TBT to January of 2003. This People Magazine article changed my life.
Impact100, the women’s philanthropic group I had designed and founded, had just given away our first grant. In a few short months, 123 women in Greater Cincinnati had each donated $1,000 with the common goal of helping those who needed it most. We received requests from 115 local nonprofits, each seeking our $123,0000 inaugural grant. The McMicken Dental Clinic used those funds to purchase new dental equipment, an investment that multiplied the number of patients and volunteers the clinic could support. It was amazing to be a part of a gift that big.
Looking back, those three beautiful children photographed in our Cincinnati kitchen live in the far corners of the country and have now blossomed into bright, kind, funny, and generous adults. This article served to reconnect me to my childhood summer crush who became my husband in 2005, adding his two beautiful kids who became amazing adults to our family.
In just over twenty years, Impact100 has grown in ways I couldn’t have imagined back in 2003. By the end of 2023, 73 Impact100 chapters in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom had given away more than $140 million!
Today, we are growing faster than ever before, with more than 50 communities hoping to launch an Impact100 chapter. I remain forever grateful to PeopleMagazine, and for every media outlet that shares our story.
