NEWS

April 2025

Claudia Barlow

Vice President, Board of Directors

GRCs Name 17 Applicants for Deep Dive Review

From 150 organizations vying for Impact Austin's 2025 grants, three Grant Review Committees (GRCs) selected 17 nonprofits in mid-March for closer review. From these, nine will advance to site visits from Apr 24-26. Go to our blog to read which organizations have advanced in our 2025 Grant Process.

We thank the 24 members on the Community GRC, 20 volunteers on the Education GRC, and 30 members on the Health & Well-Being GRC, which had a whopping 63 applications to review!

Member Vote for 2025 Grants

Finalist packets will be emailed to all members on May 27. Packets will include written documentation pertinent to our votes in each focus area. Finalists’ verbal pitches will be shared by video at our June 9 Annual Meeting. Members who plan to attend the Annual Meeting will vote there. Members unable to attend Annual Meeting may vote electronically between May 27-Jun 4, but they will not have access to finalists’ remarks.

To ensure that you are qualified to vote for 2025 grants, join or renew by May 23.

Questions about membership status? Email contact@impactaustin.org.

Have a friend or colleague interested in our community impact? Share our Membership link and invite her to join in time to vote for 2025 grants!

Girls Giving Grants Name Two Finalists

April is a big month for the 59 members of Girls Giving Grants (g3). Site visits will occur on Apr 5 with finalists Saint Louise House and Kids Tooth Team Outreach. Between Apr 5-15, g3 members will vote virtually to select their 2025 grantee. Next, g3 will celebrate their new Community Partner twice: on Apr 27 at their final meeting and again at Impact Austin’s Annual Meeting on June 9. Their 2025 grant of $6,500 will bring g3’s total grantmaking to $130,600!

We’ve got it all: learning events, membership information events, and opportunities to socialize and volunteer! Get out your calendars and let’s make some plans!

Member Connections

Volunteer Together with Austin Creative Reuse on Apr 4 and/or Urban Roots on Apr 12. Both are 2023 Community Partners, and both offer fun social-volunteer experiences. Do good while having a good time and deepening friendships.

For new and returning members – but also for someone considering membership with Impact Austin - we have a great event planned on Apr 24. It’s a mashup of a happy hour, a celebration of new members, and a speed-dating review of how to engage with Impact Austin. We’d love to see you there! Details and registration are here.

Grow Our Membership

We have two information sessions coming up. The Membership Info Social on Apr 3 is in-person and hosted by Pam Friedman at Robertson Stephens in the 78702 zip code. Wine and lite bites will be served. The second opportunity on May 9 is a virtual Membership Info Session. From the comfort of your desk chair, join us over coffee or lunch to learn about Impact Austin. See if our collective giving group is a good fit for you!

Learn Together

Curated primarily for members, these events are also open to non-members and guests. Let’s all learn together; our community will benefit. Vice President Claudia Barlow detailed these events at the top of the newsletter, and you can also find registrations here. 

In 2023, we published this blog to inspire 7 Inspirational Practices for National Volunteer Month. The recommendations are still applicable for organizations meaningful to us!

• Volunteer within Impact Austin – strengthen our organization so that we are a vigorous partner and advocate for our grantees
• Work your social media or email
• Throw a party – literally or virtually
• Learn something new
• Let your heartstrings be tugged
• Build friendships while volunteering
• Open your eyes and hands to opportunities

Most of our current and outgoing Community Partners welcome volunteers! Check out their volunteer opportunities and requirements in links below.

AGE of Central Texas

Lirios Pediatrics

GirlForward

Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center

Friends of the Children Austin

Latinitas

CASA of Travis County 

Keep Austin Fed

Magdalene House of Austin

Foster Angels of Central Texas

Casa Marianella

In 2020, Casa Marianella won our Community Grant of $75,500 with the goal to expand services for teens and youth ages 18-21. The COVID-19 crisis generated a pivot, which Impact Austin supported, to help Casa Marianella keep 300 people from homelessness. The nonprofit assisted clients with rent payments, groceries, and diapers, sparing them insurmountable debt during the pandemic.

All Impact Austin’s Spring 2020 grants offered similar pivots through a trust-based lens. Community Partners received grant awards early and in one payment. Funds were unrestricted so that Partners had the option to proceed with programs proposed in their applications or to apply our support to more pressing needs.  

Impact Austin Member Hub Facebook Page

The Membership Committee championed a Facebook group for members, and here’s how to join: From the “Search Facebook” field, type Impact Austin Member Hub. Request to join the group and answer three quick questions. Once you’ve answered those questions, your request should be approved by one of the group moderators within 48 business hours. This group is for members only – to strengthen connections, share ideas, get together socially, and stay updated. Posts may be generated by anyone in the group! 

Photos, Video, and Your Social Media

Social media is an important tool to reach potential members and grant applicants. To that end, we love to collect members’ photos and video snippets that help to tell our Impact Austin stories. Here are two ways you can help.

• If you’re at a Member Connections event, or enjoying social time before GRC work, or gathering with an Impact Austin friend for lunch, take a photo or grab 20 seconds of video and text to Impact Austin at 512-553-6083.
• Your own social media posts will reach a new audience for us. Write a post of your own and share what you value about Impact Austin in general or about a particular event or grant. Tag us! Or share one of Impact Austin's posts with a sentence or two of your own commentary.

Apr 3 – Membership Info Social in 78702 zip code. Register here

Apr 4 – Volunteer Together with Austin Creative Reuse. Details and registration

Apr 10 – “How to Give” co-hosted with I Live Here I Give Here. Register here

Apr 12 – Volunteer Together with Urban Roots. Details and registration

Apr 16 – SVP Austin + Impact Austin Gather. Register here

Apr 24 – New Member Orientation at Amplify Credit Union. Register here

Apr 24 – 2025 Collaborative Community Summit. Details and registration

May 1 – Member Connections: Uno de Mayo happy hour. Details being arranged.

May 9 – Virtual Membership Info Session. Register here

May 13 – Philanthropy Together 2025 We Give Summit. Details and registration

May 31 – Member Connections: Hike & Picnic. Details being arranged.

Jun 9 – Annual Meeting at Austin Public Library. Save the date!