Dear Impact100 DC Community,

Many of you have asked why I wanted to start an Impact100 chapter in the Washington, DC area. The answer is both personal and, I hope, resonant. Six years ago, I was looking for a way to become more locally invested and involved after retiring from teaching. I also hoped - perhaps a bit selfishly - that it might restore the sense of community I had lost. And I was drawn to the power of collective giving, especially through high-impact grants, to make a meaningful, visible difference.

I hit the mark on every count.

My experience with Impact100 DC has been genuinely life-changing; proof that transformative experiences can happen at any stage of life. As I write my final president’s letter, what I feel most deeply is gratitude.

I am profoundly grateful to our members. Impact100 DC is growing, with more than 200 women now shaping its future. You are our ambassadors, expanding our reach geographically (especially in Northern VA!) and enriching this community with your varied experience, perspectives, and expertise. Each of you has helped build something special, and together your collective giving is making a real impact across our region.

I am also grateful to the remarkable women who have served on our Board and in leadership roles. Together, we built the structure, advanced the mission, and nurtured the values of this organization. I have never worked with a group so collaborative, thoughtful, and talented, and I treasure both what I’ve learned and the friendships that have grown from that work. And I’m thrilled to report that our leadership team is in great hands with Francine Lamoriello as our new president.

Finally, I am grateful for the nonprofit organizations whose work we encounter through our grants process. Each year, we are reminded of the extraordinary, often heroic efforts underway across the DC metro area. It has been a privilege to learn from these organizations and their inspiring leaders, and to support - even in a small way - their commitment to strengthening our community.

My involvement with Impact100 DC will certainly continue. For me, it is essential. In a time when so many forces are at work to divide and isolate us, this community is an antidote. It keeps me connected, informed, and hopeful. No matter how much or how little time I have to give, being part of Impact100 DC has only an upside.

I’ll close with a quote I love, from poet Amanda Gorman:

“Since the world is round

There is no way to walk away

From each other, for even then

We are coming back together.”

With my best wishes to you for the New Year,

Ann Vaughn

One Day Left - Help Shape Our Impact in 2026

We’re closing out our membership season with record growth and strong momentum. 

Dec. 31 is the deadline to renew or join. Every single renewal and every new member directly shapes the size of our 2026 grant pool and the impact we can make together across the DC metro area.

Thanks to our growing membership, Impact100 DC awarded two $100,000 Impact Grants this year for the first time. These grants are expanding opportunity and improving lives across our region. With even more members in 2026, we can fund additional high-impact grants and respond even more powerfully to the needs facing our region.

This momentum reflects the generosity and enthusiasm of our community, from our Meet & Greet hosts to the many member ambassadors who shared Impact100 DC with friends and colleagues and helped welcome new members. Thank you for helping grow both our membership and our impact.

And to those who joined us this year: welcome! We’re so glad you’re here. 

More members = a larger grant pool and greater impact.

Be part of our 2026 grant cycle – join or renew by Dec. 31!

Not eligible for membership or not ready to join? You can still be part of our impact by making a donation. Thank you!

2026 Grant Cycle Updates

We’re excited to share that we received a record number of grant applications for our 2026 grants cycle - an incredible testament to the meaningful work happening across the DC metro area.

There is just one day left to join our 2026 membership! Members, we hope you’ll consider getting involved by signing up for a Grants Focus Area Committee. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn firsthand about the amazing efforts of local community organizations and play a role in supporting their impact. No prior experience is needed - will provide comprehensive training before you begin. 

Members only: To learn more about the overall grant cycle and what the year ahead looks like, we invite members to sign up for the Welcome to the 2026 Impact100 DC Grants Cycle zoom on Wednesday Jan. 7, 2026 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. Register here. A recording will be available for members who are unable to attend live.

Join us and be part of making a difference in our community!

Impact100 DC Grantee Updates

2024 Mission Grantee Playtime Project used their $15,400 grant to support their play program at the Beltway Plaza Mall in Greenbelt, MD. This location serves families experiencing housing insecurity at Franklin Park Apartments, the largest affordable housing complex in Maryland and a common re-homing location for families moving out of homeless shelters. Using Impact100 DC’s support, Playtime Project facilitators created an inclusive and welcoming community for children and caregivers and led engaging play sessions throughout the year. Each session provided children with safe, enriching opportunities to strengthen social-emotional skills, practice problem-solving, and build optimism for the future - all skills associated with resilience. 

The program’s highly visible location also helped Playtime reach new families, including more Spanish-speaking households. Beyond the Greenbelt site, the investment from Impact100 DC contributed to Playtime’s broader organizational success throughout the year. Across all programs, Playtime served 618 children in 2024, surpassing their annual goal of 500. On average, children attended programs 10 times, an increase from seven in 2023. While any amount of time spent at Playtime play programs is beneficial, multiple attendances allows for greater opportunity to increase resilience over time and strengthen community and friendships. 

More than half of children who were assessed for at least three consecutive months demonstrated measurable improvement in social-emotional learning, problem-solving, and optimism for the future.

In addition to play programs, Playtime provided 20 families with move-out support and furniture delivery, referrals to food banks, and assistance with pre-K enrollment for children. Playtime’s whole-family, two-generation approach addresses not only children’s immediate needs for safe and structured play, but also the broader family challenges that accompany housing insecurity. 

“Thanks to Impact100 DC’s support, Playtime is better equipped to respond to families’ needs and promote long-term family stability. The Playtime Project team is deeply grateful for Impact100 DC’s investment in this work. Your support not only helped sustain our program in 2024 but also helped us exceed our organization-wide goals, ensuring that more children experiencing housing insecurity benefit from the healing power of play and increase resiliency.”

Thank you to our sponsors!