PAT LAVINS 

“Making Indian River County better one grant at time” is the mantra for Linda Knoll, President of Indian River Impact 100 who provided the leadership for a highly successful event at the Oak Harbor Clubhouse on Thursday, November 14.  Linda who literally sailed into the county 19 years ago with her husband no longer has the day-to-day responsibilities of her marketing career.  Now as a Founding member of the organization it is her passion “to reduce the gap between the rich and the needy in our community.” She is proud that the original concept of 100 women donating $1,000 each to be given to local 501(c) non-profits has proven to be such a success.

The success of Indian River Impact 100 makes it one of the largest philanthropic women’s organizations in the nation today.  The membership is now over 400 local women who have donated $1.63 million to the local community.  There were over 230 who had signed up for the Sixth Annual Kickoff Breakfast with more than 25 walks-in so the uptrend in membership will continue.

Becky Allen who currently serves as Treasurer is also a Founding Member. She stated that involvement in the organization can be as much or as little as any member wants. “Some members merely donate an annual check.  Others use their expertise to become involved in one of four standing committees: (1) Communication, (2) Grants Coordinator, (3) Events Coordinator and Membership Committee.”  A skill that is now needed is a knack for technology to meet the organizational needs as well as advise the Board when grant requests involve acquisition of technology.  All Impact 100 current Board members have volunteered on one or more committees, and those interested in a potential Board position, are welcome.  The Board currently consists of 20 members, most of whom, have been Founding members of the organization.  The Indian River Impact 100 President Linda Knoll said, “There has never been a problem with an even number of Board members.”

The grant focus areas include: (1) Family, (2) Education, (3) Health and Wellness, and (4) Enrichment and Environment.  Linda Knoll stated that included in the grant process are workshops on how to write a grant and visioning and mentoring throughout the process for any non-profit who wants to be more competitive in the award process.”  In addition, two Board members are involved in oversight once the grant has been awarded.

Kristi Goodnight who is a third year member was last year on the Education Evaluation Committee.  She said, “You become fully invested in the organizations that have first received a preliminary approval by the Grants Committee. So you then have the responsibility to sell the non-profit organization to the whole Board.  She said, “There have been times when I feel that I have not been an effective advocate because even though I have anticipated every question possible, there is always one that throws you off in the course of your presentation to the full Board.”  However, it is precisely that challenge that propels her to continue to grow personally.

Since 2008, the Impact 100 membership has invested in innovative programs provided by the following non-profit organizations:

Treasure Coast Food Bank

Exchange Club CASTLE program

Harvest Food and Outreach Center

Childcare Resources of Indian River

The Learning Alliance

Hibiscus Children’s Center

Big Brothers/Big Sisters & Youth Guidance

Senior Resource Association

Treasure Coast Community Health

The Education Foundation

Ocean Research and Conservation Alliance (ORCA)

Sebastian Charter Junior High School

Camp Haven

Treasure Coast Community Health

The grant awards are given in April of each year at a public ceremony.  President-elect Judy Peschio is particularly proud that “100% of funds raised are given out as donations.”  Once the decision has been made about which organizations will receive the $100,000 grant as funds are available smaller grants are also given out.  Last year the recipients of these smaller grants were:

Learning Alliance

Humane Society

Environmental Learning Center

Vero Beach Theatre Guild

The goal for 2014 is to award $2 million in grants to make Indian River County a better place for all.

The Chair of the Membership breakfast was Nancy Lynch who had a team of volunteers who handled all the myriad details including posting direction signs within the Oak Harbor Community.  She coordinated a lovely meal prepared by the Oak Harbor staff.

The highlight of the meeting was the Keynote Speaker, Valerie Pringle, who is known as Canada’s Katie Couric.  An attractive woman with a winning smile said that she discovered Vero Beach because of mutual friends who lived in Windsor.  She said “I had to convince my husband to make the trip but he immediately fell in love with the community.”  Thus, they have spent the winter months at their home in Windsor for the past 20 years.  Today she has two passions:  (1) Being an advocate for mental health and is a member of the Board of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation (2) completion of a walking trail in Canada from the East to the West coast.  She serves as the Co-chair of the Trans Canada Trail Foundation.

Valerie Pringle’s speech was equal parts pathos and comedy but the message of “You have to keep looking forward” came shining through.  She touched on some of the things that she personally has learned as a result of her interviews.  She said that Oprah Winfrey despite a turbulent childhood had “no victim mentality.”  It is the eternal message of “a human need to belong” that is at the core of what she learned in her broadcast career that began at age 19.  In telling about interviewing Oscar Peterson after he had suffered a stroke, she conveyed a spirit of optimism that she herself obviously shares.  Pringle asked Oscar Peterson “What is the best thing that you have ever written.”  His response was “I have written it yet.”

As a tribute to the Keynote Speaker a large piece of chocolate in the shape of a Canadian maple leaf was on the plate of each breakfast participant.  So once the chocolate was melting in your mouth, you could sit back and relax and savior the wisdom of  another of Pringle’s words of wisdom which was “Growth is the only evidence of life.”

Growing is precisely what Indian River Impact 100 intends to do in its Sixth Inaugural Year.  There are still many economic bridges to gap in Indian River County.

The breakfast meeting was sponsored by Scripps Newspapers, Wilmington Trust and Florida Power and Light.

Anyone interested in learning more about Indian River Impact 100 can do so by accessing: www.impact100ir.com