Application Process Opens November 1
In 2026, the women’s collective giving organization Impact100 Sonoma – one of Sonoma Valley’s largest and most reliable funders – will again offer multiple Impetus Grants of up to $25,000 to nonprofit organizations serving local residents. The group will also continue to offer a multi-year Encore Grant, which will give one 2026 Impetus Grant recipient a second grant of the same amount in early 2027.
In April 2025, Impact100 Sonoma awarded $350,000 in Impetus Grants, including the $25,000 Encore Grant, to 14 nonprofits serving Sonoma Valley. That amount matched the annual giving record set by the organization in 2024. Since its founding in 2009, the group has awarded $4.375 million in local funding. The strategy of disbursing multiple grants of up to $25,000, as opposed to offering fewer large grants, was initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues as an ongoing format. A grant recipient may use the money for programs, infrastructure, capital expenditures, or any purpose that supports or improves the organization or its mission.
“Through the Impetus Grant model, we encourage participation by a broad cross-section of applicants, including those nonprofits that are newer or smaller,” said Kathy Bloch, Grants Oversight Co-Chair. “In 2024, for example, 35 percent of applicants were first-time requesters of Impact100 Sonoma funding. Our Encore Grant recipient, Sonoma Immigrant Services, received our funding for the first time. And many applicants requested grants of less than $25,000. So we know this approach continues to be a good fit for our community.”
Impetus Grant applications for 2026 will be available on the Impact100 Sonoma website (www.impact100sonoma.org) starting November 1, 2025. The application deadline is 8:00 PM on January 9, 2026. To apply for the Encore Grant, Impetus Grant applicants need only answer a few additional questions on the same form and provide a budget for the second year. The Encore Grant must build upon the same goals as the Impetus Grant proposal. In keeping with the organization’s alternating funding cycle, nonprofits that received Impetus Grants in 2025 are ineligible to apply in 2026.
“The Encore Grant was embraced by area nonprofits when it was introduced for 2024,” said Leslie Blankenship, Grants Oversight Co-Chair. “A known second year of funding can give them the flexibility to pursue mission-related proposals and long-term projects. It also can represent a ‘stamp of approval’ that makes it easier for them to secure grants from other funders.”
In addition to receiving a second consecutive year of funding, the Encore Grant recipient will have the option of selecting one woman from among its staff members, board members, or volunteers to receive a fully paid, two-year membership in Impact100 Sonoma. The membership may also be shared between two women, giving them both full member privileges, but with one grantmaking vote.
“Our Encore Partner members bring diverse voices to our organization,” said Blankenship, “and we believe that both the nonprofit and Impact100 Sonoma will benefit from this relationship.”
The 2026 grants strategy was announced September 20 during the organization’s Annual Garden Party, which also launched its 2026 membership drive. Every Impact100 Sonoma member makes a one-year, fully tax-deductible minimum donation of $1,200 ($600 for a shared membership), $1,000 of which goes toward grants, and some donate additional funds. The more members, the more money is available to distribute. Member donors must join or renew by December 31, 2025, to vote for 2026 Impetus Grant recipients.
An optional Impetus Grant Information Session for interested nonprofits will take place via Zoom on November 6, 2025, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Members of Impact100 Sonoma Grants Oversight and Financial Review Committees will guide attendees through the 2026 application process and answer questions. All are welcome. Invitations are available by contacting [email protected].
Over the winter, Impact100 Sonoma member teams will evaluate applications, make site visits, and select finalists for presentation to and voting by the full membership in mid-April. The 2026 Impetus Grants and Encore Grant will be announced at the Annual Awards Celebration on April 21.
Founded in 2009, Impact100 Sonoma is a women’s philanthropic organization that pools member funds to support nonprofits serving valley residents from Schellville to Kenwood. Its vision is to foster a just and thriving Sonoma Valley by empowering women to invest in a more sustainable nonprofit community through collective giving, responsible stewardship, and active engagement while emphasizing equity in its approach to grantmaking. Today it has more than 300 members and typically grants more than $300,000 annually. Its Community Service Hub, which is open to the public, matches caring locals with grant recipients past and present seeking volunteers, pro-bono services, materials, and other assistance. Impact100 Sonoma is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and all donations are fully tax-deductible. For more information or to participate, visit www.impact100sonoma.org or write [email protected].
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