Annual Kickoff set for September 17
A new grantmaking year has begun! Everyone on our mailing list will receive an invitation today to the Annual Kickoff on Thursday, September 17 at 7pm.
We'd love to see you on Zoom for an educational program with speakers Dr. Kevin Ahmaad Jenkins of Penn and Nelly Jimenez of ACLAMO. Please watch for the invitation or go to our website to see more details. This is a great opportunity to hear timely presentations from our speakers and also learn firsthand about Impact100.
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Member survey responses help guide plans for the coming year
As always, members' responses to our annual survey have been very helpful in guiding plans for the coming year. Of particular note were:
- strong support for grantmaking changes last year related to the pandemic, such as making grant funds fully unrestricted.
- high ratings from Focus Area Committee volunteers about their experience, despite shifting to a virtual process.
- flexibility and appreciation for some unforeseen benefits of virtual meetings, such as fitting meetings more easily into the workday or feeling better able to see and focus on speakers with discussions on Zoom.
- strong support for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts in the coming year.
Here are a few member comments from the survey:
- This was my first year as a member so I do not have much to compare it to but I will share that it was a good chance to connect - even remotely - with other women in the area. I loved learning more about the great organizations in our area doing important work.
- I was continuously impressed by the forethought, intelligence, commitment, flexibility and numerous skills of the group and am proud to be a member.
- I'm grateful for the difference my Impact membership has made in my life. Impact has allowed me to become a better-educated citizen and informed my giving outside of Impact. I value the relationships I've formed and the opportunity for input into the paths Impact has taken.
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DEI Committee's new resource guide
Impact100 formed a Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee in 2018 to explore and implement ways to put diversity and equity at the center of our organization's work.
The DEI Committee -- 10 members with a broad range of life experiences -- is helping to think through ways to strengthen Impact's practices in both membership and grantmaking. We will include regular updates from the Committee in this newsletter, and we welcome feedback from members, applicants, and all others who have thoughts to share. Simply reply to this email to reach us.
We're pleased to share the DEI Committee's resource guide sent to Impact members earlier this month. The guide was developed to introduce terminology and language related to DEI work; the history and importance of anti-racism work; and action steps that Impact100 members can take to support a more just and equitable society.
The DEI Committee would like to acknowledge that August is Black Philanthropy Month (BPM), and in that spirit, encourages all members to learn more about how Black philanthropy has taken shape in Philadelphia through this series of articles in Generocity.
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Thanks to Impact member Susan Greenbaum for the article below. |
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ACLAMO: Confronting the catastrophic impact of the COVID crisis
Like other parts of the country, Montgomery County’s growing Latino community has been hard-hit by COVID-19.
“Our communities are experiencing this crisis on different levels,” said Nelly Jimenez, executive director of Impact100’s 2020 grantee ACLAMO Family Centers, in a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article. “Everyone says we are all in this together, but the inequalities that minority communities are experiencing and the lack of access to resources for them has highlighted the catastrophic impact this crisis will have on families we serve.”
Montgomery County does not track infection rates by race, but Jimenez and her team have observed a troubling and disproportionate rate of the disease within the community ACLAMO has served for 43 years. In response, the organization has quickly pivoted to address the COVID-19 crisis locally.
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In May, Montgomery County commissioner Dr. Valerie Arkoosh announced that the County had contracted with ACLAMO to implement a contact tracing program in the Spanish-speaking community. With offices in Norristown, Pottstown, and Lansdale, ACLAMO is well-positioned for the project given its deep roots in the area and high level of trust among local Latinos. The contact-tracing team includes five highly trained, bi-lingual, bi-cultural staff members and a supervisor who reach out to individuals who may have been exposed to the virus. Those who have had close contact with a positive patient are provided information to help them understand their risk of infection and how to avoid spreading the virus to others.
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Many of ACLAMO’s clients, particularly the elderly, live in multi-generational homes which increases the incidence of COVID-19 transmission from family members who are working in high-risk jobs in the service, hospitality and construction sectors. A significant number of these clients have been laid off from jobs which do not provide unemployment compensation. ACLAMO’s range of social, educational and health and wellness services including an extensive food distribution effort provide much-needed relief. This month alone, ACLAMO provided 8,970 meals for children to families in need in Norristown and Pottstown.
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ACLAMO has launched a series of Facebook Live conversations and interviews to help clients keep their families healthy. Parents have been particularly interested in supports and guidance on how to manage their children's’ virtual education.
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ACLAMO is using funding to address the crisis as it unfolds. Jimenez anticipates hiring five more contact tracers whose work is fully funded by the County. Additional support from the PHL COVID-19 Fund has helped expand ACLAMO’s technology platforms. Impact100's 2020 grant funds of $108,000 will be used in part to hire a new Community Health Navigator.
Read more about ACLAMO and its work in the Latino community here.
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Would you like to join us or tell others about Impact100? |
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Impact100 Philly's growth is due to our members' enthusiasm for collective giving. |
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If you'd like to tell others about our organization, please feel free to forward
this newsletter - and we thank you for spreading the word. The top reason for Impact100's growth since 2008 has been members referring other women as members.
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If you or a friend or colleague would like to join Impact100, we'd love to have you!
Women ages 36 and over join for $1,150; of that total, $1,000 is added to the grants pool for 2021. Women 35 and under join as Young Philanthropists at half that rate, $575.
The deadline to join and support the 2021 grants is December 1, but members
who join or renew now are much-appreciated. Your early support is
tremendously helpful for planning and helps expand our membership
and funding for the coming year.
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