In 2015, five local nonprofits representing arts and culture (YAY Arts Center,) education (Communities in Schools), environment (Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana), youth development (Cafe Reconcile), and health and social services (St. Thomas Community Health Center) pitched their $100,000 ideas to the women of Impact 100. The winner, Communities in Schools, earned a $100,000 grant.
Kick-off Event
During the kick-off lunch, the members heard from speaker Candy Chang and learned the slate of nonprofits in each of the five funding categories: arts and culture, education, the environment, health and human services, and youth development. Candy Chang is an artist, designer, and urban planner who explores making cities more comfortable and contemplative places. A Senior TED fellow, she is the creator of the Before I Die project, which started when she stenciled the words “Before I die I want to _______.” on a chalkboard wall on an abandoned house in New Orleans. Overnight it became a place for people to pick up a piece of chalk, reflect on their lives, and share their personal aspirations in public space. There are now more than 1,000 Before I Die walls in over 35 languages and over 70 countries. The Before I Die book, which includes photographs of lots of walls from around the world, personal stories, and visual insights into our aspirations for urban living, was published in November 2013 and has been featured on CNN, TED, AP News, Brain Pickings, and Mashable.
Meet the Nonprofit Leaders
On Wednesday, November 4, the members met for breakfast at the Ashe Power House Theatre to listen to presentations from the winning nonprofits from the previous vote, representing one nonprofit per category.
Five nonprofits, one from each category, presented their idea of how they would spend the $100,000 grant. The videos, produced and edited by NOVAC, can be viewed below:
Arts & Culture: YAYA Arts Center
Education: Communities in Schools
Environment: Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana
Health & Social Services: St. Thomas Community Health Center
Youth Development: Cafe Reconcile
To learn more about Impact 100 and how to participate, visit our main Impact 100 page.