Many think that to be considered a philanthropist you have to give away millions or even billions of dollars, but this definition is too narrow and limiting. To me, being a philanthropist means sharing a love of humanity, opening your heart to help others and giving generously of your time and treasure.
While millionaires and billionaires get most of the press, it’s committed women like us at a local level who are also a huge force for good. Impact San Antonio empowers women to improve the quality of life in our community at a transformative level.
Earlier this month, I attended a virtual conference offered by the Impact100 Council, a national organization that supports the 60 local chapters that use their women’s collective giving model to make a significant difference in their communities. The first Impact100 chapter was started in Cincinnati in 2001.
Impact San Antonio was among the earliest adopters of this approach to multiplying the generosity of individual women by pooling the donations together. Our chapter was founded in 2004 and has awarded nearly $4.3 million in grants since then.
This growth from one chapter to more than 60 globally shows just how powerful our collective giving model is. We provide women the opportunity to help transform lives in our community by putting people who need our help on a path toward happier, healthier and more economically secure futures.
Members and grantees from throughout the network of Impact100 organizations were surveyed late last year, including Impact San Antonio, and the results show how compelling our model of philanthropy is.
- The desire to support the local community and interest in the collective giving model are the two strongest drivers of participation in a local chapter.
- Women who have never given a single gift of $1,000 before to a nonprofit feel a lot more confident in their giving decisions after participating in an Impact100 chapter.
- The average retention rate of members across Impact100 chapters is nearly 80 percent, vs. 43 percent for donors to small-to-medium sized nonprofit organizations.
- A total of 92 percent of members would recommend their Impact100 chapter to friends.
Grantees, in addition to the benefits of receiving critically needed funds for their projects, also said they experienced significant indirect benefits:
- Most received additional publicity that heightened awareness of their value.
- Most established new connections in the community due to their visibility at Impact100 events.
- Doors were opened to securing funds from other foundations directly or indirectly associated with Impact100.
Why do these findings matter? It tells us that our way of bringing women together around a shared purpose of improving lives in our local community is a winner!
Please join us in 2021 as we continue our commitment to making our community the best it can be. To become a member or to renew your membership, visit https://impactsanantonio.app.neoncrm.com/forms/membership.
If you represent a local nonprofit, visit our grant information on this website for information on eligibility for our grants and how to apply. The grant application process begins in mid-April.
