archived press releases

On a crisp and spectacular sunny December 9, over 125 women gathered to celebrate the holidays at Burlingame Hall with their fellow Impact100 Sonoma members. It was a lovely party to be remembered for conversation, delicious savory bites from caterer Sally Tomatoes and the absolutely delicious and addictive sweet treats made from scratch by 20 talented Impact Members (these ladies gave us our very own in-person Holiday Baking Competition and we think they all won!). 

The party venue was buzzing with lively and spirited conversation, along with music performed by Kevin Russell and The Familiar Strangers. It seemed like the crowd was a nice mix of veteran, newer and prospective members. We were so happy to see more women who came to the party to join Impact100 for 2022. After about 90 minutes of happy mingling and sampling of some of Sonoma’s finest wines, Co-Presidents Claudia Sims and Debbe Noto welcomed all guests and introduced Impact Founding Member Jacque Scott. Jacque has included a generous gift of $10,000 as part of her Estate Planning. She has designated these funds to be used for our NextGen program to empower young women dedicated to giving and serving Sonoma Valley and beyond. Jacque spoke warmly of her respect for Impact100 and acknowledged what the organization personally meant to her. It was an emotional moment. We are in deep gratitude to Jacque.

Then came the gifts – specifically the prizes awarded to the seven winners of the Me Plus One Campaign. The fall drive to recruit new members for 2022 inspired these members to introduce friends to our organization in an effort to raise more money for our grant funding pool. We are excited to announce the winners and the gifts they took home!

Grand Prize Winner: Sandee Crisp – Sandee will enjoy a private Paella dinner for 8

Other Winners:

Gera Vaz – Gera will book three nights at a “Perfect Wine Country Retreat in Sonoma”

Freddi Wilkinson – Freddi will take 7 others with her for a Three Sticks Winery Food & Wine Pairing

Cathy Sisernos Chung – Cathy will be shopping soon with her $500 Bossa Nova Gift Certificate

Alice Micklewright – Alice won a day of sailing on the glorious San Francisco Bay with 3 others

Karen Sherman – Karen took away a 3 Night Stay in South Lake Tahoe at a luxury home for 6 Adults

Brenda Lhormer  - Brenda will attend the Transcendence Theater Company’s Broadway Under the Stars performances in 2022 (with VIP tickets!)

And a loud shout out of appreciation to our Star Bakers!

Sandee Crisp, Kelli Anne Yates, Jane Hutchinson, Tia Pierce, Robin Layton, Freddi Wilkinson, Kathy Block, Cindy Belluomini, Ann Iverson,Linda Bergman, Maida Hejrbst, Kelli Anderson, Diane Jacobson, Kathy Hume, Stephanie Gordon Rugg, Diane Ansel, Jacqueline Kramer, Samantha Lau, Laurel Studebaker, and Tracy Reynes!

Yes, we ate well.

Before we all went back to chatting with old friends or meeting new friends, 12 lucky raffle ticket winners had the opportunity to select one of the gorgeous table centerpieces to take home for the rest of the holidays. Thank you to Karen Sherman for organizing that effort and giving us even more color at the event. The raffle proceeds, a whopping $1140, was all donated to the grants pool! Her team gathered local greens and made all of the arrangements: Tia Pierce, Kristen Armstrong, Brenda McNeil, Jacqueline Kramer, Jean Behse, and Cheryl Shimek.

Our heartfelt and sincere THANK YOU to the event co-chairs Sandee Crisp and Karen Sherman and the Member Engagement team: Hope Nisson, Jacqueline Kramer, Jean Behse, Kay Heigel, Cheryl Shimek, Tia Pierce, Stephanie Gordon and Jane Hutchinson.  A hard job, and so well done.

Lastly, thank you to the registration team of Kathleen Ball, Stephanie Chakmak and Meagan Raffanti who warmly welcomed us. And we also would like to thank the friendly bartenders Gary Sims, Ken Stokes and Rod Crisp, who made sure none of us went thirsty.

To wrap this up…

For those of you who couldn’t make it to the party, we hope you’ll join us next year.

And most importantly, have a warm, safe and happy holiday season with your family and friends. We look forward to seeing you in January at the Annual Meeting on Saturday, January 22!

Oh, and just in case you haven’t yet signed up for Impact100 Sonoma membership for 2022, you can REGISTER HERE by January 12.  Or if you are planning to mail in a check the first week of January, please send a quick note to Membership@impact100sonoma.org so we can be on the lookout.

Let’s get excited together about making an even greater impact next year.

Here’s to a Thriving Sonoma Valley!

For the lucky 100 Garden Party attendees (including longtime and brand new Impact100 members and guests), September 18 was an afternoon to remember. magical, beautiful and inspiring, even under uncharacteristically gray skies that threatened to rain on the parade. But the weather held out, and the wine, indulgent bites (generously provided by the mega-talented Tracy Reynes) and conversation were all delightful. Hosted by an Impact100 Sonoma member at her lush Stone Barn Farm, attendees soaked in the atmosphere at the historic property (dating back to the late 1800s), which showcases 2.4 acres of vines, olive groves, and fig, apple and plum trees. All were treated to Boisset Collection bubbles upon arrival and chose from an abundance of wine selections to complement the savory and sweet bites displayed under the arbor. 

Membership Committee member Kathleen Ball launched our new Ambassador Program at the Garden Party, with ambassadors wearing sunflowers pinned to their name tags to distinguish themselves as ready to answer membership questions and greet guests and new Impact100 members. After a period of mingling and chatting, Membership Chair Sarah Carroll welcomed the crowd and announced the ME + 1 Campaign member recruitment drive. The ME + 1 concept is simple: if each current Impact100 Sonoma member would recruit just ONE new member to join Impact100 in the next three months, we could double our membership and in turn, double the funds we can award through our 2022 Grants process. And the members who recruit the most new members will be entered into a drawing to win some amazing awards, such as an afternoon of sailing on the San Francisco Bay (with lunch and more), a Wine & Food Pairing Experience for eight at Three Sticks Winery in the historic Vallejo-Castenada Adobe, and a $500 gift certificate from the Sonoma contemporary women’s clothing store Bossa Nova. For more information about the fabulous recruitment incentive awards, seeImpact100 Sonoma Award List.pdf.

Seen and heard at the Garden Party

“I signed up as a member in early September, after I met Kathy Bloch, Assistant Grants Oversight Chair, and her dog on one of my walks around Sonoma,“ said new member Pam Lerner. “I mentioned that I missed volunteer activities which were stopped due to Covid. Kathy told me about Impact100 and then followed up with an email as well as an invitation to join her at the garden party, where I was excited to hear about Impact100 grants to local nonprofits in Sonoma Valley as well as future plans for the organization.  I am excited to join Impact100 and to help in any way possible.”

“I'm thrilled to see Impact100 Sonoma continue to grow from the initial 110 women to over 300 today”, said Karen Roche, Founding Member. “With the new Recruiter's Awards Program, that number will only continue growing providing more value to the nonprofits in Sonoma. The new energy in the Impact membership was on display at the Garden Party. It's exciting to meet the new members who are bringing new ideas and enthusiasm to the organization."  

 

 

 

 

 

  

Impact100 Sonoma has announced that for its upcoming 2022 grants cycle, it will continue to use the “Impetus Grants” model adopted for the 2021 grants cycle. The Impetus Grants will provide funding of up to $25,000 related to strengthening the core missions of Sonoma Valley nonprofit organizations and supporting them on the road to long-term recovery and resilience. Impact100 has determined that this grantmaking strategy, as well as an expedited grant review process, will continue to provide the best response to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Valley nonprofits, by spreading funds for maximum effect and allowing for flexibility as conditions evolve.

Applicants for the Impetus Grants will be required to use the grant funds to help fulfill their mission, build long-term sustainability, have a plan to demonstrate the impact of the grant funds, show financial stability, and explain their continuing response to the pandemic. Impact100 Sonoma is committed to reducing the burden on applicants, allowing grantees to adjust their objectives as conditions change, trusting the Valley’s nonprofits to decide what they need and how to best serve the community as these unprecedented times continue. 

Please check our website for updates this fall. See impact100sonoma.org. Grant applications for the 2022 grants cycle will be available by November 1, 2021, and applications will be due on January 27, 2022. Impact100 Sonoma expects that its members will vote on and award the grants by the end of April 2022. 

Impact100 Sonoma is a women’s collective giving organization that pools its funds to support nonprofits in Sonoma Valley, from Schellville to Kenwood. Its mission is to empower Valley women to invest in a more sustainable nonprofit community through collective giving and responsible stewardship, while emphasizing diversity, equity and inclusion within the organization and its philanthropy. Since its founding in 2009, Impact100 Sonoma has granted almost $3 million to nonprofits serving Sonoma Valley, making it one of the Valley’s largest funders. The amount of funds that Impact100 can put toward grants depends on the number of members who join each year.

In a lively and well-attended Grant Awards Celebration our membership awarded a total of $300,000 in grant funding to 13 Sonoma Valley nonprofits.

The following nonprofit organizations were awarded Impetus Grants ranging from $5,786 to $25,000:

• Boys and Girls Club Sonoma Valley (BGCSV) — $20,000 to use toward costs associated with the merger of Teen Services Sonoma with BGCSV, integrating their programs and marketing and web services.

• Cancer Support Sonoma — $5,786.36 (unrestricted). Ceres Community Project — $25,000 to provide 40 low-income and medically vulnerable Sonoma Valley clients and their families with 3700 low or no-cost organic, medically tailored home-delivered meals, as well as nutrition education and connection to the community.

• Ceres Community Project — $25,000 to provide 40 low-income and medically vulnerable Sonoma Valley clients and their families with 3,700 low or no-cost organic, medically tailored home-delivered meals, as well as nutrition education and connection to the community.
  

• Friends in Sonoma Helping (FISH) — $25,000 to provide rental assistance for approximately 37 families and utility assistance to about 15 families.

• Kid Scoop News — $25,000 to improve widespread and effective use of Kid Scoop’s monthly bilingual newspaper in Latinx households, by funding a part-time Parent Outreach and Engagement Coordinator and 350 subscriptions for the highest-need households in Sonoma Valley.

• La Luz Center — $24,505.64 to establish a digital lending library with the necessary technology for La Luz’s clients to take online courses in workforce development, language acquisition, and citizenship preparation, at home and in an outdoor computer lab at La Luz Center.

• Social Advocates for Youth — $25,000 to increase outreach to homeless and housing insecure youth in Sonoma Valley.

• Sonoma Ecology Center — $25,000 to help support in-school climate science and land education lessons, a seasonal teen employment program for Enviro Leaders and Ambassadors, a scientist-in-training program to support a post-fire community research project, and summer Science Discovery Days for in-person outdoor education.

• Sonoma Overnight Support — $25,000 to pay for the cost of meals to feed over 250 people for one month and offset rising costs involved in bringing food to the growing number of individuals and families who are turning to SOS for support.

• Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (SVEdF) — $25,000 to support an expanded summer school program organized by SVEdF and the school district to address the increased needs of students due to the lack of in-person education during the past year.

• Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance — $25,000 to support the 300 young people mentored each year, by helping to cover expenses and maintain staff at the eight mentoring centers in Sonoma Valley schools.

• Valley Vibes Youth Orchestra — $24,708 to help fund a director, coordinator and teacher for a new intensive music education program created by Valley Vibes to serve Sonoma Valley High School students.

• Vintage House — $25,000 to help provide 350-450 meals per week from June to December 2021 for Sonoma Valley seniors living on a limited income through both pick-up and delivery services.

The Annual Awards Celebration was sponsored by Union Bank.

Impact100 Sonoma is a group of smart, capable and determined women. We know that alone we can do good, but together we can do better. And that’s why we join together to make a collective impact in Sonoma Valley. 

As we reckon with the impact of the global pandemic on our community, and rightly adjust our grantmaking to address urgent needs, we must also recognize that there is another crisis in our midst--the crisis of racism. 

You are invited to participate in Impact100-provided anti-racism training sessions starting this spring. 

In June of 2020, Impact100 Sonoma’s board met and unanimously approved a commitment to using our collective power and resources to address racism in Sonoma Valley. While we believe that injustice, inequality and structural racism exist everywhere, including in Sonoma Valley, we also believe that these problems are solvable if we invest in solutions and equip ourselves to dismantle the systems and structures that allow them to thrive.

Our resulting plan for 2021 is a three-phase Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) training program that will help our members recognize our role in racist systems, cultivate awareness of racial equity issues, and develop and practice the skills necessary to eradicate them from our community. With the selection of Epoch Education as our training partner, Impact100 will have the benefit of a national leader in DEI who also has local roots, as it was founded by Sonoma resident Dr. Nancy Dome. 

Three Phases:

1. Board Intensive (January 2021)

2. All-Member Ongoing Training (March - December 2021)

3. Valley-Wide Nonprofit Training (April - December 2021)

Today we invite you to join us in Phase 2, which will consist of nine self-paced online courses and three facilitated webinars from Epoch Education offered throughout the year. In addition to the Epoch-led courses and webinars, there will be group discussions, spotlights, speakers and more over the course of the rest of the year.

Join us for a virtual informational meeting on Thursday, February 25, 2021 from 5 pm-6 pm that will cover course content, calendar and answer any questions you may have. Click here to register to attend.

Impact100 All-Member DEI Training Calendar Overview

March through April 2021	3 Online Epoch Courses: Compassionate Dialogue Thriving in the USA as a Racially Conscious Person What is Implicit Bias
April 22, 2021, 5:00-6:30 pm	Facilitated Webinar with Epoch
May 2021 - July 2021	3 Online Epoch Courses: Exploring Issues of Privilege and Entitlement How to Talk About Race Our Role in Confronting and Overcoming Systemic Oppression
August, 2021 - exact date TBD	Facilitated Webinar with Epoch
September - November 2021	3 Online Epoch Courses: Exploring the Critique of Liberalism through Critical Race Theory Unpacking the Backpack of Non-ness Debiasing Our Thoughts & Actions
December, 2021 - exact date TBD	Facilitated Webinar with Epoch

Starting March 1, you will begin to receive email notifications from Epoch Education that you have been added to new courses.* The first three courses are designed as an introduction to the year-long training program. To get the most out of the facilitated webinars with Epoch, each group of courses should be completed in advance of the webinar. 

To help guide and support you on this journey, we have assembled an Equity Team who will be regularly communicating with you about the DEI courses, answering questions, and offering additional opportunities to engage with this work through collaborative activities, small group meetings and more.

Meet your Equity Team below:

Sarah Carroll "Train yourself toward solidarity and not charity. You are no one’s savior. You are a mutual partner in the pursuit of freedom." ~ Brittany Packnett Cunningham	Aiko-Sophie Ezaki “Dominator culture has tried to keep us all afraid, to make us choose safety instead of risk, sameness instead of diversity. Moving through that fear, finding out what connects us, revelling in our differences; this is the process that brings us closer, that gives us a world of shared values, of meaningful community.” ~ bell hooks
Beth Fox “If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” ~ Lilla Watson, Aboriginal Activist	Chelsie Runnings “Diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice we make everyday. As leaders, we have to put out the message that we embrace, and not just tolerate, diversity.” ~ Nellie Borrero
Angela Ryan It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit, it's the past we step into, and how we repair it.” ~ Amanda Gorman	Diana Sanson “Unity, not uniformity, must be our aim. We attain unity only through variety. Differences must be integrated, not annihilated, not absorbed.” ~Mary Parker Follett

We’re thrilled to invite you on this journey with us, where our aim is to cultivate awareness of racial equity issues, and develop and practice the skills necessary to eradicate them from our community. 

In December, Nancy Dome led a keynote address, "Equity by Design," in which she laid out many of the key concepts and areas that the DEI training will address. We invite you to view the recording of that presentation on YouTube as you prepare to engage with Nancy and fellow members in this training.

*If you already participated in the Board Intensive (Phase 1) you will be given access to the courses on this list that you did not already take.

Impact 100 Sonoma has announced a new partnership with Epoch Education to provide members with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training. Believing that it is not enough to simply “not be racist,” DEI programming teaches participants how to be “actively anti-racist.”

The Impact 100 board of directors unanimously approved a statement at its June meeting proclaiming organizational commitment to anti-racism, and pledged to undergo training in the principals of DEI. The adopted plan includes opportunities for the board, the membership, and ultimately the greater Sonoma Valley nonprofit community to confront and address institutional bias over the next year.

The training will attempt to help participants recognize their role in racist systems, develop common understandings, definitions and agreements, and equip participants with the tools needed to stop perpetuating inequity while simultaneously working to repair harm and change systems.

In a press release, the organization pledged to “lead by example” and acknowledged that systemic change is challenging. “This is hard and necessary work, and Impact 100 is committed to leveraging its collective impact to create a thriving and equitable Sonoma Valley,” the statement said.

Epoch Education founder Dr. Nancy Dome maintains a home base in Sonoma. On Dec. 8, Dome kicked off Impact 100’s year-long engagement with Epoch in a virtual keynote presentation titled “Equity by Design.”

“If we want to shift climate and culture to become more welcoming to people as they are, then we have to broaden our own perspectives, make room for differing ideas and learn how to lean into discomfort,” Dome said.

A special collaboration with non-profits in the valley has inspired the creation of the Winter Wonderland Sonoma Style holiday events calendar.  

Winter Wonderland Sonoma Style is a heartfelt holiday campaign to bring holiday cheer to the Sonoma Valley. It is an outpouring of holiday love throughout the Valley with various ways to stay connected every day in December. Months of living with the COVID-19 pandemic has created anxiety, depression, and separation. Use our calendar to find COVID-19 safe holiday events to the valley to celebrate safely and with joy.

Spread holiday joy, giving and love to our Valley!

 You can find the calendar link here

In October, Impact100 Sonoma will kick off its 2021 Membership Drive with a series of casual online new member recruitment events to introduce prospective new members to its vision of a thriving Sonoma Valley. 

Impact100 Sonoma is a women’s collective grant-making organization. Since its founding in 2009, Impact100 Sonoma has granted almost ​$2.7 million​ to nonprofits serving Sonoma Valley, making it one of the Valley’s largest funders. The concept of Impact100 Sonoma is simple: one woman + $1,000 = one vote. Shared memberships are available, as well as scholarship programs. One hundred percent of every membership donation is used to fund grants each year. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and related economic challenges have had profound effects on the health and well-being of Sonoma Valley residents and the viability of many of our local nonprofits. All women who are interested in joining Impact100 Sonoma’s efforts in these unprecedented times are invited to attend one of the ​upcoming virtual new member recruitment events: Happy Hour & Conversation on October 8 at 5:30 pm, Coffee & Conversation on October 15 at 10 am, and Happy Hour & Conversation on October 22 at 5:30.

Impact100 Sonoma, a women’s collective giving organization, held two “State of our Union” meetings for members and guests to announce its new grantmaking strategy for 2021 on September 29 and 30. Recognizing the challenges faced by nonprofits as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Impact100 Sonoma ​will award “Impetus Grants” of up to $25,000 in 2021, to provide funding related to strengthening nonprofit organizations’ core missions and support them on the road to long-term recovery and resilience. 

In May, Impact100 Sonoma formed a 2021 Grants Task Force to assess the ongoing impacts of the pandemic on Valley residents and nonprofits. It sought input from a wide range of local nonprofits and explored approaches being taken by similar funding organizations. The Task Force found that Valley nonprofits will need immediate relief and increased flexibility in order to stretch their funding through 2021, and determined that the Impetus Grants Model would provide the best response to current needs, spread funds for maximum effect, and allow for flexibility as conditions evolve. 

Applicants for the Impetus Grants will be required to explain their response to the pandemic and how they have pivoted to fulfill their mission, show financial stability, use the grant funds to build long-term sustainability, and have a plan to demonstrate the impact of the grant funds. Impact100 Sonoma is committed to reducing the burden on applicants, allowing grantees to adjust their objectives as conditions change, and continuing to trust the Valley’s nonprofits to decide what they need and how to best serve the community in this unprecedented time. The Impetus Grants will be awarded for 2021 only, and Impact100 Sonoma members will vote on and award the grants by March 31, 2021. 

Impact100 Sonoma is a women’s collective giving organization that pools its funds to support nonprofits in Sonoma Valley, from Schellville to Kenwood. Since its founding in 2009, Impact100 Sonoma has granted almost ​$2.7 million​ to nonprofits serving Sonoma Valley, making it one of the Valley’s largest funders. Its mission is to empower Valley women to invest in a more sustainable nonprofit community through collective giving and responsible stewardship.

On September 29 and 30, Impact100 Sonoma hosted our “State of Our Union” virtual meetings to announce our 2021 grants strategy. In our Spring 2020 Member Survey, members prioritized long-term nonprofit organization sustainability and a willingness to evolve grant-making to meet changing needs. The timing was certainly right.  Over the summer, our Grants Task Force assessed the impacts of the ongoing pandemic, and considered our community, similar funders and nonprofit organizations in developing our strategy for grant-making in the time of Covid-19. The Task Force determined that Sonoma Valley nonprofits need timely and flexible relief to stretch their funding through 2021. 

If you missed one of our Virtual Meetings, you can find a copy of the presentation HERE