PO Box 1903 Fairhope, Alabama 36533

Impact 100 Baldwin County MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

April 2017

From our President Excitement doesn’t quite come close to describe

what we feel right now within Impact 100 Baldwin County.

You’ve all seen the numbers from the 2017 Membership Drive which concluded March 31: In November of 2017, we will award 5 grants of $90,000 to a recipient in each of our five focus areas. Mission imPossible has become a reality, thanks to 434 of you giving $1,000, as well as some key member-generated gifts. I cannot close this conversation without special kudos to Ann Rumley and her Mission imPossible Membership team, to those who worked tenaciously to manage the details, and to each of you who individually assisted with recruitment.

So now we enter the real part of the mission…The placement of funds to work into the community! We started this process in late March with a phenomenal Grants Workshop. Over 80 community individuals attended, which should be indicative of what to expect in terms of applicants for 2017 Impact grants. Barbara Levitt, Deborah Newberry and Savan Wilson: Thank you for preparing and delivering such an informative session. Funded by yet another donation, we were able to record and now share the presentations with others. See the postings that are now available on the Impact website.

The focus groups are being formed, with group chairs, locations, and times already outlined. If you wish to participate and have not already signed up to do so, you can do that now online or by calling Barbara Levitt.

It was fun to see so many of you at the Celebration April 12. We talked about what holds us together as a group (the “mortar,” if you wish). Since the organization’s beginning in 2008, this has been a strongly bonded group of women… It’s a group of women who hold respect and trust of each other as members, which in turn generates mutual expectations of each other. Those mutual expectations build greatness, and we see that greatness in action in what’s being accomplished in our special part of the world, Baldwin County.

Calendar

Impact Events

May 3 Just for Fun Social 12:00 noon

Jesse’s Restaurant 14770 Oak Street, Magnolia Springs

November 1 Annual Meeting

4:30 p.m. Daphne Civic Center 2603 US-98, Daphne

Nonprofit Events

May 1 Grant Applicant Letter of Intent Due

May 5 Day of Caring Project

at The Family Center, 22671 Highway 59, Robertsdale

June 5 Grant Applications Due

Mission Statement Impact 100 Baldwin County is a

community of women seeking to transform lives in Baldwin County

by awarding high-impact grants to nonprofits in the areas of Arts and Culture • Education • Environment,

Preservation and Recreation • Family • Health and Wellness.

IN THIS ISSUE PAGE President’s Letter: 1 Welcome New Members! 2 Celebrating Women Who Make a Difference: Pud Nelson 3 Time to Celebrate! 4 Just for Fun Socials Return 4 Focus Group Sign Up 4 Celebrating 10 Years of Grantmaking: Care House 5

Susan Lovelady

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS – APRIL 2017 Page 2 Ready to make an Impact Welcome new IMPACT members! Now that our 2017 membership campaign is officially over, we want to welcome our newest Impact 100 members –all 117 of you! We look forward to getting to know you in the year ahead and, especially, to working alongside you as we help to transform lives throughout Baldwin County.

Tina Allen, Gulf Shores Mady Allman, Fairhope Jerry Alumbaugh, Daphne Lila Bailey, Point Clear Susan Bibby, Gulf Shores Misty Blair, Montrose Becky Bolling, Fairhope Shirley Bonds, Spanish Fort Elizabeth Booher, Point Clear Sally Boozer, Montgomery Lynn Bozone, Stockton Cindy Brown, Daphne Rita Byers, Spanish Fort Karen Campbell, Robertsdale Aeana Carpenter, Fairhope Linda Chavers, Point Clear Lynn Chilton, Fairhope Amy Cockrell, Daphne Tina Covington, Bay Minette Lauren Cowart, Spanish Fort Susan Crutchfield, Fairhope Jackie Dahlman, Gulf Shores Ashley Davis, Bay Minette Sheila Dodson, Robertsdale Marylee Donnelly, Lillian Clair Dorough, Bay Minette Donna Dorriety, Fairhope Jeanne Duffy, Orange Beach Carol Eberlein, Fairhope Iris Ethridge, Orange Beach

Kim Fedok, Gulf Shores Mary Finger, Point Clear Sandra Fisher, Gulf Shores Nancy Gaskin, Point Clear Connie Gatz, Fairhope Barbara Giles, Gulf Shores Lori Globetti, Fairhope Laura Gross, Lillian Abby Hamilton, Bay Minette Jennifer Hammond, Spanish Fort Debbie Harty, Fairhope Phyllis Helms, Point Clear Jan Herndon, Fairhope Roberta Higley, Gulf Shores Virginia Holder, Fairhope Celeste Hollands, Spanish Fort Betty Huff, Fairhope Betty Jackson, Fairhope Mimi Johnson, Fairhope Louise Johnson, Daphne Elizabeth Kavanagh, Fairhope Hope Knobler, Gulf Shores Martha Kreamer, Lillian Lynn Kushner, Point Clear Barbara Ladnier, Fairhope Linda Lavelle, Fairhope Tance Lavelle, Fairhope Bernice Lindsey, Mobile Leigh Lovelady, Atlanta Kit Lursen, Mobile

Nancy Lutz, Fairhope Shelly McInnis, Orange Beach Gail McInnish, Bay Minette Jean McKee, Spanish Fort Susan McWilliams, Fairhope Angie Michal, Fairhope Merrill Miller, Fairhope Christi Mossburg, Spanish Fort Jennifer Nelson, Daphne Emily Niemeyer, Fairhope Tricia Niemeyer, Fairhope Brenda Parnell, Fairhope Nancy Petitti, Fairhope Lydia Pettijohn, Mobile Cam Price, Orange Beach Karen Qiu, Fairhope Stacy Reckeweg, Fairhope Mary Redditt, Montrose Rosemary Rhodes, Point Clear Tracy Rogers, Bay Minette Susan Rosson, Fairhope Christy Rowland, Fairhope Martha Ryan, Bay Minette Tammy Samuel, Orange Beach Kathy Schreiber, Robertsdale Pauline Schrock, Fairhope Barbara Shepard, Gulf Shores Sara Shipman, Mobile Jennifer Shirley, Spanish Fort Joey Skaff, Fairhope

Katie Smith, Fairhope Jane Smith, Fairhope Emily Sommerville, Fairhope Rinna Stalcup, Fairhope Robin Stephens, Daphne Sandra Stewart, Foley Karmen Still, Bay Minette Susan Storey, Fairhope Rosalie Stromme, Fairhope Caitlin Sudduth, Loxley Lee Taylor, Spanish Fort Nancy Tepper, Orange Beach Rebecca Thornton, Fairhope Celeste Thorson, Fairhope Melissa Tolbert, Loxley Debra Townson, Daphne Sara Trione, Fairhope Jane Tucker, Fairhope Susan Turner, Chatom Elsa VanEysbergen, Fairhope Janet Wade, Robertsdale Rita Wells, Fairhope Vickie Weyand, Fairhope Kari Whatley, Bay Minette Sondra Wilkinson, Perdido Beach Mary Yanker, Orange Beach Lisa Yokley, Bay Minette

Ready to make an IMPACT! As we celebrated the successful conclusion of the 2017 Membership Campaign at our April 12th Celebration at the Nix Center, we welcomed an enthusiastic group of women to Impact membership.

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS – APRIL 2017 Page 3

Celebrating Ten Years of Women Making an Impact!

Pud Nelson This 10th Anniversary year affords us the opportunity to look back, as well as ahead. As we look back, we are asking some of Impact’s early members for their perspective about Impact’s first ten years. This month, we feature Pud Nelson, who has served in many capacities during her eight years in Impact. Currently, she chairs the Just for Fun Socials and is Events Chair, planning events such as our Celebration, Membership Kick-off, and our Annual Meeting.

Involvement in Impact has turned out to be a natural fit for Pud Nelson. “I’m a native and I’ve been involved with other not-for-profits and community groups, so I didn’t have any big expectations or goals when I joined Impact.” But all that changed after Pud went to her first annual meeting and neither of her two top choices won a grant. “That got me fired up and I really got the fever. I ended up on the Board and chairing all kinds of committees.” She wanted to help Impact grow.

When Pud was asked about the biggest difference she’s seen during her eight years as a member, she replied without hesitation, “The level of professionalism and the growth of this organization has been incredible. And how can you not be proud of the cumulative $2.5 million we will have awarded by the end of this year?”

Pud, a South Baldwin native, was recruited for membership by Ann Miller whom she’d known for years. “When Ann needed someone to do publicity or something for a community organization, she’d call me and say, ‘Honey, you need to be on this committee.’ Then, in 2010, Ann called me and said. ‘Honey, you’ve got to do this. Write a check.’” So she did - and has been an Impact member ever since.

Pud’s served on the Board, chaired various committees, loves working on focus groups, and, as Events Chair, is helping plan a very special Annual Meeting on November 1 (“Put it on your calendar now!”). She also chairs the Just for Fun events, co-chaired by Jerry Ann McCarron. Pud suspects that being asked to chair Just for Fun socials may stem from her early membership socials experience. “In the early days, our membership socials were very primitive. I was in charge for several years and, literally, what we did was go around to various storefronts in Fairhope and ask if we could have meetings there after-hours. Then we’d call people and tell them to bring two bottles of wine and some friends

“Now we’ve got hostesses and homes and private socials, as well as public socials. Back then, it was strictly a, ‘Hey, bring a bottle of wine and bring some friends; someone grab some nametags, and we’ll get Deborah Newberry to speak!’ kind of event.” And now? Pud laughs and replies, “I hate to quote an old Virginia Slims commercial, but, “We’ve come a long way, baby!’”

Similarly, the Just for Fun socials have also taken off. “Now we’re doing them all over the county. You never know who’s going to show up or what the conversation is going to be. A lot of people have networked and made friends just through those events.” Pud is fond of saying that at the Just for Fun socials, there are no rules, no agenda. Just fun. This year’s first Just for Fun is at Jesse’s on May 3.

Pud and her husband (and high school sweetheart), David, live on the Fish River where they raised their two children, Dave and Libby. Libby is a chemical engineer in New Orleans. Dave has a Masters in integrated design and construction and is now a Fifth Generation family member working in their family business, Bon Secour Fisheries, much to the delight of his 91-year-old grandfather.

When Pud was asked about her unique first name, she explained that she was born Alison Leigh Sanders, but her dad nicknamed her “Pud” and it stuck. So much so that Pud’s mom had to send a note to her teachers, asking them to not call her “Alison,” to call her “Pud” instead.

Grantmaking remains a priority for Pud. She wants our grants to continue to grow. “My favorite grant we’ve awarded would have to be the Bookmobile. That Bookmobile is a game-changer for rural areas, for the poor, for the young and the old. They help people with their resumes; they bring messages from other parts of the community.” Bring messages in from other parts of the community? Really? “True!” she says. “There are actually rural areas right here in Baldwin County where people don’t have access to our usual communication methods.

“My other favorite grant recipient is the African Universal Resource Center. It took them three or four tries before they finally got a grant, but, omigosh, Cassandra Boykin and her late husband are amazing and it just gives me chills to think about that one.”

Given the looming proposed federal budget cuts, Pud believes that continuing to increase our grantmaking ability is important. Especially now. “We have so much more to do, with our county transforming the way it is, in terms of growth, and with the federal budget cuts that are coming, I think we’re going to see a lot more applicants this year.” Pud attended our recent Grantwriting Workshop and was so impressed with both the presentations (“It rivaled anything I’ve seen in big cities!”) and the participants. “If everything they’re proposing [in the budget cuts] goes through, NPR, Weeks Bay, and all the arts and environmental programs are going to have drastic cuts. I think a lot of the more established organizations are going to apply this year. I can see it coming. Instead of a 500-member goal,” she laughs, “I think we’re going to need a 2,000-member goal so we can award 20 grants!”

“We have so much more to do, with our county transforming the way it is, in terms of growth, and with the federal budget cuts that are coming...”

Pud Nelson

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS – APRIL 2017 Page 4

TIME TO CELEBRATE! After a very successful membership drive which

concluded on March 31st, it was exciting to learn at our Membership Celebration on April 12 that Impact 100 will be able to award FIVE $90,000 grants later this year. The contributions of our members combined with additional member-generated funding brought this year’s total grant pool to $450,000.

Membership Committee Chair, Ann Rumley, is delighted with the results of the campaign. “Not only did we welcome 117 NEW members to Impact 100, bringing our total membership to 434, but the ultimate goal of our membership campaign was to award a significant grant in each of our five focus areas – and we did it! I am so excited and pleased, and I want to thank everyone for all their hard work during the campaign. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

This year’s Celebration was attended by well-over 100 Impact 100 Baldwin County members who were excited to learn about the

successful conclusion of our 2017 Membership Drive and that we will be able to award five grants later this year! Be sure to visit our Facebook page to see lots more photos of this year’s fun Celebration.

Just for Fun Socials Return! They’re baaaack! Impact’s annual harbinger of

spring and summer fun, our Just for Fun socials, are about to begin. So grab a friend and join us. No rules. No agenda. Just fun. It’s a great way to meet our new members, catch up with “old” friends and make some new ones.

Our first Just for Fun social will be at Jesse’s in Magnolia Springs (14770 Oak Street) at noon on Wednesday, May 3. To make sure we have enough seating, please RSVP to Pud Nelson (pudo251@yahoo.com) or Jerry Ann McCarron (jerryann470@gmail.com) by Monday, May 1. (We will try to accommodate last-minutes guests, too!)

2017 Focus Groups – Time to Sign Up If you are interested in serving on a Focus Group, you can sign up

on the Impact 100 website (go to the “For Members” page) or click here to be taken directly to the sign-up form: Focus Group Sign Up

All Focus Groups will start meeting the week of July 10th. Training will take place at the first meeting of the individual Focus Groups, which will meet at the times and places below: x Arts & Culture – Homestead Village, Fairhope, Mondays, 9 am x Education – Fairhope Recreation Center, Tuesdays, 10 am x Environment, Recreation and Preservation – Faulkner State,

Fairhope Campus, Tuesdays, 4:30 pm x Family – Foley Public Library, Mondays, 3:30 pm x Health & Wellness – Merrill Lynch in Fairhope, Tuesdays, 3:30 pm

IMPACT 100 Baldwin County � PO Drawer 1903 � Fairhope, AL 36533 Email: Impact100BaldwinCountyNews@gmail.com � Visit our website www.Impact100BaldwinCounty.org

Women Together Making a Difference

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS – APRIL 2017 Page 5

Celebrating 10 years of Grantmaking with 2009 Grantee, CARE House During our 10th Anniversary, we are spotlighting some of our past grantees, asking “Where are they now? What impact did our grant have?” This month, we spotlight CARE House and the Baldwin County Child Advocacy Center. Impact’s grant enabled the CAC to purchase a permanent facility where they counsel sexually assaulted and physically abused children and

their families. The grant also helps demonstrate Impact’s growth over the past ten years. From one grant in 2009 to five later this year, it’s a real a testament as to why our continued membership growth remains so important.

In 2009, Impact 100 awarded a single $90,000 grant. That grant went to the Baldwin County Child Advocacy Center (CAC) to establish CARE House, a place where children who are victims of sexual assault and physical abuse can begin the healing process. Our grant helped CAC realize their dream of providing a safe and secure environment where the abused children could be interviewed by investigators and counselors. Instead of being interviewed in a “scary place” such as a hospital or police station, children could now be interviewed in a more comfortable, home-like environment.

CARE House provides a variety of services and resources and serves hundreds of children and families each year, all free of charge. Prior to our grant, the CAC borrowed or rented space in the Central Baldwin area, but never had a place of their own. Thanks to Impact 100, the Snook Foundation, and the Edna Mae Olson estate, in 2010 CAC was able to purchase a 3,000 sq. ft. building in Summerdale to house their program.

Once CAC bought the building, improvements began and services increased. Recording equipment was installed in 2012, so now all forensic interviews with the children are recorded, simplifying the process for the multi-disciplinary team of law enforcement, criminal justice, child protective services, and medical and mental health professionals, and, most importantly, for the children. In 2015, a medical room was opened on-site, enabling abused children to be seen by a forensically trained Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

The Summerdale location has become CAC’s busiest office, with approximately 85% of all services occurring there. In addition, the number of children served at CARE House has increased annually for the past six years. Niki Whitaker, CAC Executive Director, remains thankful for their grant, “We are so grateful to the amazing women of Impact 100 and for the difference you are making in Baldwin County. Thank you all for the positive impact you have made in the lives of the children and families served at the Baldwin County Child Advocacy Center. Because of your gift, we are better able to do what we do – helping children find hope and healing after the trauma from abuse.”

Niki Whitaker, CAC Executive Director, at the CARE House.

Volunteer Opportunity at 2016 Grantee, The Family Center The Family Center, our 2016 Family Focus Area grantee, will be one of the

project sites for United Way of Baldwin County’s 2017 Day of Caring on Friday, May 5th. As Family Center staff begin the process of moving to their new Robertsdale location, funded by our grant, volunteers are needed to assist with painting, plumbing, and yard work. Would you like to help? Volunteers are welcome for any amount of time they can give.

If you would like to volunteer, please RSVP to the United Way office at info@unitedway-bc.org or call them at 251-943-2110. The Day of Caring is Friday, May 5, beginning at 9 a.m.

The address of the Family Center’s new home is 22671 Highway 59 in Robertsdale.

We have an Impact name tag for you! If you were unable to attend the Celebration and would like us to mail the name tag to you, just let us know. Send a request to Impact100BaldwinCountyNews@gmail.com