Impact 100 Palm Beach County Co-Presidents Sue Diener and Susan Duane. Photo provided
By Amy Woods
One woman. One meeting. One vote. The model on which Impact 100 Palm Beach County was founded has attracted more than 300 local philanthropists united in the goal of making a difference.
Upon joining, each member agrees to give $1,000 to a pooled fund that, after a detailed vetting process by a special committee, donates $100,000 grants to a handful of area nonprofits.
“We’re doing some incredible things,” Co-President Sue Diener said. “I like the impact we’re having.”
Grants for the 2014–15 year will be presented April 16 at the organization’s Grand Awards Ceremony. The amount of money in the coffers — as of press time, it was around $350,000 — determines how many charities will receive the welcome windfall.
“Everything we generate by members we put back out into the community,” Diener said. “It’s amazing what some of our recipients have done.”
When Impact 100 Palm Beach County debuted in 2012, it met an initial $100,000 fundraising goal and deemed the Parent-Child Center its first beneficiary. The social-services agency used the funding to pay therapists to work with families onsite when authorities remove children from homes in domestic-violence situations.
The program quickly was recognized in Tallahassee.
“They ended up getting another $600,000 grant from the state to make it a statewide program,” Diener said. “We’re just thrilled at what we helped start.”
The fundraising goals for 2013 and 2014 were $200,000 and $300,000, respectively, and this year’s goal is $400,000. All grants go to charities that fall into five focus groups: arts and culture; education; environment; family; and health and wellness.
“Last year, I turned my $1,000 into $300,000,” Diener said. “My husband, he’s a stockbroker, and he’s good, but not that good.”
More than 50 members serve on the committee that selects the finalists. They whittled down 71 applicants to 23, and then the 23 to no more than six. The entire membership will vote on the winners during a 30-minute, closed-door business meeting at the ceremony.
“There’s a little bit of magic in the room,” Co-President Susan Duane said. “It’s interesting. Every woman — although we may not have the wherewithal to donate $100,000 individually — we all feel at that moment as if we did.”
The fundraising goal for 2016 is $500,000 so all five focus groups can be impacted. Bigger goals lie beyond that, Duane said.
“If we are fortunate, and if we work hard in the next 10 years, our goal would be to distribute 10 $100,000 grants every year,” she said. “A million dollars. That’s big.”
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