Arundel County nonprofit projects by providing equine mental health programming, combating food instability and insecurity, renovating homes so our neighbors can return safely, and bolstering the dignity of disadvantaged families by providing necessities (i.e. furniture, housewares, clothing and personal items) to families and individuals without sufficient economic resources. Together our members have re-invested $344,000 back into our community! We look forward to hitting our goal of 100 members, and we can only do so with your help. You can join, help us spread the word, together we can truly IMPACT our community! Our members include entrepreneurs, business people, teachers, realtors, stay-at-home moms and retirees. Although our occupations are wide-ranging, our common passion for improving our communities binds us together as one through Impact100 Greater Chesapeake.
I hope you’ll consider joining this incredible group of women who are making such a difference in our community through their monetary contributions and engagement.
All the best,
Michele Burns
The Impact100 model is readily available to all communities who wish to implement it. The model is designed to empower women to see themselves as philanthropists and overcome the barriers women have historically faced in this arena. The model is designed for transformational grant-making within local communities, with a minimum grant size of $100,000.
The Impact100 Model
Focus Areas
We provide nonprofit organizations with grants in increments of at least $100,000 across five broad Focus Areas:
Impact100 Greater Chesapeake accepts applications from nonprofits who serve residents in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. All 501(c)(3) nonprofits, except those organizations whose primary purpose and use of grant funds is for religious or political activities, are eligible to apply.
How it Works
Impact100 Greater Chesapeake operates on a yearly cycle, beginning with Membership Recruitment. After the membership recruitment period ends, Impact100 Greater Chesapeake announces the size of the grant and nonprofits are invited to attend our Request for Application (RFA) workshops and submit a grant application. Impact100 Greater Chesapeake members volunteer to serve on a grant committee to study proposals, perform site visits, and select the strongest applicant. Finalists from each of the focus areas present their projects at the Annual Meeting of Impact100 Greater Chesapeake. The entire membership of Impact100 Greater Chesapeake votes to select the winner(s).
The annual $1,000 donation of each Impact100 Greater Chesapeake member goes exclusively to funding the grants. We rely on “Member-Plus” 110% contributions as well as Friends of Impact to pay for operating costs.
Membership is open to all women over the age of 21 and renewable annually.
Impact100 is inclusive and egalitarian. Each member votes using ranked choice methodology.
Impact100 Greater Chesapeake is an all-volunteer organization. We rely exclusively on the expertise, time and talent of our members. That said, members may do as much or as little as time and circumstance allow. Members can be directly involved in the grant review process, learning more about area needs and the nonprofits working to address them. They can serve on a committee and be directly involved in the myriad operational aspects of Impact, or they can simply cast their vote at the Annual Meeting.