WOMEN TRANSFORMING SONOMA COUNTY THROUGH COLLECTIVE PHILANTHROPY | DECEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 51 |
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Community Grants - Nominations Open on Jan. 4th! |
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Season’s Greetings from your Community Grants Committee. Twenty-two enthusiastic members have been busy preparing for the 2022 Community Grant cycle, which begins with nominations from our Impact 100 Redwood Circle membership!
Nominations open on January 4, 2022 and must be received by January 18, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. A nominating form will be sent to you via eblast on January 4.
Mark your calendars on January 5, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. for an all-membership ZOOM meeting. At this meeting, we will present an overview of the Community Grants process. Please bring any questions you might have. If you are a new member, this is a great opportunity to learn about the process. Continuing members are encouraged to attend for a “refresher”. Click here to register for the January 5 orientation.
As you begin to think about a nonprofit to nominate, please consider an organization with whom you are familiar--even better if you have experience with the organization. Keep in mind the Impact 100 Redwood Circle core values of Integrity, Collaboration, Compassion, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and what these values mean to you. Any organization that has not received a Community Grant in the past three years is eligible to apply.
To be certain that you nominate an organization that will qualify for a Community Grant, we will be reviewing eligibility criteria and guidelines at the orientation on January 5. You will also find this information on our website under Community Grant Eligibility Guidelines.
The nonprofits listed below have received a Community Grant in the last three cycles and, therefore, are ineligible to apply for a Community Grant in 2022.
2021
Artstart
Coastal Seniors
Conservation Corps North Bay
Graton Day Labor Center
Farm to Pantry
SOS Community Counseling
Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods
Valley of the Moon Children’s Foundation
2020
Bird Rescue Center
Burbank Housing
F.I.S.H. of Santa Rosa
Jewish Community Free Clinic
Museum of Sonoma County
Reach for Home
SRJC Foundation-Youth Foster Programs
Verity
2019
Lime Foundation
PDI Surgery Center
Russian River Keeper
The Living Room
Women’s Recovery Services
Thank you for your participation in Impact 100 Redwood Circle! We look forward to Zooming with you on January 5.
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Coffee & Conversation – In-person!
What’s one of the best ways to spread the word of Impact 100 Redwood Circle?
Introduce friends and acquaintances to our philanthropy by inviting them to join you at our next Coffee and Conversation. We’ll meet at Mayacama Golf and Country Club on January 13, 2022 from 9:00-10:30 AM (Note the time change from earlier notice). Coffee, tea, and pastries will be served.
New Member/Seasoned Member Refresher Orientation -- Zoom
Being knowledgeable about Impact 100 Redwood Circle enhances your membership experience.
Begin your adventure or get a refresher course in this powerful movement of collective philanthropy. Join recent and seasoned members via Zoom on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, 5:30-6:30 PM. Meet members and learn about grants, the committees, the education program, and the incredible impact this vibrant organization has on our community. We’ll show you the many ways to engage in and stay informed of Impact 100 activity.
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Impact 100 Redwood Circle Moving Forward |
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Your Co-Presidents have been working on gathering information from our Membership as well as other giving circles over the past year. We have been using the talents of both Mindi Lewis, Marketing, and Sharon Keating, member and a professional in developing and facilitating strategic plans and meetings. As a result, your Leadership Team held an all-day retreat on December 2. It was a very successful “meeting of the minds”. We gathered within small groups to focus on
- Membership Size and Growth
- Membership Engagement, Retention, and Leadership
- Membership Inclusion and Diversity
The group discussions were provided with data collected via the Membership Survey held in November. They also had information gathered by Suzy, Cindy, Sharon, and Mindi from 16 giving circles throughout the United States. These giving circles were specifically asked questions that related to the three topics mentioned above.
This month your Leadership Team will begin the process of developing an Action Plan that will be the outcome of our focus group discussions at the Retreat. All committees will be involved in making these decisions for Impact 100 Redwood Circle.
All committees will be actively looking for additional help in putting this Plan to work throughout 2022 and beyond. Sub-committees and/or tasks forces will be put into play.
We will need your assistance to make this a successful process. If you are able, please offer your services and support to whatever committee in which you might have an interest.
Please answer their calls!
And, remember that 2022 will be the year we want to reach $1 million in awarded grants. This will be a year of celebration! We are Moving Forward!
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NextGen Third Thursday Gatherings |
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We’re excited to be able to meet in-person and are initiating a recurring gathering on the third Thursday of every month. We’ll be at Beer Baron in Courthouse Square from 5:30 to 7:00 on January 20. This no-host meeting will be an opportunity to learn about Impact 100 Redwood Circle news, network and get to know each other. Our November meeting was lively and full of unexpected community connections.
While the focus of our group is younger women (under 50 years old), we welcome other members who are curious about NextGen or have a younger friend they would like to introduce to our giving circle. Online registration is recommended.
The in-coming co-chairs of the NextGen Committee, Eileen Freiburger and Bianca Rose would love to see you there and invite you to email them for more information about NextGen.
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VOICES Youth Center was the first recipient of our $100,000 Impact Grant back in 2016. Many of our founding members have helped to prepare a nutritious Thanksgiving meal for the youth – until Covid hit. Impact 100 Redwood Circle members still have a soft spot in their hearts for this Agency however.
On the Tuesday preceding Thanksgiving seven Impact 100 Redwood Circle members met to deliver 25 Thanksgiving Food Kits for the VOICES clients. Since Covid protocol still prohibits indoor dining, the next best thing was to assemble non-perishable groceries and a $10 gift certificate for a roasted chicken, that the VOICES clients could prepare for themselves.
Many thanks to our generous members and friends who shopped and prepared the kits.
Forget Me Not Farm Children’s Services has requested our help fulfilling some very important equipment and attire needed this winter at the Farm. Boots are worn out and garden gloves are beyond use.
They have partnered with Amazon and below is a wish list for their specific needs. Amazon keeps track of what has been purchased so there are no duplicates. Prices range from $10-$40 and shipping to the Farm is Free.
Just click on this link to view their Wish List: |
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DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) |
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You must have noticed the Busting Bias invitations running this past year? So far, 55 members have participated in the 6-week, 90-minute conversation groups. Feedback shows that the “breathing room” experienced is a welcome relief from what can often be pressure-filled and uncomfortable discussions. Feedback also shows that carving time out of work hours is a barrier to participation. The solution is our new BUSTING BIAS (SESSION V) on THURSDAYS, 6:30-8:00PM, FROM JANUARY 13 THROUGH FEBRUARY 17th.
We hope you will join us! Simply pop an email to nancyvogl@gmail.com to sign up, or for any questions you may have. Anticipate a rewarding experience that invites connection and affinity with new Impact friends-to-be! |
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Would you like to be a part of the vetting process for our Impact Grant applicants next year? If so, please consider joining the Impact Grant Committee.
The committee’s primary task is to review applications for our $100,000 Impact Grant, and ultimately, to select three finalists for the full membership’s vote. Committee members are expected to read and score two rounds of grant applications and to participate in eight to ten meetings. Members learn about the work of dozens of Sonoma County’s top nonprofits and deepen their understanding of local needs and services.
The committee will begin meeting in early 2022 and the Impact Grant cycle runs from May to November. If you are interested in joining the returning team of eleven, which will be led by co-chairs Ina Chun, Frieda Ireland and Christy Pichel, please send an email to impact100impactgrant@gmail.com Someone will contact you with further details and answer any questions you might have.
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