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Impact 100 on the beach

Impact 100 Jersey Coast Founding Members

WHO WE ARE

We are a women’s grantmaking collective that funds high impact grants to strengthen local nonprofit organizations addressing unmet needs of underserved populations in our community.

Using the power of collective giving, each woman’s individual donation of $1100 is amplified when joined with the membership as a whole. Donations are pooled to provide high-impact, transformational grants of at least $100,000 each to local non-profits selected through our grant review process. Each member has an equal role in the selection process. 

ONE WOMAN. ONE DONATION. ONE VOTE.

HOW IT WORKS

Impact 100 how it works

OUR HISTORY​

When Deirdre Spiropolous learned about Impact 100 she was immediately drawn to the idea and compelled to bring one to Monmouth County. She invited Heather Burke to lunch to discuss and the rest is history.

Deirdre_Spiropoulos

“I knew Impact was something I HAD to start in Monmouth County. I did a quick needs assessment and knew I needed a partner to help establish the group. I came from a corporate background so I knew I could bring analytical and project management skills but I needed a counterpart who understood grants and the nonprofit landscape.

A name of a woman I had met only twice popped into my head, Heather Burke. We were introduced via a mutual friend and I remembered she was a grant writer who was socially conscious and incredibly smart. I tracked down her email and sent her some info about Impact and invited her to lunch. It was my first Impact “pitch” so I was a little nervous about how it would go.

Thankfully, Heather was keen on the idea. Not only did she “get it” but I could sense her excitement and desire to bring the model here to Monmouth County.” 

– Deirdre Spropoulos, Co-Founder

“I always say that when Deirdre first approached me about Impact it was a no-brainer. It was a way to have my cake and eat it too! 

I get to continue my learning about the nonprofit landscape, which is where my professional goals were directed, and it introduced me to these amazing people in the community I would never have met otherwise and who have opened up new vistas in my life. 

Impact gave me an immediate way to connect with them in a shared goal.” 

– Heather Burke, Co-Founder

Heather Burke

Founded in 2015 by Heather Burke and Deirdre Spiropoulos, Impact 100 Jersey Coast was modeled after the first Impact 100 started in Cincinnati in 2001. Both Heather and Deirdre were drawn to the Impact model because of its simplicity, its proven success and, of course its Impact!

One of the most compelling aspects of Impact is it’s a proven model. When the chapter was started, the founders had the benefit of years of experience and knowledge from other groups. The fact that they didn’t have to start from scratch and could hit the ground running by launching as a special project fund under our parent 501(c)(3) Community Foundation of New Jersey gave them the inspiration and momentum needed.

The Impact 100 model allows our members to maximize their giving by pooling their donations with other women. It gives members the opportunity to leverage their $1,000 and to make a six-figure gift, something they usually wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise. 

And by funding a specific project-based grant it gave members insight into where those dollars were going and a level of accountability that’s just not possible with smaller gifts.

In the years since, Heather and Deirdre’s vision has grown into a strong presence on the Jersey Coast. With more than 400 members and growing, Impact 100 Jersey Coast has given $2.48 million to 24 different nonprofit groups throughout Monmouth County!