Impact100 Metro Detroit president Amy Bouque (far left) and president-elect Kelly Walsh (far right) present the Freedom House team with a $100,000 grant during its annual Big Give event. Pictured from Freedom House are Zaini Koffi Itito, Shelter & Client Services Manager; Deborah Drennan, Chief Executive Officer; Teresa Duhl, Development and Communications Manager, and Mercedes Pergande, Development & Community Relations Coordinator.
Photo courtesy of Impact100
Impact100 Metro Detroit named nonprofit organizations Developing KIDS and Freedom House as the recipients of two $100,000 grants during today’s annual Big Give event. An additional $52,000 will be divided among the remaining finalists, Accent Pontiac, Brilliant Detroit and LifeBUILDERS, making this event the biggest Big Give in the foundation’s six-year history.
“This wasn’t an easy decision for our 252 members – we were all so moved by the incredible work these organizations do in the community and beyond impressed with the proposals we received for this year’s Big Give,” said Amy Bouque, president of Impact100 Metro Detroit, which unites women philanthropists to award high-impact grants to local nonprofits and fuel transformation in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties. “We know our grant dollars will have an enormous impact on these nonprofit heroes.”
In its proposal, Developing KIDS seeks to operate its programs in a new teen drop-in center in Detroit for youth from ages 3 to 24. The funds will also allow for the creation of a new early childhood program, with a focus on year-round literacy intervention.
Freedom House will use the funds to redesign their front yard to create a shared community space that will foster positive well-being among residents and neighbors alike; give children a safe, fenced-in area in which to play, and add to the beautification of the neighborhood.
Grant applications were submitted by local nonprofits in early February and vetted by Impact100 Metro Detroit members, who conducted financial reviews and virtual site visits before narrowing down the list to five finalists. Prior to today’s event, each finalist presented their grant proposal to the members who then cast their votes for the recipients of the top two grants. The winners were revealed live during the event, which was held in a hybrid format via livestream and also in-person outdoors at the War Memorial in Grosse Pointe.
The Big Give also featured a local artist who created a mural to capture the joy of collective giving, which will be repurposed into wearable art for purchase by Rebel Nell, a Detroit-based, women-owned, mission-driven company that provides employment, equitable opportunity and wraparound support for women with barriers to employment. The jewelry can be purchased here: https://www.rebelnell.com/collections/impact-100.
Impact100 Metro Detroit was founded in 2016. Each year, members donate $1,000 toward a collective grant of $100,000, which is awarded to the nonprofit finalist(s) who receive the most member votes.
“Across the country, Impact100 organizations empower women as philanthropists to pool their resources and deliver a greater impact to their community,” Bouque said. “Our chapter was the first in Michigan and we’ve experienced exponential membership growth in the last five years. We’ve awarded more than $860,000 in grants since our inception.”
Past recipients of Impact100 Metro Detroit’s Big Give grants include The Lawn Academy, Micah 6 Community, Zaman International, Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan, Downtown Boxing Gym and The Empowerment Plan.
To learn more about Impact100 Metro Detroit, visit www.impact100metrodetroit.org.
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