IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, Inc. (IMPACT 100) is a nonprofit organization of women, aged 18 and older, who are committed to improving their community by providing transformative grants to nonprofit organizations in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.
Started in 2003 by four local women, IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area has become the largest IMPACT 100 chapter in the world. The idea behind IMPACT 100 involves recruiting at least 100 women to donate $1,000 each and pooling those resources into transformative grants of $100,000+ for qualifying nonprofits.
In the 22 years since the Pensacola chapter began, this organization of philanthropic women has donated over $18.7 million in 177 grants to nonprofit organizations in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.
IMPACT 100 has no paid employees or staff, so 100% of each member’s annual contribution of $1,000 is pooled and awarded to nonprofit organizations in increments of at least $100,000 grants.
To know and serve the community;
To collectively fund significant grants to charitable initiatives;
To set an example of effective philanthropy.
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area was conceived when our founder, Debbie Ritchie, read an article in People Magazine in 2003 about the original IMPACT 100 in Cincinnati, OH. Debbie talked to several friends about the idea. Together, they agreed to form an IMPACT 100 in Pensacola.
The mission of IMPACT 100 is accomplished through thousands of volunteer hours of the Board of Directors and its membership as well as many generous donations by community partners and sponsors. The Board of Directors is comprised of 29 volunteers, each serving two-year terms. The Board and its President, Martha Holden provide strategic direction as well as the day-to-day work to meet our goals.
