Con Mi MADRE, Texas Advocacy Project, Jolt Initiative, and Asian American Community Health Initiative are Impact Austin’s newest 2021 Community Partners
AUSTIN, TEXAS – November 18, 2021 – We are thrilled to announce that 435 women of Impact Austin are awarding a total of $226,200 to four Central Texas nonprofit organizations. Together with the $203,800 awarded in June, total grant-giving in 2021 is $430,000 in total grant awards to nine Central Texas nonprofits. For the third time in a row, all of the votes were cast remotely and winners were announced Tuesday evening during the organization’s live-streamed Town Hall Meeting.
Impact Austin’s newest Impact Austin Community Partners include:
Con Mi MADRE and Jolt Initiative (Equity Grants to advance equity for women and/or girls of color)
Texas Advocacy Project and Asian American Community Health Initiative (Health and Well-Being Grants to strengthen and enhance the lives of children and families, or positively impact the mental or physical health and wellness of people).
According to a 2021 report from Artemis Strategy Group on behalf of Fidelity Charitable, 75% of women surveyed just before the pandemic said charitable giving is an important part of their lives. The events of 2020 inspired a renewed sense of generosity, with 84% of women saying charitable giving is an important part of their life.
“We encourage our members to share the gift of their time, talent, and connections with Impact Austin,” said Christina Canales Gorczynski, Executive Director of Impact Austin. “Whether it’s signing up for a committee, attending an event, donating to Impact Austin’s Philanthropy Circle, or inviting a friend to join, we are so much stronger when we are together.”
Grant amounts are determined based on membership levels and announced at the start of each grant cycle. In each focus area, 80% of the grant amount will be awarded to the finalist who receives the most member votes and 20% of the grant amount will be awarded to the other finalist.
About Impact Austin’s fall grant recipients:
Con Mi MADRE (CMM)
$90,500 Equity Grant
Founded in 1992, Con Mi MADRE’s mission is to empower young Latinas and their mothers through education and support services that increase preparedness, participation, and success in post-secondary education. Research backs parental involvement as instrumental to academic success. Starting in 6th grade and continuing through post-secondary education, over 3,400 mother-daughter teams have made that journey so far.
This Impact Austin grant will support 578 participants as they build the skills, support, and knowledge necessary to succeed in obtaining a postsecondary education. Impact Austin funds will be spent on program personnel, operations, materials, campus meetings, campus tours, individual coaching, and subject-matter workshops. Link to Con Mi MADRE’s Finalist Video.
$22,600 Equity Grant
Jolt’s vision is to transform Texas into a state where Latinos are represented in places of power. We know that there continue to be inequities in outcomes for Latinos in education, health care, and in the workplace. Jolt’s programming gives young Latinas the knowledge they need to become organizers, advocates, and leaders, skillsets they will carry years beyond their work with Jolt.
This Impact Austin grant is unrestricted and awarded to support the mission and programs of Jolt Initiative. This includes its signature program -- Poder Quince -- helping a young girl take her first steps in civic engagement, by supporting her in delivering a speech at her quinceañera on why she is committed to voting when she turns 18.
Texas Advocacy Project (TAP)
$90,500 Health and Well-Being Grant
Texas Advocacy Project’s mission is to end dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Texas. TAP empowers survivors through free legal services and access to the justice system and advances prevention through public outreach and education. Domestic violence-related homicides in Texas have increased 23% during the pandemic. This has highlighted a pivotal need – for survivors to have access to a social worker, working alongside TAP attorneys, providing mental health services.
This Impact Austin grant will provide over 440 victims (primary and secondary) with case management, crisis intervention, and referral services. When survivors’ most basic needs such as housing, food, and mental health are addressed, they are less likely to operate from a mode of survival and more likely to have improved engagement and improved legal outcomes. Link to Texas Advocacy Project’s Finalist Video.
$22,600 Health and Well-Being Grant
The Austin Asian Community Health Initiative is one of the only organizations in Central Texas to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate social services to marginalized Asian & Asian Americans.
This Impact Austin grant is unrestricted and awarded to support the mission and programs of the Asian American Community Health Initiative. This includes the Community Health Navigation program, which provides bilingual Community Health workers to help isolated Asian and Asian American communities navigate and secure resources from local, state, and national support services.
Spring 2022 Grant Cycle
Proposals for the Community and Education grants will be solicited and evaluated from January through May 2022, and grants will be awarded in June by a vote of Impact Austin members. More information about upcoming grant opportunities can be found at https://www.impactaustin.org/grantmaking. Dates for online training and application submission will be posted in December.
Impact Austin welcomes new members year-round and identifying as female is the only requirement. Each member contributes $1,250 through an annual payment, monthly payments, or a scholarship to fund the organization's grants and operations. Impact Austin Community Partners are also invited to join at no cost. Members can get involved by voting on grants, joining a committee, participating in the review process, attending social events, learning philanthropy education, and more. Information is available at https://www.impactaustin.org/membership.
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About Impact Austin
The women of Impact Austin are strong and diverse in every sense, coming together with a desire to make a bigger difference in Central Texas. Since its inception in 2003, Impact Austin has awarded 103 high-impact grants and invested over $7.87 million to 83 nonprofit organizations and collaboratives in Central Texas. Impact Austin’s youth initiative, Girls Giving Grants (g3), creates learning and leadership opportunities for Central Texas girls in grades 8-12. The organization has awarded $98,000 since 2006. Learn more at www.impactaustin.org and www.impactaustin.org/girls-giving-grants.
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