A Look at How Impact 100 Chicago Empowers Women’s Philanthropy

Impact 100 giving circles exist all over the United States and have expanded substantially since Wendy Steele first founded the model in 2001. There are over 50 chapters across the country and they’re active in Australian cities now as well. Each chapter is fully autonomous and independent, but one of the most active chapters these days is Impact 100 Chicago.

Here is a closer look at Impact 100 Chicago’s local giving and what it is doing to empower women in the region.

Recent Topics of Interest

In the giving circle’s most recent round of giving, its top grantee was a provider of employment and workforce skills training. Impact 100 Chicago’s money helped expand the nonprofit’s programming via funding for staff and materials transportation. Finalist grantees receiving lesser amounts included a neighborhood community center with children’s programming, a provider of crime victim services and an advocacy center for children.

However, Impact 100 Chicago wants to dissuade folks from attempting to guess what it will choose to support in the future. The women involved look at a wide variety of projects and ultimately choose the ones that promise the greatest local impact without necessarily sticking to the same causes each year.

Typical Grant Amounts

As the name suggests, the top annual grantee receives $100,000. However, the grantmaker also awards merit grants that come from the leftover funds each year.

The women choose finalists to receive merit grants, which vary in size from year to year depending on how many members contribute the requisite $1,000 that year. Recent merit awards were $14,000 each, three of which went out after the $100,000 recipient was chosen. All grants must go towards a program or project and cannot be used for unrestricted general operating support.

Giving Circle Leadership

Unlike in traditional philanthropic foundations, membership and leadership in Impact 100 giving circles is very fluid. Impact 100 Chicago is always on the lookout for new members and provides a straightforward and accessible way for local women to become philanthropists.

Members’ involvement ranges from simply casting a vote at the annual grant award celebration to getting heavily involved in committees and assessing applications. Kathy Loria is the current president of Impact 100 Chicago, and Sue Key is the grants director.

The Grant Process

Each fall, Impact 100 Chicago welcomes new letters of inquiry, which internal committees review and then invite certain applicants to submit full proposals. Committees go over the full proposals and select a group of finalists, who must make presentations at an awards celebration and win the members’ votes. The next award celebration will take place on June 9, 2020, and we expect the next grant cycle to open up in August or September 2020.

Beyond just the city of Chicago, Impact 100 Chicago brings together women from the suburbs across Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Grundy, Lake, Will and McHenry counties. Learn more about this funder and others that prioritize Chicago nonprofits in IP’s Chicago & Great Lakes Funding Guide.

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