In the quiet corners of Northwest Florida, transformations are happening. A museum expanding its reach, autistic young adults gaining job skills, and children without beds finally getting a good night’s sleep.

• These changes aren’t happening by chance. They’re the result of a powerful collective of women who have united under one mission: to make substantial impacts on local nonprofits through high-dollar grants.

Since 2012, Impact100 Northwest Florida has channeled nearly $4.9 million into 46 nonprofit organizations across Okaloosa and Walton counties. Their mission is simple yet profound — 100 women each donate $1,000 to form a $100,000 grant. But the organization has grown beyond its name, now providing multiple grants each year.

“We’re not all wealthy women. We are all generous women,” said Joni Wallace, Board President of Impact100 NWF, quoting one of the organization’s founding members.

This sentiment reflects the heart of an organization that defies stereotypes about philanthropy while changing the landscape of giving in Northwest Florida.

Beyond the Checkbook

The Impact100 model originated in 2002 when a woman named Wendy Steele read about philanthropy in her area and had a revelation: What if women could pool resources to make a significant difference?

• That idea sparked a global movement, eventually reaching Northwest Florida a decade later when a group of 10-12 local women established the regional chapter.

“Ladies in our area heard about it and wanted to make it happen here because they saw a need,” Wallace explained.

What makes Impact100 unique is its focus on high-impact, transformational grants across five categories: Arts and Culture; Education; Environment, Recreation and Preservation; Family; and Health and Wellness.

“Our grants are transformational grants. They take organizations to the next level,” Wallace said. “That woman’s $1,000 is getting multiplied 99 times, and now it’s turned into $100,000. I just can’t think of a better return on my investment than that.”

Georgia Henderson, a board member who handles communications and marketing, emphasized another key aspect of the organization: “100% of your $1,000 goes directly to the nonprofits. There is nothing taken out of your donation for overhead, socials, recruitment events — nothing.”

Changing Lives, One Grant at a Time

The 2024 grant recipients exemplify the diverse needs being addressed:

• The Destin History and Fishing Museum received $100,000 in the Arts and Culture category, allowing for significant expansion.
• The Emerald Coast Autism Center was awarded $100,000 to provide transportation resources for young adults with autism who are aging out of the school system, helping them develop job skills and independence.
• The Gulfarium C.A.R.E Foundation received $100,000 to expand its animal rehabilitation work for sea turtles and other marine life.
• The Arc of the Emerald Coast will use its $100,000 grant to renovate a group home, creating a safer, more welcoming environment.
• Children’s Volunteer Health Network received $100,000 to add another mobile dental unit specifically serving children in Head Start preschool programs.

But behind these grants are personal stories that reveal the profound impact of this collective giving.

Henderson joined Impact100 after hearing about a grant awarded to A Bed for Me, an organization providing beds for children who don’t have their own.

“With their grant, they purchased a big box truck,” Henderson explained. “They multiplied their productivity and were able to service so many more families because they had a truck that could fit these beds, mattresses and linens.”

For Wallace, the connection to A Bed for Me was even more personal — she was board president when they received their grant.

• “We were housed in a warehouse with no air conditioning. The Impact100 ladies came and sweated with us during their site visit that August,” Wallace recalled. “They saw that we had thought through all the questions and had a sustainable project.”

Another emotional story involved Oasis Florida, which received funding for a mobile HIV testing unit. A staff member who had initially come to the organization as a client shared his story at an Impact100 event.

“He thought his life was over when he tested positive. He was scared to death,” Wallace said. “But now he works for them. He’s a fabulous advocate for those with HIV. His life totally changed.”

Henderson added, “There was not a dry eye in the room. That’s another example of an organization that I would’ve never heard about had it not been for Impact100.”

Women from All Walks of Life

Despite the donation requirement, Impact100 members come from diverse backgrounds and life stages.

“We come from a lot of different phases of life, from young professionals to older ladies,” Henderson said. “We are all people who care passionately about our community and want to make a difference.”

• The organization creates unexpected connections between women who might never otherwise meet. 

For Wallace, joining Impact100 filled a void after her husband retired from the military and their children left home. “I was at loose ends,” she admitted. The organization provided not just purpose but community.

Members can be as involved as they choose, from simply writing a check to serving on grant review committees or the board. This flexibility accommodates women in different life stages with varying amounts of time to give.

“We really mean it when we tell women that you don’t have to do another thing beyond the donation,” Wallace said. “We have spaces for you and would love you to be more involved, but it’s not something you have to do.”

The Grant Process: Rigorous and Rewarding

The grant selection process is thorough, ensuring that funds go to sustainable projects through organizations poised for long-term success.

It begins with a letter of intent from nonprofits, followed by a formal application. After passing financial review, applications are evaluated by focus area committees composed of Impact100 members.

• The most powerful part of the process, according to Wallace, is the site visit. “You might have read an application and maybe you’re just not feeling it, but then you go and talk to these folks and see the passion they have for what they’re doing,” she said.

Committee members select two finalists from each category, who then present their projects at the annual meeting where the entire membership votes. Grant recipients learn their fate that same day.

“The process is vetted extremely well, and once you see that, it’s also very impressive. It makes you want to commit year after year,” Henderson said.

For organizations that don’t receive grants, Impact100 maintains a “wish list” that members often support individually. “Even if a nonprofit doesn’t win the grant that year, many of our members will still support those organizations in other ways,” Henderson explained.

Looking to the Future

With 2025 underway, Impact100 NWF has an ambitious vision: reaching 500 members to guarantee funding one grant in each of their five categories every year.

• “The feeling that every category received something is powerful,” Wallace explained. “It helps the community be more well-rounded, and ensures a good, healthy environment for all of us to live in.”

This approach becomes even more crucial as other funding sources diminish. Wallace noted that funding all five categories “might help with some budget gaps because there’s been a serious cut in funding for arts and culture across the state budget.”

While they celebrate their success, they look with admiration at the Pensacola chapter, which has grown to 1,200 members — the largest in the world.

“We don’t have to be Pensacola, but I would love us to get over the five hundred mark,” Wallace said. “I think there are at least a thousand women in this community between Walton and Okaloosa County who could get behind this.”

For those hesitant about the $1,000 contribution, Impact100 offers some assistance. They have sponsorship opportunities and a Next Gen program for women 40 and under with funds to help with first-year membership.

• Wallace also welcomes men who wish to donate: “We would gladly take their donations and put it in a pot to assign to another woman who cannot otherwise afford it.”

Getting Involved

Women interested in joining Impact100 NWF can attend upcoming recruitment events:

• March 12 at 3rd Planet Brewery in Niceville
• April 17 at Blackwater Golf Course in Crestview
• April 22 at The Beach House in Miramar Beach

All events run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and are free to attend.

Membership enrollment closes on April 30, when the organization will determine the number of grants for the year.

• However, Henderson notes that attending an event isn’t necessary to join. “Members can actually join online without ever speaking to anyone,” she said.

As Impact100 NWF looks to the future, their simple yet powerful idea continues to transform both nonprofits and members alike.

“We are not just ladies who lunch,” Wallace emphasized. “We all come from different backgrounds, different areas, different experiences in life, but we’re coming together with a common goal of funding nonprofits. And to me, that’s powerful.”

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For more information about Impact100 Northwest Florida or to become a member, visit impactnwf.org.