Dear Impact100 DC Members and Friends,

As we enter our annual membership recruitment season, I am optimistic and immensely grateful for the opportunities we all have to grow our membership and increase our impact in the coming year.

Deepest thanks to our Grants, Membership, Communications, and Database teams for all their work getting us ready to welcome members and power our 2027 grant cycle. To set us up for success, committee members have spent the past several months upgrading our systems and finding new ways to showcase our work. And a special note of thanks to Joan Nelson for leading our migration to a new membership database, Neon (stay tuned for account setup info and our new Member Directory!), and to our very talented board member, Stefanie Harrington, for redesigning and launching our dynamic new website. Please check it out!  

This month’s newsletter is full of information about events where current and potential members can connect and learn more about Impact100 DC, and ways that you can help us to expand our membership and our reach. Sharing what you value about your Impact100 DC experience is the single best way to inspire others to join our collective giving community.

Together, I know we can make our next grant cycle our most impactful yet!

Warm regards,

Francine

Francine Lamoriello

President, Impact100 DC

Help Us Grow Our Membership – and Our Impact

Join, Give a Membership, or Make Yours Go Further

Since 2021, Impact100 DC members have awarded more than $1 million to nonprofits serving our region. The more our membership grows, the more we can give.

Join for 2027, or help another woman become part of Impact100 DC with a gift membership.

Does your employer offer matching gifts? You can contribute $500 and have your employer match it to complete your $1,000 membership contribution. Or contribute $1,000 and request a match, providing additional support for Impact100 DC’s operating and/or fellowship funds.

Join Us for a Fall Meet & Greet

Our casual Meet & Greets are a great way for prospective members to meet current members, learn how Impact100 DC works, and ask questions. Choose a date that works for you and invite a friend or two!

• Sunday, Oct. 11, 3–5 p.m. – Rockville, MD
• Saturday, Oct. 24, 3–5 p.m. – SW Waterfront, DC
• Saturday, Nov. 7, 3–5 p.m. – McLean, VA
• Sunday, Nov. 8, 3–5 p.m. – Arlington, VA
• Sunday, Nov. 15, 3–5 p.m. – Cabin John, MD
• Saturday, Nov. 21, 3–5 p.m. – Crestwood, DC
• Saturday, Dec. 12, 3–5 p.m. – Cabin John, MD

Or join us live on the radio! On Sunday, Oct. 4, from 6-8 p.m., Nikki Nikkia will host a special edition of KonsiderDis Radio on Radio Fairfax focused on Impact100 DC. Board members Heather Johnson and Lois Nembhard will talk about collective giving and our impact across the region, and current and prospective members can call in and join the conversation.

Tune in Live: Fairfax Channel 37 | TuneIn App: Radio Fairfax 
Online: fcac.org/radio-fairfax | Call in: 703-560-8255

2027 Grant Applications Open Oct. 5

Impact100 DC’s 2027 Grant Cycle opens on Oct. 5. Nonprofit organizations interested in applying can review an offline PDF of the 2027 Grant Application, key grant cycle dates, eligibility requirements, FAQs, and other information on our website.

Nonprofit partners considering applying are invited to join us for a virtual Grant Workshop on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 4:30-6 p.m. The session will provide information about the 2027 grant process and an opportunity to ask questions. The workshop will be recorded and available afterward for those unable to attend.

We encourage you to share this information with nonprofit organizations in your networks that may be interested in applying. We’re looking forward to another great year!

Fellowship Applications Open Through Oct. 15 

The Impact100 DC fellowship is designed for women ages 21-39 who are interested in philanthropy but may not have the financial resources to join. Fellows serve on committees, vote on grantees, and enrich our organization in many ways.

The fellowship program relies on donations from other members and supporters, because we put $1,000 into the grant pool for each fellow we bring on. If you’d like to help make this opportunity possible for more young women, please consider donating to the Fellowship Fund.

Know someone who might be interested in applying? More information is available here. The application closes Oct. 15.

A Morning of Impact and Inspiration

Earlier this month, we hosted our third annual Impact Makers Breakfast at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library – a beloved event that brings together members, nonprofit partners, and local changemakers. Thank you to the DC Public Library Foundation for its ongoing partnership!



This year’s speakers, Ruth Marcus, contributing editor at The New Yorker, and Erin Harkless Moore, Managing Director for Investments at Pivotal Ventures, spoke to a full room about the importance of empowering women at every level of philanthropy. Their careers are inspiring reminders of what can be accomplished when we bring every voice to the table.

Our Grantees at Work

2025 Impact Grantee Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop reports that support from Impact100 DC helped strengthen its educational and reentry programs for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth and adults across Washington, DC – reaching more than 1,700 Free Minds members.

During the grant year, Free Minds served 427 members through book clubs at the DC Jail and juvenile detention centers and 809 members incarcerated in federal prisons, distributing more than 5,100 books. Its Reentry Book Club provided 443 formerly incarcerated members with services ranging from creative writing and peer support to job placement, professional development, and trauma-informed therapy. Among reentry members, 88% were employed or enrolled in education or workforce training programs.

Impact100 DC members also experienced Free Minds’ work firsthand at an “On the Same Page” event featuring Poet Ambassadors Curtis and KB, who shared their poetry and personal stories and invited members to read and respond to poetry written by incarcerated Free Minds members.

One example of Free Minds’ impact is Rick, who first joined the organization while incarcerated in 2021. Since returning home, he has participated in Free Minds’ reentry and peer-support programs, secured employment, and was recently promoted to supervisor. He now regularly shares resources, advice, and his own experience with other members navigating reentry.

“It makes me feel accomplished when I can help someone,” Rick says. “I want to show the world that this is what you can do.”

You can read more about their accomplishments here.

Thank you to our sponsors!