About Us

FAQ's

Who is IMPACT?

IMPACT is a 501(c)(3) organization that awards grants in increments of greater than $100,000 to non-profit organizations that provide services in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County, Florida. IMPACT is a group of women who each contribute $1,000 to become a member for a designated year. IMPACT has no paid employees or staff, so one hundred percent of each member’s $1,000 contribution is pooled and awarded to non-profit organizations.

What is IMPACT's mission?

IMPACT's mission is to: (i) to know and serve the community; (ii) to collectively fund significant grants to charitable initiatives; and (iii) to set an example of effective philanthropy.

How does IMPACT award grants?

Once IMPACT completes its membership drive and determines the funds available that year for grants, it organizes into committees to address five areas of our community needs:

Arts & Culture
Environment, Recreation and Preservation
Education
Family
Health & Wellness.

IMPACT members volunteer to participate on one of the five committees, to review the grants and to select the finalists. At least two members of each committee conduct a site visit to every non-profit that submits a grant application. Based on the grant application and the site visit, the committees select the finalists to present their proposals to our members at our annual meeting. At the annual meeting, each member votes for the grant recipients

What types of grants are awarded via IMPACT?

IMPACT awards grants in increments of greater than $100,000, to fund significant projects located in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. The project may be for a new program, the expansion of an existing program or may be a collaborative effort among several agencies. IMPACT does not fund general operating expenses or overhead; debt reduction or operational deficits; grants to individuals; endowment funding; interim or bridge funding or partisan, legislative or political activity.

How long has IMPACT been in existence in Pensacola?

IMPACT started in 2004 with 233 members, and awarded 2 grants of $116,500 each during 2004. Despite a hurricane devastating the community, during 2005 IMPACT's membership increased to 250 members, and IMPACT awarded 2 grants of $125,000 each. In 2006, membership increased to 340 women, so IMPACT awarded 3 grants of $113,035 each during 2006. IMPACT's membership for 2007 increased to 472 women, so in 2007 IMPACT is awarding 4 grants of $118,000 each to 4 non-profits in the community. In 2008, membership increased to 563 and IMPACT awarded five grants in the amount of $112,600 each. In 2009, IMPACT had 514 members and awarded five grants of $102,800 each. This past year, 2010, IMPACT had 570 members and awarded 5 grants of $114,000 each. Now, in 2011, IMPACT has its largest membership to date with 645 members and will award six grants of $107,500 in October of 2011.

How does IMPACT award its grants?

IMPACT has a very specific grant process, which is implemented by the individual members of IMPACT and the Board of Directors of IMPACT (the "Board"). Members are involved in the grant process as follows:

(a) Creation of Committees: Each of the five focus committees consists of IMPACT members who volunteer to participate on the committees. All IMPACT members have the option of participating on a committee.

(b) Review of Applications: Each committee member reads all of the grants that are submitted to that committee and are discussed at each committee meeting.

(c) Site Visits: As part of its grant process, IMPACT sends at least 2 committee members to each non-profit to conduct a site visit. The site visits are a critical part of the IMPACT process, as they allow the members to visit with the organizations, it insures that the members are able to fully understand the written grant application, and it allows the members to ask additional questions, obtain additional information and clarify the facts pertaining to the grant request.

(d) Selection of Finalists: Each committee reviews and discusses every grant that has been submitted to that committee. The discussion focuses on the grant application, the organization's financial information and the site visit. The length of the discussions will vary, depending upon the grant and the feedback from each committee member.

(e) Selection of Recipients: Once the committees select their finalists, IMPACT sends written summaries of the non-profit finalists to all members. Each finalist selects 2 representatives to make a presentation to the IMPACT members at the annual meeting. All presentations are verbal, and no one is allowed to use any multi-media to assist with the presentations, so there is no "advantage" to larger organizations that have the ability to create impressive power-point presentation. After hearing the presentations of the finalists, the members vote for the grant recipients. The votes are calculated the night of the annual meeting (with the help of the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections) and are announced that evening. (IMPACT also has procedures allowing for its members to cast an absentee vote if they are not able to attend the meeting, but all members are encouraged to attend the annual meeting.)

How does IMPACT 100 oversee the distribution of IMPACT monies to awarded non-profit agencies?

a) Grant Agreements. The non-profits that receive an IMPACT grant sign a Grant Agreement. The grant agreement ensures that the non-profit agrees to use the funds in accordance with grant and the IMPACT procedures. The funds must be spent in accordance with the budget, with any substantial changes in the budget being approved by the Board, to insure the funds are being spent in accordance with the purpose of the grant. IMPACT requires invoices and documents to evidence each disbursement of funds under the grants.

b) Board Liasons. Upon the selection of the grant recipients, a member of the Board is assigned to be the "liason" for the project. The liason remains in continuous contact with the grant recipient, and receives all requests for funding from the non-profit.

c) Quarterly Reports. As part of agreement with IMPACT, the non-profit must submit quarterly reports to IMPACT until all of the funds are spent to implement the project. The Board may also obtain any other information it requests to monitor the project. The grant recipients are discussed at every Board meeting, until the project is completed. The Board strongly believes that the projects must be carefully monitored to ensure that the funds are being used in accordance with the grant applications, as selected by the members of IMPACT.

Who is on the Board of Directors, and what is their role?

The women on the IMPACT Board have diverse backgrounds, but are all focused on the mission of IMPACT. The Board is described as a "working board" since there are no paid employees, and the mission of the organization is carried out via the Board and the IMPACT members.

What is IMPACT's relationship with the non-profits?

IMPACT has a good working relationship with the non-profits in the area. IMPACT'S continued existence is dependent upon the non-profits of the community being able to generate good grant requests. Therefore, IMPACT has held annual presentations to provide instructions and suggestions on completing the IMPACT grant application. During 2006 and 2007, IMPACT combined its presentation with other experts, in an effort to assist non-profits in our community.

How does IMPACT pay for its administrative costs?

IMPACT has very limited expenses, since it has no paid staff. The administrative costs relating to IMPACT and its operations are either donated, or are paid with administrative monies held by IMPACT. The administrative monies are: donations from Friends of IMPACT who make donations to cover administrative costs; matching grants from employers of IMPACT members; and interest earned on the grant monies prior to disbursement of the grants to the recipients.

Are there any added benefits from IMPACT's work?

Over the years, we have seen tremendous "unexpected" benefits from our efforts. Non-profits have received small and large financial gifts (outside of our grant process) as a result of increased awareness of the non-profits' good work. IMPACT members have become actively engaged with non-profit boards, taking on the responsibility of serving on a board or assisting with special needs/projects, such as fundraising or special events beyond the actual grants we award on an annual basis.