Impact100 Greater Milwaukee has awarded $100,000 grants each to Lighthouse Youth Center, Milwaukee Public Library Foundation, NAMI Waukesha, Inc. and Operation DREAM.
The four nonprofits were announced at Impact100’s virtual annual awards ceremony, which was broadcast Monday.
The 407 members of Impact100, which is the local chapter of a national women’s philanthropy collective, each contributed $1,000 toward the grant pool, from which the four grants and another $7,000 grant to Neighborhood House of Milwaukee were awarded.
“As we wrap up the fifth anniversary of giving for Impact100 Greater Milwaukee, I’m grateful for the community impact we’ve made so far and for all the women who have invested in our collective philanthropy,” said past president Ann Homstad. “The critical work being done by area nonprofits deserves support and our $100,000 grants have been a game-changer.”
The $100,000 grant recipients and their plans for the funds include:
- Lighthouse Youth Center plans to launch a new program and renovate its kitchen to serve youth ages 10-18 in the Garden Homes, Havenwoods and Polonia neighborhoods.
- Milwaukee Public Library Foundation plans to expand its hotspot lending program, which is aimed at bridging the digital divide. Hotspots are checked out just like any other item in the library’s collections and do not require installation in the home.
- NAMI Waukesha, Inc. plans to train 75 Waukesha and 125 Milwaukee police officers through its Crisis Intervention Team Training program, which teaches techniques designed to improve communication when interacting with someone experiencing a mental health crisis, with the goal of de-escalating the situation.
- Operation DREAM will provide teen mentoring and entrepreneurial business opportunities for young men through its DREAM Screen program.
The funding for Neighborhood House of Milwaukee will support the project to replace its old entry area with green components to conserve water, reduce pollution and improve safety.
Since its founding in 2015, Impact100 has awarded over $1.6 million in grants to nonprofit organizations in its funding area of Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington Counties.
“Now we are ramping up for our sixth year of giving and if enough women join, we could pass the $2 million mark in cumulative giving to nonprofits in our area,” said president Robin Martin. “I’d love to see us hit that milestone and additional community organizations benefit from it.”
