NEWS

Demetria's Message

Happy New Year, Impact Austin Community!

As the incoming Executive Director for Impact Austin, I’m thrilled to kick off 2023 with you to celebrate 20 years of collective giving together!

At the start of a new year, I always take time to reflect on the many ways for which I’m grateful. This year, I’m truly grateful for the commitment of the ED search committee who selected me to serve our community in this most important role. Most of all, I’m grateful for the opportunity to meet and work with our members, volunteer leaders, strategic partners, and community partners.

As I embrace all there is to know about Impact Austin by listening and learning, I invite you to join me in this new adventure and take action over the next 30 days.

1. Join Impact Austin, or renew your membership, and invite a friend or colleague to join alongside you!
2. Share information on our Spring grant cycle with a potential Community Partner.
3. Invite a friend to attend Discovery Days with you. I’ll kick off the series on January 27. Join us! 

As a volunteer-powered organization, we're only as successful as our collective work and gifts. Your time, talent, and treasure truly make a difference for those who count on us for impactful support.

My calendar is open for virtual coffee chats on most Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am-12pm. Feel free to schedule some time with me! I look forward to meeting as many of you as humanly possible.

Have a wonderful year ahead!

Our blog continues to highlight our 20^th anniversary year, now with a series called SOCIAL IMPACTS. These are stories about our Community Partners and grant impacts. Check out the first three that highlight Partnerships for Children, half-Helen Foundation, and all the Girls Giving Grants awards.

Spring 2023 Grant Cycle Begins

Through June we will consider applications for funding in the Community and Education focus areas. Nonprofits serving Bastrop, Hays, Travis, or Williamson counties are invited to apply until 5:00 PM on Feb 7. We will consider applications from single organizations or collaborative groups of organizations. Proposals may support new, existing, or expanded programs or capacity-building initiatives. Find all the details here. A virtual workshop was held for interested applicants. If you missed that, a recorded version is available.

Spring grants will total $164,600, with $82,300 in each focus area. At the end of our grant cycle, 80% of the grant amount ($65,900) will be awarded to the finalist who receives the most member

votes. 20% of the grant amount ($16,400) will be awarded to the other finalist as an unrestricted grant.

In Fall 2023, we will fund two more grants in the Equity and Health & Well-Being focus areas. The funding totals within each grant cycle are based on Impact Austin membership levels.

Grant Review Committees Open to Members

Members interested in serving on a Grant Review Committee (GRC) in the Community or Education focus areas may register through Feb 7 at 5:00 PM. Membership dues must be current or monthly payments begun as of Feb 5 to serve.

The Education GRC will meet virtually on Tuesday evenings: Feb 21, Mar 7, Apr 4, May 2

The Community GRC will meet in-person on Wednesday evenings; Feb 22, Mar 8, Apr 5, May 3

at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 8134 Mesa Dr.

The 52 members of our Girls Giving Grants (g3) youth initiative are reviewing 25 applications for their $8,400 award to support a nonprofit serving Austin-area youth. The g3 members received training in the fall to prepare them for the process: community needs, equity/social justice training, and best practices in application review. In February, semi-finalists will be selected, with deep-dive reviews and group presentations to follow. Site visits and final votes are scheduled in April, with their grantee announced soon after. Impact Austin members will hear from g3 leaders at the June 5 Annual Meeting.

In December, g3 members began a process to re-design their logo. Stay tuned for the new design, which will welcome new members to the 2023-2024 year.

More Members = Bigger Grants

Nothing excites us more than offering big checks to local nonprofits serving our Central Texas neighbors. But big checks are only made possible by a robust membership giving collectively. What can each of us do to build the funding available for grants?

• Join or re-join and renew without missing a spring or fall funding cycle.
• Invite a friend or colleague to join or re-join Impact Austin.
• Share our messages and news: forward this newsletter; re-post or comment on social media; encourage social media friends to follow us; email links to interested friends.
• Invite a friend or colleague to Discovery Days or other webinars and virtual events.
• Invite a friend or colleague to an in-person event: Zones gathering or volunteer opportunity or Annual Meeting.

Zones

Our fabulous Zones team is busy planning social gatherings and volunteer opportunities that will run January through May. The first activity is more fun than you can imagine!  

Join member Robin Krumme (NASM CPT, Senior Fitness Specialist) on Jan 24 from 6:45 - 8:00 for a fun boxing lesson that is appropriate for all ages and fitness levels. We offered this lesson in April 2022 and have had requests to offer it again! You don't need any equipment other than a water bottle and a beach towel or yoga mat (if you have boxing gloves, bring them).  We will warm up, learn some simple boxing combos, and cool down to fun music. We have room for 20 people. Sign up here.

CircleUp Austin

Impact Austin is co-hosting an in-person gathering with Philanthropy Together on January 26 from 5:00-7:00 PM. This event is an opportunity to socialize and network with other giving circles in Central Texas. The venue is Wanderlust Wine Collective at 702 Shady Lane. Find event details and reservation form here. Space is limited, so RSVP soon.

Discovery Days 2023

First offered in 2007, Discovery Days is an #impactaustin Signature Event. Once a single day of learning, the event expanded in 2021 to a virtual series that is open to all.

Our 2023 virtual sessions will be offered Jan 27, Feb 10, and Feb 24 from 12:00-1:00 PM. Join us for three days of thoughtful conversations as we take a deeper dive into impact: how to define it, how to measure it, how to compare impact equitably, and how to collaborate for greater impact Find registration and all the details here.

Partnerships for Children

Partnerships for Children (PFC) won two Impact Austin awards, both Family Grants, in 2012 and 2016. The first enabled the launch of YES Mentoring (Youth Empowerment and Success). That program continues today.

Our 2016 grant funded PFC’s initiatives supporting foster-to-adopt goals, most notably expanding the Heart Gallery program they launched in 2014. The Heart Gallery helps children who've been waiting to be adopted find their forever homes.

Kori Gough led Partnerships for Children during their years as our Community Partner. She is now Director for the Heart Galleries of Texas. Recently, Kori wrote about the value of Impact Austin’s investment in the Heart Gallery program.

“With the support of Impact Austin, the Central Texas Heart Gallery led by Partnerships for Children has led the state in adoptions, showing a 16% higher rate of adoption year over year, and our state leadership has taken notice. Over the next few years, we are working to organize, establish and support the development of Heart Gallery programs within nine additional regions throughout Texas based on the proven model in Central Texas. Thank you, Impact Austin, for believing in this program and helping to promote change and provide hope to thousands of children waiting for their forever home."

We have a team of amazing individuals working hard to keep you up to date with what is happening at Impact Austin.

Visit our blog to find event info, press releases, member profiles and so much more! Plus, don't forget to #JoinImpactAustin on your favorite social media sites!

Please "like" and "share" our posts! You'll help to promote Impact Austin to a wider audience and potential members. We would love to hear from you...what do you want to learn more about? What type of information is useful for you?

Contact us at [email protected].