Insight Impact: March 2021
News Highlights
Our Grantees: See how Schools That Can impacted the lives of thousands of Newark high school students.
DEI in 2021: We’re integrating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) into our processes, including an upcoming panel with nonprofits on April 8 and rolling out our Every Voice Fellowship.
Grants Committee announces the addition of a smaller Equity Grant. Check out the suggested reading to learn why.
New sponsorship programs
Why women and philanthropy matter: When MacKenzie Scott donated $4.2 billion in December, the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund was a beneficiary.
Communications Internship (paid) for a local college student!
What’s up with our Grantees
Schools That Can - Grant Recipient 2018
This year, Impact100 Essex completed the administration of our second grant recipient, Schools That Can Newark (STC). As a reminder, their project focused on expanding the Career Skills Program to prepare Newark high school students for middle-skill, in-demand careers upon high school graduation. It was a win-win proposal: addressing cycles of poverty for some students while filling regional labor market demands with qualified Newark talent. While the initial grant focused on expanding the program to two additional high schools, the Newark Board of Education asked STC to assist with the coordination and facilitation of career and technical student organizations for every Career Technical Education (CTE) program in the entire district!
Impact: With the help of our Impact100 Essex grant, STC was able to impact ALL Newark district high schools, hundreds of students in dozens of CTE cohorts focused on business, dental studies, environmental studies and law enforcement. Impact100 allowed STC Newark to build their capacity, expand their team to four employees, strengthen all of their programs and helped them raise several hundred thousand dollars in additional funds.
What’s New in Grants
What’s the grants committee been up to since we awarded our 2020 grant to Prevent Child Abuse NJ? Each year at this time, we look closely at how we can improve the grants process, including surveying member reviewers and nonprofit applicants for their feedback.
In looking to this year’s cycle, we also feel the need to be responsive to the continuing pandemic and the national movement for racial justice. Many foundations have shifted their giving, and Impact100 chapters across the U.S. have responded with varied models, demonstrating an openness and flexibility to meet the needs of the times. Inspired to do the same, we are announcing a smaller-sized “Equity Grant,” open only to nonprofits led by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color), in addition to our $100,000 Impact Grant.
The data shows there is systemic inequity in funding. Digging deep into articles and studies, we read repeatedly how white-led organizations have access to money that organizations led by people of color simply don’t, regardless of how much experience they may have in the field. By adding this smaller grant targeting nonprofits led by BIPOC, we send a clear message to nonprofits, to our members and to potential members that our Impact100 chapter values equity; we are doing the work.
Please check out “Suggested Reading” to learn why we believe this Equity Grant is both timely and necessary. And let us know what you think at grants@Impact100essex.org. We want to hear from you!
Suggested Reading
In Philanthropy, Race Is Still a Factor in Who Gets What, Study Shows
Nonprofits that Empower Leaders of Color Are More Apt to Do Something about Racial Inequality
Philanthropists Bench Women of Color, the M.V.P.s of Social Change
Calendar
Letter of Intent (LOI) process a success! The additional LOI process (preliminary review) piloted last year will become a permanent part of our grant application process for the $100,000 grant. Acknowledging that our full application requires significant nonprofit time and resources, we’ve embraced the LOI to ease the burden on applicants with projects that have a low chance of success.
The timeline for the 2021 grants calendar is set, closely mirroring the 2020 timeline. For those who are interested in participating in the review process, more information will be provided in May (LOI Review Teams will meet Late June).
What’s New in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
While collaborating with the Grants Committee on the new Equity Grant, the DEI Action Committee is also developing new programs and activities. “We’re focused on educating our members on the unconscious biases we all bring to our decision-making, on the inequities that exist in grant-making and how we can come together to help solve for those realities,” says Interim Chair of DEI Action Committee Mayuri Chandra. “The Committee is eager to undertake this learning together.”
Every Voice Fellowship
The DEI Action Committee announced the “Every Voice Fellowship” to amplify important, often underheard or missing voices from our community. We are seeking Fellows with an interest in engaging in our organization and work. This provides an on-ramp to membership, offering graduated contributions for the first two years of membership. Fellows will participate in all aspects of Impact100 Essex. If you would like to refer someone for the 2021 Grant cycle, please contact Membership Chairs at membership@impact100essex.org.
Upcoming Mingle
We’re hosting a Members of Color Mingle on March 25th. Please encourage members who identify as BIPOC to register with this link and invite your BIPOC friend/colleagues to learn more about our work this year.
Upcoming Member Connections & Conversation (C&C)
Join us on April 8th, as we host On The Ground: Nonprofit Voices of Essex County. Hear from a panel of four nonprofit leaders about the challenges they face and the change they seek during this unprecedented time. Join in engaging DEI discussions following the panel. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend! Please register using this link.
Supporting Black and female-owned businesses in Essex County
Special thanks to member Ellen Greenfield for starting a list of both Black-Owned and Female-Owned Businesses to support and promote in your networks! Hand icons indicate fellow Impact100 Essex members. This list will be updated regularly, so please support them with your commerce!
What’s New in Membership
2021 Member Goals
Our goal is to reach 200 members in 2021 and we know we can achieve it with everyone’s help! So far we have 100 renewed and new members. PLEASE take the time to renew your membership today with this link! Most new members are referrals from current members, so please invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers to attend an info session and learn about the power of Impact100 Essex and the impact we’re making together. Virtual information sessions will be hosted every Tuesday at 8pm. Reach out to membership@impact100essex.org for more information.
Sponsorship Programs
We’ve launched a new sponsorship program! We are reaching out to companies and local businesses to sponsor memberships for their staff. Our first 2021 sponsors include Toyota at the Impactor Level ($5,000) and Sherman Wells at the Participator Level ($1,000). You can find more information on our website at Be a Corporate Sponsor, and if you know a company that may be interested, please contact Sunita Chaudhuri.
In addition, we’ve launched ‘Sponsor a Member’ -- where current or prospective members can ask their employers to sponsor their membership (sample letter), highlighting the professional development they’ll gain through Impact100 involvement. Popular at other NJ Impact100 chapters, sponsored memberships provide another avenue for joining. And don’t forget your employer’s matching gift program if they have one!
What’s New with the Steering Committee
We have new leaders on the Steering Committee! We are thrilled to welcome Renee Reso and Jill Edinburg (pictured) to move us forward as new Grants Committee Co-Chairs taking over from former Grants Chairs, Kate Shoemaker and Mayuri Chandra. We are grateful for and proud of the thoughtful, equity-focused work Mayuri and Kate have led for three years and thankful they will remain active as committee members. Mayuri has also agreed to serve as Chair of the DEI Action Committee and remains on the Steering Committee.
In addition, we welcome Kate Clark as Governance Committee Co-Chair (pictured) who has worked to redraft our governance principles. We will miss the advice and guiding presence of Margarethe Laurenzi and appreciate her continued support in her role as our CFNJ liaison.
Kate Clark
Governance Co-Chair
Jill Edinburg
Grants Co-Chair
Renee Reso
Grants Co-Chair
Why Women and Philanthropy Matter
When MacKenzie Scott donated $4.2 billion in December 2020, $20 million came to the NJ Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF), hosted by the Community Foundation of New Jersey. They have already distributed $55+ million in support of 500+ nonprofit organizations.
The NYTimes article featuring Ms. Scott, How Women Are Changing the Philanthropy Game, stresses that women give differently and generally more than men and are more likely than men to engage in group giving. Engage in collective giving…. like Impact100!
Job/Volunteer Opportunities
Communications Internship (paid) for a local college student! We are looking for a creative individual to write news releases for local distribution, develop social media opportunities, work on our newsletter, and promote membership communications. Send a resume and pertinent writing sample to Barbara Curran by March 30.
Member Alert: many of our committees, particularly Communications and Membership, need your ideas and time. Please reach out to the appropriate committee. What a great way to get more involved!
Visit our website to view volunteer opportunities with the nonprofit organizations we are supporting through our grants.
---------
New sections were added to the newsletter based on your feedback. We welcome your suggestions on what you’d like to see. Please send your feedback to communications@impact100essex.org. Sunita Chaudhuri, Jill Edinburg and Renee Reso, Editors.
