Sets Record Highs in Annual Funding and Membership
Exceeds $4.7 Million in Cumulative Giving
In 2026, women’s collective giving organization Impact100 Sonoma—one of the valley’s largest funders—will award a record $365,000 in grants to valley-serving nonprofits. That amount will raise the group’s cumulative grant total since 2010 to $4,740,485.
For the sixth consecutive year, Impact100 Sonoma will award multiple Impetus Grants of up to $25,000 to selected nonprofits. This strategy of disbursing funds widely, as opposed to offering fewer large grants, was initiated during the pandemic and is planned to continue long term. The organization’s trust-based model of philanthropy encourages nonprofits to apply for funding where it is most needed, whether for operations, capital, or programs. “Our goal is simple: to provide nonprofit partners with the resources they need to fulfill their missions and strengthen our shared community,” said Grants Oversight Co-Chair Alison Thompson. “We prioritize core-mission support because we recognize that effective nonprofits require stability and flexibility to achieve lasting impact.”
The group also will again award its multi-year Encore Grant, following a successful launch in 2024, giving one 2026 Impetus Grant recipient a second grant of the same amount in early 2027. 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.
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. The group begins 2026 with 333 member donors, a new high.
Impact100 Sonoma was founded in 2009 by a small group of community-minded women with a shared philanthropic vision. They built the volunteer-led organization from the ground up and awarded initial grants in 2010. “Ours was the first Impact100 chapter in California,” said President Debbe Noto, “and we continue to generate the largest annual grants pool of all six chapters in the state, even though we are the smallest community in population. I am especially proud of our ability to listen and adapt to the needs of our nonprofits and to forge partnerships that go ‘beyond the check.’”
The new funding and membership totals were revealed Saturday morning, January 24, during the group’s Annual Members’ Meeting. The event was hosted and sponsored by the Sebastiani Theatre. The program included a keynote address from Ann Marie McGee, Co-Chair of Philanos, the nation’s leading women’s collective giving circle network, of which Impact100 Sonoma is an affiliate. A resident of Santa Rosa, McGee is a member of Impact100 Redwood Circle.
“Collective giving is a national movement, not a moment,” she said, explaining that it now encompasses more than 4,000 giving circles, 370,000 philanthropists, and $3.1 billion in pooled grants—and continues to grow. “Collective giving drives local impact and helps you make your community what you want it to be while generating a ripple effect that extends outward and diversifies philanthropy across the country. We’re all part of something really big, and women are leading.” She recognized Impact100 Sonoma’s position as an innovator in its funding model, use of technology, and service offerings for grant recipients.
In February and March, Impact100 Sonoma member teams will evaluate this year’s grant applications, make site visits, and select finalists for presentation to and voting by the full membership in early April. The 2026 Impetus Grants and Encore Grant will be announced on April 28 at the Annual Grant Awards Celebration.
In 2025, Impact100 Sonoma awarded $350,000 to 14 valley nonprofits, including the Sebastiani Theatre Foundation, which received the Encore Grant and will receive its second round of the same funding in early 2026.
About Impact100 Sonoma: Women Giving As One
Founded in 2009 by Annette Lomont and Christine Dohrmann, 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. The first Impact100 chapter in California, Impact100 Sonoma is an affiliate of Impact100 Global and a member of the national Philanos network. Today it has more than 300 members and typically grants more than $300,000 annually. Its cumulative grant total since 2010 of nearly $4.4 million and climbing makes it one of the valley’s largest, most reliable funders. 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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