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Impact 100 Sets Another Lofty Goal

1/24/2005

January 19, 2005
Section: Money
Page: 8C

IMPACT 100 sets another lofty goal
Kris Thoma
Staff
Pensacola News Journal

Kris Thoma

@PensacolaNewsJournal.com

Initially, the goal was at least $100,000.

More than 200 women blew that out of the water in record time, and now they're trying to do it again.

IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area begins recruiting this week for 2005 in hope of surpassing its first year membership total of 233. Each member who joins must commit a $1,000 donation so that the organization can make one or more grants of at least $100,000 to area nonprofit agencies.

Debbie Ritchie, IMPACT 100 president and editor of the Pensacola Business Journal, said she hopes IMPACT will have an even greater impact this year.

"We believe that it was very successful, and all we want to do is make it better by hopefully recruiting more members so we can make a greater impact," she said. "But, if we had fewer women join this year, it wouldn't change the fact that we're still going to make an impact on at least one nonprofit."

The first information recruiting meeting is set for Thursday, but nearly 70 women already have written $1,000 checks to join in 2005. Of those, 12 are new members.

For Ritchie, that says something about the organization's appeal.

In October, IMPACT awarded two grants of $116,500 each. Among finalists chosen by committees in five focus areas, the two winners were Pensacola Habitat for Humanity and South Santa Rosa Interfaith Ministries. Habitat plans to open a ReStore for the sale of discounted building materials and furniture. Interfaith Ministries used the money to stock a free medical clinic for the working uninsured.

Returning member Kathie Jeffcoat, vice president of sales and marketing for Rodney Rich

&Co., said the nice thing about IMPACT is that it allows busy women a chance to give effectively and not feel guilty if they are unable to attend every meeting.

"IMPACT is a great opportunity for women, whether you can be heavily involved on the project or you just want to make a contribution," she said. "You can feel good about where your money goes."

And although only one or a few nonprofits will benefit from IMPACT's efforts in 2005, Ritchie believes there is a spillover effect.

After all, she said, 233 philanthropy-minded women learned about the needs and goals of more than 80 local nonprofits in 2004. That, in turn, has spurred individual donations and volunteer hours directly benefiting those organizations.

Want to go?

IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area will conduct the first of several informational meetings at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pensacola Junior College Downtown Center,

418 W. Garden St., Room 108. Anyone interested in joining is invited to attend. For details about meetings or the organization, visit www.impact100pensacola.com.

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