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April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. In a volunteer-led organization like Impact Austin, we have many, many people to be grateful for. I am extraordinarily thankful for our fabulous board of directors and committee chairs who lead the organization both operationally and strategically. And executing on our mission is only possible due to the dedication and talents of the dozens of committee members who manage our finances, run our grants process, lead our youth program, recruit and engage members, communicate with stakeholders internally and externally, fundraise to support our overhead expenses, ensure we're operating with equity and inclusion and much, much more. We also appreciate the many people who volunteer for specific events, initiatives, and activities. Thank you to our volunteers for all you do!
Our 2026 grantmaking process is underway with three Grant Review Committees (GRCs) hard at work, reviewing the applications submitted by area nonprofits. The GRCs have just identified the 3 semi-finalists in each of our focus areas (Health & Well-Being, Education, and Community) and will conduct site visits to those semifinalists in late April. It is a broad effort to run the grantmaking process each year and the Grants Committee operates as a well-oiled machine ensuring that the process is smooth, equitable and consistent, with an eye toward continuous improvement. Thank you to the many members involved in the 2026 grant cycle.
Please mark your calendar now for the Annual Meeting on June 8 at 5:00 PM, when we will select our 2026 grant recipients receiving a total of $300,000. Then, in May, watch for the announcement of the 6 finalists selected as Community Partners, and prepare to vote on the specific awards. Which nonprofits will earn $80,000 and which will earn $20,000? The excitement is building!
With gratitude,
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Claudia Barlow
President, Board of Directors
| | Limited and One-and-Done Volunteer Opportunities | | We love the volunteers providing regular womanpower to Impact Austin. But we know that a committee role isn’t for everyone. Did you know there are also volunteer opportunities that are one-and-done or intermittent? Check them out and see if one is the right size for you! | | Treasurer Role Opportunity | | |
Impact Austin seeks a dynamic, mission-driven Treasurer to help steward our financial reporting and strengthen the financial backbone of our organization. This leadership-oriented, volunteer board role leads an experienced Finance Committee, partners with the Executive Committee on budgeting and financial reporting, and oversees our annual audit and 990 process. It’s an ideal opportunity for someone who loves numbers, values community impact, and wants to help shape efficient, transparent systems that support high-value philanthropy.
Interested candidates can learn more or connect with our President or current Treasurer for details. We anticipate an overlap period between Treasurers to ensure a smooth knowledge transition. The Treasurer role will start on July 1, 2027, with onboarding to the Finance Committee and role prior to that date (and ongoing support throughout the role).
| | Volunteer Together with Community Partners | Thanks to our Member Connections team, we have April and May dates to volunteer with our Community Partners. Bonus – the May event includes serving alongside volunteers from the Young Women’s Alliance. Find registrations and details by clicking on the graphics. | | Nominate a Member for a Volunteer Award | | The Board of Directors is accepting nominations from members to celebrate our outstanding volunteers. Your input is requested for any (or all) of these categories: Val Kirk Above & Beyond Award; Allison Marshall Volunteer of the Year; Committee of the Year; and Core Values Member of the Year. Our nomination form includes descriptions for each category. Nominations are accepted through May 25. | | More Impact Austin Events – Invite a Friend! | | April and May bring a range of opportunities for members to gather and non-members to learn more about Impact Austin. Please share these with friends and colleagues and consider inviting them to join you at one of these events. Click on the graphics for details and registrations. | | Impact Austin Merchandise is Hot! | | Wear your Impact Austin logo proudly! Working with Bonfire, Impact Austin’s shop includes even more items than you can see in our graphic. All sales benefit Impact Austin. Find a rolling display of options here or go straight to the Bonfire site. Pay attention to size and fabric info for particular items. | | Grant Semifinalists Chosen for Site Visits | | |
Last week, Impact Austin Grant Review Committees (GRCs) met to discuss deep-dive reviews of 17 applications. From those discussions, each GRC then chose three semifinalists to advance to the site visit stage of review. In May just two finalists from each focus area will be chosen to receive Impact Austin grants. Member vote will determine which finalist in each focus area will receive an $80,000 primary grant and which will receive a $20,000 secondary grant. All awards will be unrestricted. Our blog names the 9 semifinalists, and we congratulate them for advancing to the next stage of review.
| | Girls Giving Grants Names Two Finalists for their 2026 Award | | |
Celebrating their 20th anniversary as a giving circle, Girls Giving Grants (g3) held April 11 site visits leading to their 2026 award. As this newsletter is being sent out, g3 is in the process of voting digitally for their preferred Community Partner from finalists Children’s Advocacy Center serving Bastop, Lee and Fayette Counties and Partnerships for Children. The g3 members will announce the result of their vote and name their 2026 Community Partner on April 19 at their final meeting. Their 2026 award will take g3’s total grantmaking to $138,600! We look forward to celebrating Girls Giving Grants at our June 8 Annual Meeting. Learn more here.
| | Annual Meeting - Our Biggest Event of the Year! | | Save the date for our 2026 Annual Meeting on June 8, 5:00-8:00 PM. We’ll return to our now-favorite location, the Austin Public Library Central at 710 W. Cesar Chavez St. The library’s bright and beautiful ambience will add to the excitement as we award $300,000 in new grants! Make plans to bring a friend and introduce her to Impact Austin. Registration will open soon. | | Community Partner Spotlight | | Our current Community Partners welcome volunteers! In honor of National Volunteer Month, check out their volunteer opportunities and requirements in the links below. | |
Good Work Austin
Breakthrough Central Texas
Open Door Preschools
Austin Sunshine Camps
Hope Clinic
Black Mamas Village ATX
Saint Louise House (g3 Partner)
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Our newest blog article continues our series on Impact Austin Women Making a Difference. Featured this time is Caroline Wilkinson, Class of 2024. In addition to her other work, including Impact Austin committee tasks, Caroline actively maintains a thoughtful Substack called The Volunteer Lens. As a giving circle, we embrace a broad definition of philanthropy that includes gifts of time and talent. Caroline does, too, even considering volunteerism as a form of civic engagement! Learn more on our blog, which includes links to subscribe to Caroline's Substack. (Trust us: you'll want to subscribe!)
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Apr 19 – Member Connections: Brunch at Austin Tea Xchange Café, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM
Apr 29 – Volunteer with Austin Creative Reuse, 9:30-11:30 AM; optional lunch to follow
May 2 – Walk + Talk with Impact Austin
May 8 – Virtual Membership Info Session. Details/registration.
May 11 – Once de Mayo Amigas y Tex-Mex, 6:15-8:00 PM
May 17 – Volunteer with Austin Sunshine Camps and Young Women’s Alliance, 12:00-3:00 PM
Jun 8 – Member Connections: Virtual Co-Working Mondays
Jun 8 – 2026 Annual Meeting, registration opens soon
Jun 29 – Impact Austin Book Club, 6:00-7:30 PM
| | Get Social, Stay Connected | | 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! | | | | |
