We did it! We gave five $100,000 grants to five deserving organizations!! As exciting as it was, there were five organizations who walked away from Annual Meeting without a grant. While this is part of nonprofit life—it’s still a disappointment. As we receive Wish Lists, we will be posting them on our website and on our social media. I hope that you will be inspired to be a part of the impact of Impact in action, by selecting something off the Wish Lists and providing something that is needed.
This will be a repeat for anyone who attended the meeting but, I think it is important as we head into the holiday season and begin think about the next year. As a refresher, the mission of Impact100 Northwest Florida is to financially support nonprofit organizations in Okaloosa and Walton Counties by empowering women as philanthropists and leaders, by bridging the geographic areas of our region, and by leveraging the talents of diverse women to be a positive force for good in our communities.
You understand and you execute this mission through your yearly membership donation, by inviting your friends, neighbors and colleagues to become philanthropists, and by sharing your time and talents in so many different ways. I am thankful for each part that you’ve played. As women, we have different seasons of life. Sometimes we are stretched so thin that the only thing we can give is our membership donation. At other times, we are able to give more of ourselves. I’d like us to take a moment to remember that all of us have collectively given, allowing our organization to give $4.9 million dollars since 2012. It’s amazing when you think about it…almost $5 million dollars....$1,000 at a time!
I wish each of you a blessed holiday season and a time of rest and renewal. Let’s come back in 2025 with even more passion to impact our community and be a positive force for good. $1,000 at a time.
Thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving as President this year and into 2025. It’s been a great ride!
With many thanks,
Joni Wallace
