About
Our History
The vision to start Impact100 Newport County began in 2024 when, the founding President Maura Lindsay was inspired by a longtime friends involvement in the Impact100 SRQ Chapter. Maura quickly reached out to her friend Renee Sherman asking for help to create the Newport County chapter. Together they built the infrastructure and enlisted the assistance of other amazing women in the community to create a supportive Board of Directors. This enabled the Impact100 Newport County dream to become a reality. Impact100 will empower a diverse local group of women of all ages, stages in life, income levels, and backgrounds to come together to fund transformational grants of $100,000 or more in the Newport County, Rhode Island area. Through collaborative philanthropy, our mission is to build a dynamic and diverse membership of generous women who accelerate positive social change in our community.
Impact100 is an international women’s philanthropic organization. Our Global Impact now spans over 4 countries with 76 chapters that have donated nearly $160 million!
For more information about how Impact100 started, see the Impact100 Global story.
Together, we will make a sustainable impact in our community, one transformational grant at a time.
The Impact100 Model
The Impact100 model was created by Wendy Steele in 2001 in Cincinnati in response to feeling as though women’s roles in philanthropy needed a new way to be expanded and encouraged. The model is designed to empower women to see themselves as philanthropists and overcome the barriers women have historically faced in this arena. The model is designed for transformational grant-making within local communities, with a minimum grant size of $100,000.
At Least 100 Women Come Together
Each Woman Donates $1,000
$100,000 is donated to a Local Charity
Focus Areas
Arts, Culture & Historic Preservation
Cultivate, develop and preserve the artistic, cultural, and historic character of our community.
Environment, Recreation & Animal Welfare
Conserve, restore, or improve the natural environment, provide enhanced recreational opportunities, or promote the welfare of animals.
Health & Wellness
Improve the physical and/or mental health and wellness of the people in our community.
Education
Improve educational opportunities for children and/or adults, especially those that address lingering educational disparities affecting our community.
Family
Strengthen and enhance the lives of children and families, including seniors.
How It Works
The annual $1,000 donations of Impact100 Newport County members are pooled into a grant fund to be given away to nonprofit organizations serving the Greater Newport County area. The number and size of grants awarded are dependent on our membership, but our goal is to give incremental grants of $100,000 each year. Grant categories and amounts are announced in the Fall at “The Big Reveal” event, commencing our grants cycle. Nonprofit finalists are chosen by grant committees through a competitive application process, and grants are awarded based on a membership vote at our annual meeting. Every woman who gives $1,000 or more has one vote.
