About
Our History
About Impact 100
Impact 100 is a successful global philanthropy model created by Wendy Steele in 2001 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her concept is both simple and powerful: bring together at least 100 women, each contributing $1,000, to collectively award a $100,000 transformational grant to a local nonprofit organization.
Since its founding, Impact 100 has grown into a global movement with more than 73 chapters across four countries, empowering women to make a meaningful difference in their own communities. Over two decades, Impact 100 chapters had collectively awarded over $150 million to worthy nonprofit organizations around the world.
The Story of Impact 100 Gulf Coast
The vision for Impact 100 Gulf Coast began with Bay County residents and community advocates Lori Allen, Stacie Galbreath, and Amy Myers, who committed to establishing a local chapter and became its three founding officers.
Lori Allen was inspired by Sandy Sims, a member of the Northwest Florida Chapter, who planted the idea of expanding Impact 100’s reach to the east. An information meeting was first held in 2018, just before Hurricane Michael devastated the Florida Panhandle.
Resiliency, however, is woven into the fabric of these Bay County women. Though the launch was delayed by recovery efforts, their determination never wavered. A few short years later, Impact 100 Gulf Coast officially launched, breaking international records as the largest inaugural chapter in Impact 100 history—with 307 founding members committed to transforming their community through collective giving.
Transforming the Gulf Coast
Today, Impact 100 Gulf Coast continues to honor that spirit of resilience and generosity by awarding $100,000+ transformational grants to nonprofit organizations serving Bay, Gulf, Calhoun, Jackson, Washington, and Holmes counties.
Our grant process is structured, transparent, and inclusive, ensuring fairness and community-driven decision-making. Every Impact 100 member plays an essential role in reviewing grant proposals and casting votes to determine which organizations receive funding.
Together, we are harnessing the power of women’s collective giving to create lasting, measurable change across the Gulf Coast region.
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 is readily available to all communities who wish to implement it. 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
Cultural programs that foster community engagement through the arts and history, including music, visual and performing arts, and arts education.
Environment
Conservation and preservation of natural resources; environmental justice; parks and recreation; agricultural sustainability; animal welfare and habitat protection; environmental education and climate action.
Health & Wellness
Improvement of people’s mental and/or physical well-being.
Education
Educational opportunities for children and/or adults, especially those that address lingering educational disparities affecting our community
Family
Strengthening and enhancing the lives of children and families, including seniors
How It Works
The annual $1,000 donations of Impact100 Gulf Coast members are pooled into a grant fund to be given away to nonprofit organizations serving the Greater Gulf Coast 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 at “The Big Reveal” event. 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.
