Impact 100 Jersey Coast Announces Recipients of Four $114,000 Grants

This has undoubtedly been an unprecedented year in countless ways. For proud members of the philanthropic women’s volunteer organization Impact 100 Jersey Coast, 2020 also brought about an unprecedented joyful event with a remarkable opportunity for several nonprofits in Monmouth County, NJ. On the evening of Tuesday, November 17, hundreds of Impact 100 members gathered virtually for their important annual meeting to vote for the recipients of this year’s generous and transformative grants. And thanks to a record-breaking total of 456 Impact 100 members who each contributed $1,000 towards the grants fund, four inspiring organizations were awarded $114,000 each. The 2020 grant recipients and their proposed projects include:

HABcore, an organization that provides permanent housing and individualized support to help homeless families, veterans, and individuals with special needs move through crisis to stability, giving them the opportunity to improve their lives. Plans for their Independence Pathways Program will combine affordable housing with coordinated services to assist individuals and families struggling with chronic physical and mental health issues to maintain stable housing and receive appropriate support and employment services.

Aslan Youth Ministries, whose mission is to effect permanent change in the hearts and minds of at-risk youth residing in Red Bank, Long Branch, Asbury Park, and Neptune, NJ. By participating in afterschool and summer programs that incorporate supportive relationships and positive expectations for achievement and are targeted towards specific needs, students see improvement in their social skills, emotional development, and academics. Funding will allow the hiring of a Director of Volunteers to enable recruitment and training of a new generation of Aslan volunteers – mentors, teachers, and life coaches – for the children in their care, with an immediate impact on those hurt by the learning loss caused by the pandemic. The goal for their one-on-one tutoring program is to double the number of students they reach within three years. The Director of Volunteers will also greatly impact the 140 students in the Right Choices character development classes, continuing work to close the achievement gap in underserved communities.

Monmouth Museum, an independent, non-profit organization established in 1963 that presents changing art, history, and science exhibitions to educate and entertain while providing a destination for creative expression and lifelong learning to the diverse community it serves. The museum will launch Making Art Possible, a program to bring personalized art programming consistently to people with special needs, providing therapeutic benefits during uncertain times. Customized art kits will be delivered to participants’ homes and workshops will be taught online. At the end of twelve months, the program will be recognized with a community-based gallery exhibit, building confidence and breaking down societal perceptions of people with disabilities by showcasing their abilities and creativity in a public setting.

Fulfill of Monmouth & Ocean Counties, an organization dedicated to alleviating hunger and building food security in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Its vision is a food secure community where all people always have access to enough food to lead active and healthy lives. Its Addressing Child Hunger program will provide 88,000 meals for at least 450 children at risk of hunger in Monmouth County by allowing them to participate in the Kids Café, which provides daily afterschool hot meals and homework help; the Backpack program, which provides children with weekend meals, or to receive meals as needed whenever children encounter pandemic-related barriers to participation in other vital feeding programs.

The fifth finalist was the American Littoral Society, whose mission is to promote the study and conservation of marine life and habitat, protect the coast from harm, and empower others to do the same. The organization received a runner-up grant of $2,500 that was generously provided by Impact 100 event sponsor OceanFirst Foundation. The society plans to launch Creating Coastal Conservation Champions, empowering middle school students in Monmouth County’s four Abbott districts to become environmental stewards who serve as a foundation for community resilience by providing supplemental marine science education through in-class lessons, field trips, and hands-on conservation projects.

The inspiring annual meeting was seamlessly held via Zoom this year due to COVID and even though the setting was virtual, the excitement was palpable among all who participated, with applause, cheers, hugs, and tears as each grantee was announced. The evening also included video highlights from last year’s grant recipients, illustrating the initiatives that had been made possible with Impact 100 funds.

The event is the eagerly-awaited culmination of Impact 100’s months of efforts to lend substantial support in the most impactful of ways to local non-profit organizations. From a total of 61 grant applicants, five finalists representing the categories of Arts & Culture, Children & Families, Education, Environment, Parks, & Recreation, and Health & Wellness were chosen in October after comprehensive evaluations by more than 80 Impact 100 volunteers. The finalists gave compelling, brief presentations at the annual meeting and packets of information were distributed to the entire Impact 100 membership days in advance. Each Impact 100 member is allowed one vote for their choice of grant recipient, with funds awarded to the top four finalists.

Impact 100’s mission is to provide membership-funded transformational grants to local nonprofit organizations, enabling them to continue their services, while empowering women to improve lives through philanthropy. Since its founding in 2015, the organization has awarded nearly $1.2 million to ten Monmouth County nonprofits to help them address unmet needs and reach underserved populations. Updates are given throughout the year about the progress of the recipients’ programs that are supported by the grant funding.

Impact 100 Jersey Coast membership for the upcoming year is open now and upcoming recruitment events can be found online. Members pledge $1,100 each, with funds pooled to award significant annual grants. Women throughout the area who would like to make an important and memorable impact in their community are invited to join this amazing organization. Increased membership allows Impact 100 to meet its goal of reaching more nonprofits and providing additional grants for all five grant focus areas. For more information, visit www.impact100jerseycoast.org or email membership@impact100jerseycoast.org.