Organization forms bonds with nonprofit groups through its grant process

by Dolores Fox Ciardelli / Danville San Ramon

Uploaded: Sun, Nov 29, 2020, 11:41 am 2
Updated: Mon, Nov 30, 2020, 3:33 pm
Time to read: about 3 minutes

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The Fourth Grant Celebration was held virtually Sept. 30, with members declaring they were in for 2021, too.

Impact 100 East Bay is on a mission. Since 2016 it has united women in the community to each contribute $1,000 every year, which adds up to a substantial annual grant to help people in need.

“Our goal is to collectively raise funds to support unmet charity needs in Contra Costa and Alameda counties and raise awareness for deserving organizations,” President Carol Nitz explained.

This year the members chose Covenant House of California for a grant of $109,000, to fund a robust mental health program for homeless youth served by its Oakland facility, based on the success of a similar project in Los Angeles.

Nonprofit groups apply in one of five areas: education; health and wellness; family; arts and culture; and environmental, recreation and preservation.

“The lion’s share of the applicants fall into health and wellness, and family,” Nitz said.

They receive applications from 60 to 70 nonprofit groups after holding two information sessions each year, she explained. That group is narrowed down to the top 10-15, who are asked to provide additional data and financials.

“We do take it seriously,” Nitz said. “That is a lot of money to be accountable for. They all have great ideas but they have to have the capability to play that out.”

The recipients have two years to reach their goal with the $100,000 grant, and they look for applicants with ideas for programs that can be sustained.

Read the rest of the article at the Danville San Ramon Express.