Finalists announced for Impact100 Sonoma’s $100,000 grant
Impact100 Sonoma will award its first $100,000 grant on June 10 to one of the following Sonoma Valley nonprofit organizations:
• Arts and Culture Focus Area: Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
• Education Focus Area: Boys and Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley
• Environment Focus Area: Sonoma Ecology Center
• Family Focus Area: Social Advocates for Youth
• Health and Wellness Focus Area: Willmar Center for Bereaved Children
After receiving Letters of Inquiry from 23 Sonoma Valley nonprofit organizations interested in applying for the $100,000 Impact grant, 13 organizations were invited to submit full proposals. After careful review by more than 50 Impact100 Sonoma founding members serving on the five focus areas committees, five finalists were selected. According to Impact100 Sonoma Grants Chair Patti England, “The focus area committee members did a fabulous job of analyzing, studying, comparing, and choosing. I trust that we have the best possible slate of finalists.”
The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art’s proposal presented a partnership with the Sonoma Valley Unified School District and Visual Thinking Strategies to expand educational programs in visual thinking at both middle schools and to renovate a small room in the museum to be used for a classroom. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley’s proposal described a partnership with the SVUSD, the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation/Teacher Support Network, and the Sonoma Valley Film Society to staff a program for college-bound teens aimed at increasing the graduation rate and successful college matriculation. The Sonoma Ecology Center’s proposal focused on the Sonoma Valley Climate Change Leadership Project, a program that would enable sixth graders to reduce the carbon footprint and gain leadership skills. Social Advocates for Youth – in collaboration with the SVUSD. BGCSV, and the Sonoma Valley Stand By Me Mentoring Alliance – proposed to offer free counseling services for at-risk seventh through twelfth graders and families. The Willmar Center for Bereaved Children proposed to offer grief support groups for Spanish-speaking families that are experiencing grief from illness, death, or other loss.
During the June 10 Annual Meeting of the Impact100 Sonoma membership, each finalist organization will present its vision for how the $100,000 grant would impact its organization and the community. A vote of the entire Impact100 Sonoma founding membership will determine the nonprofit to receive the first $100,000 grant awarded by the organization. After the grant recipient is announced, Impact100 Sonoma co-presidents Christine Dohrmann and Annette Lomont will reveal how an additional $10,000 in grant funds raised by the founding members will be distributed. A celebration at the Sonoma Golf Club, immediately following the annual meeting and open to all Impact100 Sonoma members and donors, will honor the grant finalists.
Impact100 Sonoma is currently inviting additional women to join the organization. New members joining by June 1 will be welcome to attend the June 10 annual meeting celebration. Information about Impact100 Sonoma may be found at www.impact100sonoma.org or by calling 256.0119.
