USPS Publication Number 16300
THE
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This Community Newspaper is a publication of the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association
S E RV I N G T H E F I RS T J U D I C I A L C I RC U I T Vol. 24, No. 48
November 27, 2024
SummationWeekly.com
1 Section, 8 Pages
Section A, Page 1
IMPACT 100 PENSACOLA BAY AREA CONTRIBUTES $30 MILLION TO LOCAL ECONOMY WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY HELPS OUR COMMUNITY THRIVE
By Magi Thomley Williams
I
MPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area (IMPACT 100) members have contributed $29.8 million to Escambia and Santa Rosa economies over the past 20 years. This report comes from the Haas Center at the University of West Florida. “IMPACT 100 has made a substantial contribution to the economic health of our communities. Their additions to employment and taxes, as well as direct and indirect dollars spent, have helped strengthen our economy. Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are fortunate to benefit from their philanthropic work,” Haas Center Executive Director Nicole Gislason said. IMPACT 100 members contribute over $1 million annually in grants to nonprofits serving the two counties. Additionally, IMPACT 100 and recipient organizations spend dollars for goods and services from local businesses like equipment, salaries, and payroll taxes. Spending from business-tobusiness purchases results in additional indirect economic impact.
Researchers quantify the induced impacts as the value derived from labor income, excluding taxes and savings and from workers, directly or indirectly connected to IMPACT’s nonprofit partners, spending money on other goods and services in the region. As of September 2024, $16 million in member contributions to IMPACT 100 grants have funded a variety of projects, including food for food insecure individuals, transportation for those with limited resources, educational initiatives, arts and cultural programs, recreational opportunities, health and wellness resources and activities bolstering the environment and native habitat. These projects and their benefits are detailed and available to view online at impact100pensacola.org. Additionally, nearly $14 million has been returned to local economies through purchases made from local businesses’ direct, indirect and induced spending. Gislason reports that the study encompasses all awards made since IMPACT’s inception in 2003.
Through comprehensive analysis of direct, indirect and induced effects, the study yields valuable insights into how the approximately 1,200 women of IMPACT 100 contribute to the economic growth and job creation across the Pensacola Bay Area. The methods used to produce the data set and economic impact estimates have been widely published both in professional publications as well as peer-reviewed academic journals. Many of these methods are considered standard best practices in a wide variety of applied economic fields today. “Our economic impact is a testament to what women can do together through collaborative giving and dedication to community. This year and every year since 2003, our members have combined their $1000 individual contributions to make transformative grants and change lives,” IMPACT 100 President Kristin Longley said. “The economic impact is powerful, but the immeasurable impact of changed lives through our partnership with area nonprofit organiza-
tions has enabled so many valuable organizations to grow and thrive in our two-county area. I am honored to continue work begun by our 233 founding members and alongside the record setting number of 1208 women who are members in 2024.” IMPACT 100 is an organization of philanthropic-minded women committed to improving their community by providing substantial grants to nonprofit organizations in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Grants are distributed in five focus areas: Arts, Culture & History; Education; Environment & Recreation; Family and Health & Wellness. Membership is open to any woman, age 18 or over, who makes an annual tax-deductible donation of $1000 by March 1 of any calendar year. The entire contribution is used to fund grants. Each year, IMPACT members volunteer to serve on committees and review the grant applications and make a site visit to personally see and hear about each project to ensure that organizations and their projects effectively serve the two-county area. The committee
members then vote for the finalists to promote forward, and all IMPACT 100 members are given the opportunity to vote for the grants which ultimately receive funding. “It’s always eye opening to see, firsthand, some of the needs our community faces – and then to learn of the wonderful solutions that our local nonprofit organizations are using to answer those challenges,” IMPACT 100 President Elect Martha Holden said. Each grant is for a minimum of $100,000, and the number of grants is based on the number of women who contribute $1,000 in a given year. Grant stipulations require that nonprofit recipients operate in Escambia and/or Santa Rosa counties, provide most of the services to individuals in these counties or apply for a collaborative IMPACT 100 grant with such organizations. IMPACT 100 grant funds should be expended locally whenever possible and practical, expanding the local economic impact even further. To learn more about IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, visit impact100pensacola.org. ■
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