Impact100 Essex Selects Four Finalist Nominees for 2018 Grant Award – Baristanet

Impact100 Essex announced the four finalist grant nominees for their 2018 grant award today. One of these nominees will be voted the recipient of the $120,000 grant at the group’s Annual Conference to be held on January 15, 2019 at the Upper Montclair Women’s Club.

Grant Committee Team Leaders Mayuri Chandra of Millburn (left) and Catherine Rowe of Maplewood (right) with Steering Committee member Ellen Greenfield of East Orange.

“We received 49 applications for inspiring and worthy projects this year. Through our grant selection process, we identified these four as particularly impactful and transformational proposals for Essex County,” said Helen Mazarakis, co-founder of Impact100 Essex. The finalists and their proposed projects are:

· Community Food Bank of NJ: The Period Initiative – To address “period poverty” in Essex County through distribution of monthly menstrual supplies directly to low-income women and girls.

· Schools That Can NJ – To close the opportunity and skills gap for students in Newark high schools with technical training and industry partnerships.

· Imagine: A Center for Coping with Loss – To support children and families grieving a loss, fostering resiliency and emotional well-being.

· NJ Tree Foundation – To revitalize Essex County communities with new trees and improve the health of Newark’s tree canopy.

“Each year our grant review committee members do the painstaking work of selecting four finalists. In the final phase, our members cast a vote to determine the grant recipient. We all have a very difficult decision to make”, said Margo Greenfield, co-founder of Impact100 Essex. “That’s why every year at this time, we’re inspired to do all we can to attract new members. If we can grow to 200 members next year, we can award two grants instead of one, and do even more to make a difference in Essex County.”

Impact100 Essex will hold an information session for prospective new members on Thursday, December 6, 2018. To RSVP and get directions, email [email protected]

Impact100 Essex is a women-led philanthropic organization that provides high impact, transformational grants to local nonprofits that reach under-served populations in Essex County. Each member contributes $1000 a year and that donation is pooled for collective giving.

For more information about Impact100 Essex and to find out how you can join, go to: www.Impact100Essex.org.