Impact100 Sonoma awards $100k grant, donates $282k total

Impact100 announced a grant of $100,000 to 10,000 Degrees and donated another $182,000 to 14 other Sonoma Valley nonprofits at its 7th annual Grant Awards Celebration on May 21.

The $100,000 grant, decided by member vote, will fund the  expansion of 10 Degrees’ two-year college access program, which focuses on academic support, college persistence skills building, and financial aid to students at Sonoma Valley High School and Hanna Boys Center.

Lisa Carreño, Regional Director for 10,000 Degrees, thanked the members “for your support and leadership in investing in 10,000 Degrees and our work with Sonoma Valley students and their families. We could not be more excited with this opportunity to further support their efforts to reach their dreams.”

PHOTO: Lisa Carreño, Regional Director 10,000 Degrees, Sharon Nichols, Director of Development 10,000 Degrees, and Cathy Gorham, Impact Grant Chair.

As the recipients were announced, cheers and applause filled the auditorium of Hanna Boys Center where Impact100 Sonoma members and guests gathered for the annual vote and announcement, said Impact100’s Judy Scotchmoor.

The nonprofit awarded $20,000 to each of the three remaining finalists for the $100,000 grant: Becoming Independent for their program Pioneering Innovative Model to Benefit Sonoma Valley, Pets Lifeline for their Sonoma Valley Mobile Pet Adoption program, and Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance for their program THRIVE, The Heart’s Resilience is a Victorious Experience.

Impact100 Sonoma awarded the rest of the funds, totaling $121,938, in Community Grants to the following nonprofit organizations:

Ceres Community Project received $15,000 to continue their Healing Meals for Healthy Communities program serving families and individuals struggling with serious illness.

Friends in Sonoma Helping (F.I.S.H.) received $15,000 to provide rental assistance to needy Sonoma Valley residents.

La Luz Center received $15,000 to provide low-income Latinos with free, bi-lingual employment counseling, computer classes, and ongoing technology literacy assistance.

Pets Lifeline received $15,000 to expand their in-house spay/neuter capabilities, so that all sterilization surgeries can be performed at the shelter.

Redwood Empire Food Bank received $15,000 to expand their weekly distribution of fresh produce to approximately 300 low-income seniors, families and individuals in Sonoma Valley.

Sonoma Community Center received $10,000 to replace their 30-year-old community gas kiln with a safer kiln that will help expand the ceramics programs.

Sonoma Ecology Center received $2,316 toward their project to train teen EnviroLeaders in urban tree planting/care and community survey techniques to help enhance the Springs.

Sonoma Valley Education Foundation received $2,316 toward their project to support overnight college field trips for students enrolled in their engineering and agriculture academies.

Teen Services Sonoma received $15,000 to launch the TSS Welding Program pilot in conjunction with Hanna Boys Center as the first in a series of programs to prepare youth for construction sector jobs.

Verity received $2,316 in support of their Youth Empowerment and Support program that educates children and youth to identify, prevent, and report sexual violence.

Vintage House received $15,000 to support and expand their senior transportation project (LIMO) that provides free, local rides for life-enhancing purposes.

Over the past five months, Amy Rassen (Grants Oversight), Cathy Gorham (Impact Grant), Diana Sanson (Community Grants), and Lynne Lancaster (Grant Review Committees) led the process of narrowing the original applications down to four finalists for the $100,000 Impact Grant and 22 finalists for Community Grants. The finalists were selected after careful review by more than 90 Impact100 Sonoma members who served on financial and grant review committees chaired by Karen Roche, Ann Iverson, Cameron McKinley, Robin Layton, Kathleen Leonard, Lisa Lilienthal, Claudia Sims, Meg Sokoloski, and Judith Walsh. The recipients of the awards were decided by a vote of the Impact100 Sonoma membership.

Impact100 Sonoma welcomes additional women to join the organization. Information about Impact100 Sonoma may be found at www.impact100sonoma.org or by calling 707-939-5007.

Photograph by Bari Williams