What has struck him most in his work is the sheer number of people in the Philadelphia region living in deprivation and the hundreds of others “wearing themselves out trying to help,” he said.  Moreover, people harbor — and express through letters and emails to Lubrano — intense negative feelings about the poor, as if living in poverty is their fault, he said.  “There is a deep American anger toward the poor.”

“The single-hardest thing to do in this country is rise out of poverty,” he said, pointing out that despite what many believe, little fraud exists in Pennsylvania’s welfare system, safety nets aren’t working and ‘monthly’ food stamps last only three weeks, leaving many parents skipping meals so children can eat.

A former NPR commentator, Lubrano also is author of the book, Limbo:  Blue Collar Roots, White Collar Dreams. Stay tuned:  A more comprehensive story on Lubrano’s talk will be published in our Impact newsletter later this month.

Guests mingle at Free Library before talk begins

Lubrano addresses members and guests

Guest Laura Boyce (left) and member Michele Frank speak to Lubrano after talk

Audience at Free Library as Deborah Correll of Impact (at distant podium), introduces Lubrano

In yesterday’s Philadelphia Inquirer (2/1), Carolyn Davis wrote about the growing phenomenon of giving circles, locally and nationally, and highlights Impact100 Philadelphia’s contribution to the trend.

Davis points out that although collective giving is not a new concept, many of today’s giving circles have evolved from a basic model into groups with diverse memberships that target a variety of issues.  Moreover, the giving circle not only helps its members to become aware of charitable causes, but also helps them to become engaged citizens in their communities.

Read the full article about the giving circle trend here.

With a record number of letters of inquiry received, Impact100 kicked off the 2012 grant evaluation process. Applicants will be notified in early February if they are invited to submit a full proposal and Focus Area Committee members are gearing up for the evaluation process which runs through the spring.  Last week, members attended a training workshop to review Impact’s funding priorities and learn how to evaluate proposals.

Impact100 provides an opportunity for individual women to collectively fund high-impact grants and find out about the good work being done by nonprofits in the Philadelphia region.  Every member will be able to vote to determine how $242,000 in funding will be awarded when this year’s grant cycle concludes at the June annual meeting.

Members Toby Gang & Julia Golden at the training workshop

Impact members evaluating a mock proposal

Last week, a range of local and regional websites picked up Impact’s press release about the grant opportunity and the news that two large $100,000 grants will be awarded next year.  We welcome applications from any eligible nonprofit organization.  Letters of Inquiry are due on January 9th, and details about funding priorities and application guidelines are on our website.  New this year:  Applicants will submit Letters of Inquiry electronically.

Nonprofits interested in applying for the Impact grant can review eligibility requirements and access the application on our website.  Letters of Inquiry are due in early January and the grant review process concludes in June with the awarding of five grants.  

By the end of the current grant cycle, the fourth since its inception in 2008, Impact100 will have awarded over $650,000 to 14 organizations in the Philadelphia region.

Focus Area Committee members Kathy Echternach and Wendie Broker reviewing proposals last year for the Family FAC.

Last night’s audience also heard 2010 Impact grantee Jessica Franzini of the New Jersey Tree Foundation offer additional observations about what the Impact grant has meant to NJTF.  Noting that Impact targets nonprofits which are often “overlooked and out-competed,” Jessica reported that the $100,000 Impact grant “got NJTF on the radar.”  The grant raised the profile of NJTF, deepened its relationship with Camden Mayor Dana Redd and forged a partnership with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Delaware Center of Horticulture to launch the Plant One Million Trees initiative.

To be part of the 2012 grants that Impact will award next June, become a member by December 1, 2011.

Guest speaker Larry Eichel

NJTF's Jessica Franzini, Impact Co-president Ellan Bernstein & Programs Chair Deborah Correll

Fleisher was represented by Teen Lounge program participant Zulmarie Nazario, a 16-year-old high school junior who moved to South Philadelphia three years ago from Puerto Rico. Click here to read Zulmarie’s moving op-ed piece in The Daily News about what Fleisher has meant to her. The Inquirer also featured Fleisher in two articles yesterday highlighting the award and noting the important role of arts education.

If you’re considering joining Impact100, please visit the Membership page of our website to learn how.  We’re happy to answer any questions at members@impact100philly.org, and would love to have you join in the collective grants for 2012!

Members and guests at June's Annual Meeting.

Unfortunately, the crisis in the Philadelphia school system continues and it is gearing up to announce extensive school closings in response to decreasing enrollment, declining building conditions and budgetary issues.  A report recently released by The Pew Charitable Trusts looks at how large-scale school closings were carried out in similar cities and examines lessons learned.  Among the conclusions was that short-term savings have been “relatively small…with the largest savings achieved only when closings were combined with large-scale layoffs.”

This report was edited by Philadelphia Research Initiative project director Larry Eichel, who will address Impact members and guests on Thursday, November 17^th to speak about “the State of the City,” describing demographic trends and growing needs in the Philadelphia region.