Impact100

Welcome to Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis

We hope you will learn more about our organization through this website and that you will consider joining the women of Impact in making a difference in women's giving in Central Indiana.

Whether you seek to learn about philanthropy in our community or if you wish to help us select grants for local nonprofits, we welcome your interest and your involvement.

Please join us. You can reach out to us through email or phone – or call our President, Alyson Smith at 317.254.8234, who would love to hear from you.

Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis Announces 2010 $100,000 Grant Winner is Rock Steady Boxing
In This Corner, Hope for Parkinson's Patients

Rock Steady Boxing will use Impact funds to expand its services and facilities for its unique Parkinson’s Disease physical therapy program.

Right now, miracles are happening in Indianapolis. People with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) are shuffling into the Rock Steady gym. They first arrive broken, bent, and hopeless. Immobilized, physically and emotionally. “Degenerative.” “Incurable,” they’ve been told. They’re in for a surprise.

The first program of its kind, Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) is revolutionizing the treatment and outcomes of people with PD. For three years, RSB has offered PD patients a place to fight back. Participants train their muscles to remain vital – starting with posture, balance, voice, strength, and mobility. Exercises include non-contact sparring drills with a partner, jumping rope, core strength training, calisthenics, and agility training. RSB offers a therapeutic conditioning program that eases PD’s debilitating symptoms, while fostering a community of support and infectious optimism. RSB also eases the depression and emotional turmoil commonly experienced by PD patients. This rigorous non-contact fitness program increases flexibility, agility, strength, and speed. Perhaps most importantly, RSB provides the self-assurance needed to resume former activities that once brought our participants joy and satisfaction.

To meet increasing demand, RSB has to grow. This requires investing in qualified staffing and volunteer resources, a permanent facility, and effective marketing. This program has the potential significantly to improve PD patient outcomes – not just in Indiana, but throughout the world.

Some members credit RSB with making Indianapolis “the best place to live with Parkinson’s.” It’s an oddly encouraging distinction, and with your help, we will wear it proudly.

To see us in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK7wJt1EmRQ

On June 10, 2010 Impact 100 celebrated their annual meeting with presentations from five nonprofit finalists in each of the focus areas of arts and culture, education, environment, family and health and wellness. While Rock Steady Boxing received the $100,000 grant, the following finalists each received unrestricted grants of $16,250:

Arts and Culture: Harrison Center for the Arts

Education: Christamore House

Environment: Indianapolis Parks Foundation

Family: Business Ownership Initiative

Congratulations to all finalists!

Latest News:

Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis raises $165,000 for Granting in 2010.

Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis has announced it has raised a total of $165,000 for grant making in 2010. More than 165 women pooled their resources, each donating $1,000, to collectively make high-impact grants in central Indiana.

Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis is pleased to announce to its 2009-2010 membership the opportunity to serve on a Focus Area Committee.

There are five focus area committees from which to choose.

On our website, please visit Join Impact > Focus Area Committee Members for more information about the five focus area committees, the locations and dates where they will meet and the chairs and vice chairs leading this important grant selection process. To join a committee, please contact grants@impact100indy.org OR Tracy Haddad at 317-289-5518.

Focus Area Committee Letter and Form

2009 Grant Recipient - Outreach, Inc.

See the Outreach, Inc Billboard at Michigan Road and I465

Outreach Billboard

In 2003, the Indiana Department of Education approached Outreach, Inc. about starting a program to work with the homeless student population in the Indianapolis Public School system. These youth were moving from house to house, or on the streets with no stability and little or no parental involvement. They were youth who, without an outside support system, were dropping out of high school at an alarming rate. Project G.O.A.L. (graduation, occupation, address, lifestyle) was created. The G.O.A.L. program is designed to meet the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter of unaccompanied youth enrolled in local high schools; to provide job skills training; to provide post-secondary educational opportunities; and to provide meaningful mentoring relationships.

Working together with school counselors, and administrators Outreach has been able to increase the graduation rate of homeless students who become involved in the G.O.A.L. program from 25% to well over 65%, and of those graduates an average 50% continue on to college, or vocational school. A national economist projected that the most recent graduating class (25 graduates, and 2 GED recipients) saved the city of Indianapolis over $6 million dollars in averted public assistance dollars.

Outreach, Inc. currently offers essential wraparound services for up to 50 at-risk and homeless students enrolled in four I.P.S. high schools, and the Greater Education Opportunities (GEO) charter high school. The Impact 100 grant will allow Outreach to double program enrollment, add staff members and help expand the mentor corps and its costs.

Outreach has proven that providing advocacy, case management counseling and mentorship, along with wraparound services to unaccompanied youth alleviates stresses about housing, food provision, transportation, and allows these individuals to focus on their education. It provides the best chance for at-risk teens to succeed and reach the goal of long-term self-sufficiency. "This grant will truly, positively, and permanently change the lives of homeless teens, and make our community a stronger place for having these young productive people in it." - Eric Howard, Executive Director, Outreach, Inc.