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Indianapolis Star

Written by Brittany Shammas, 11:26 PM, Jun. 17, 2011

Women's 'giving circle' pools resources to aid community

Call it the power of the purse.

Diane Pfeiffer sees it in a new pharmacy on Michigan Road that serves a very high-need population. And in a gym for people with Parkinson's disease on East 62nd Street. Pfeiffer and a group of more than 100 women helped launch those services and several others by pooling individual donations of $1,000 for each of the past five years. Known as "giving circles," such charitable groups are drawing women across the country to what some liken to Tupperware parties with a mission. Their social nature and high impact are the main draw for female philanthropists.

"I like to think of the impact," Pfeiffer said. "It's difficult for organizations to get a large enough grant to really do something different or innovative, to take a new approach." Pfeiffer is part of a group known as Impact 100, whose donations provide at least $100,000 each year to one local charity.

The Michigan Road pharmacy did not exist before it received funding from the group. The East 62nd Street gym, which helps Parkinson's patients use boxing to fight the disease, was homeless before it was funded by Impact 100.

The visible impact brought about by the sizable grants is one of several forces drawing women into circles like Impact 100, according to Andrea Pactor, associate director of the Women's Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University.

About 1,000 giving circles are thought to exist in North America, and the majority are exclusively female.

While male philanthropists tend to be more transactional -- for example, pulling out a checkbook when a friend asks for support in his cause -- female philanthropists are more likely to want to leverage the impact and see a significant change in the community, Pactor said. "The key here is men and women philanthropists behave differently," she said. Women have always been involved in philanthropy, but with educational barriers lifted, they now have greater access to wealth. They want to give it to their communities, but they may take longer to decide where to donate, delving further into research about the mission, cause and organization of the nonprofit.

Impact 100 is "something that is very female-focused and just a unique philanthropic endeavor," said Deborah Thornburgh, who joined the group with her daughter, Meredith Thornburgh White.

The group is empowering in that it lets women be more confident in their giving while learning more about their communities, co-founder Donna Oklak said. "Women are coming into their assets, which they really didn't have 10 or 15 years ago," she said. "For me, it really is empowering to help women learn collectively in a room and make decisions." At the same time, the group setting of the giving circles is attractive to women. "My husband used to say there were three great ways of communicating before social networking: the telegraph, the telephone and the tell-a-woman," Pactor said. "It's what we do, and we do it quite well."

The members of Impact 100 range in age from the mid-20s to the mid-80s. Some have careers in medicine, law and business. Some are retired; others are stay-at-home moms. Many say they appreciate the opportunity to learn from other women. "The women are so smart," said membership director Amy Micon. "I'm 53; it's pretty hard by the time you're 53 to have someone else change your mind. You become sort of set in your ways. But these women can make you change your mind."

Since Impact 100 began awarding grants in 2006, it has awarded more than $1 million. The group has helped organizations that serve homeless students, incarcerated mothers and their children, and adults who struggle with reading.

At Horizon House, an Impact 100 grant has helped the organization more quickly and efficiently provide counseling, medical care and other services. And Impact 100 members expect the group's influence to grow. "I pass by the Horizon House and think about the homeless people, think about the impact we've had," Pfeiffer said. "That's the kind of impact I think we will continue to have."

Impact 100 Announces $164,000 for 2009 Grants with Additional Funding from the Lumina Foundation

Impact 100 recently received a $3,000 matching gift from the Lumina Foundation for a new Impact 100 member. Impact 100 is pleased to announce that this gift will allow the organization to grant $164,000 to local nonprofits in 2009. With the current economic environment, the donor and the board of Impact 100 agreed to add these matching funds to the 2009 grant fund because the nonprofits in our community need the dollars now. Under Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis' new grantmaking structure, one nonprofit will receive $100,000 and four others presenting at the celebration dinner will receive $16,000 each in unrestricted funds in June of this year.

Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis Raises $161,000 for Granting in 2009, Announces New Grant Making Structure to Include Operation Support Grants

Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis has announced it has raised a total of $161,000 for grant making in 2009. More than 160 central Indiana women pooled their resources, each donating $1,000, to collectively make the high-impact grants in central Indiana.

Impact 100 president Donna Oklak also announced a new grant making structure. The four-year old giving circle will award one $100,000 grant as in years past, but it will distribute the remaining $61,000 to all non-winning finalists as unrestricted gifts for operating expenses.

“Our mission is to make high-impact grants,” Oklak said. “In this difficult and unpredictable economy, we can make a tremendous impact simply by providing unrestricted funding to local charities which are even more strapped for money to meet their basic operating needs.”

Operating funds are the least awarded but often the most needed kind of funding. With charitable giving expected to drop, especially from corporate and corporate foundations, the women are pleased with their ability to assist up to five organizations.

“It is a tremendous accomplishment to be an Impact 100 finalist, given the rigorous and thorough review process required,” said Karen Kennelly, Director at Katz, Sapper, Miller and the Impact 100 treasurer. “It is exciting to know that Impact 100 is now doing its part to minimize the economic burden for all five deserving finalists, rather than just one.”

Impact 100 members now will turn their attention to determining how the grant funding will be allocated. Impact 100 will accept grant proposals until January 20, 2009, in five categories; health and wellness, education, arts and culture, environment, and family.

Members then will meet in focus area committees to review proposals. The finalists in each focus area will make a presentation in June, at which time each member will cast her vote. The nonprofit with the most votes will receive the $100,000 grant. The remaining finalists will evenly split the remaining funds.

While many women lack the individual means to make a charitable gift of this magnitude, Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis allows women to collectively make an impact for the needs of the community.

In the past three years, Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis has cumulatively distributed more than $550,000 in grants to the community, with a minimum $100,000 awarded to each grantee. 2008 grant winners were Herron High School and Horizon House. Previous grantees include Indy Reads, Craine House Inc. in collaboration with Fairbanks, and Wishard Memorial Foundation for the Pecar Health Center Pharmacy.

Indianapolis Business Journal

November 5, 2007

Decisions, decisions - When women give, who benefits?

The Women's Philanthropy Institute at the IU Center on Philanthropy is highligted in this article which reviews two local models for ways women are actively involved in raising and allocating moeny to meet community need. Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis is featured as "the new kid on the block" - a women's giving circle in the model of women-only organizations funding all types of programs, regardless of the gender of the program's beneficiaries.

IBJ Article November 5, 2007

IndyStar.com Business

June 13, 2007

Impact 100 awards $102,500 grants to 2 projects

Two Indianapolis nonprofits -- Indy Reads and a collaboration project -- each on Tuesday received grants of $102,500 from Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis.

The group's 205 women ponied up $1,000 each and helped screen the finalists. The collaboration project involves the John P. Craine House and the Fairbanks hospital. Acccording to Impact 100's Web site, the program called Parenting Education and Interventions for Substance Impacted Mothers and their Children will address substance abuse issues of incarcerated women and their children.

Indy Reads will use its grant for an expansion of its a volunteer tutor training program, according to a statement from Impact 100.

Others considered for the grants were Phoenix Theatre Inc.'s social outreach program for schoolchildren; the Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation & Development Council Inc.'s Plant a Tree, Make a Difference program; and Easter Seals Crossroads' renovation of treatment areas used for its multi-sensory environment project.

CBS Evening News "Giving Back" - Highlights Impact 100 Austin, Texas

CBS Evening News highlighted in their segment Giving Back the growth of women’s giving circles and the success of Impact 100. Click on the link below to enjoy the video which highlights the increasing involvement of women in philanthropy and an example of an exceptional story of how Impact can make a difference in our local communities as demonstrated in Austin,Texas.

CBS News Link

Newsletters:

A copy of earlier released Newsletters from Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis are included below:

November, 2007 Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis Newsletter
October, 2007 Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis Newsletter
July, 2007 Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis Newsletter
May, 2007 Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis Newsletter
March, 2007 Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis Newsletter
January, 2007 Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis Newsletter