Membership FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Impact 100 Seattle is a collective giving group for women that supports positive change in its community through annual grant(s) presented to local nonprofit organization(s). We seek to connect, inspire and empower women to become a more thoughtful giving force. This is how the process works:
- Gather a collective of at least 100 women who want to become more educated contributors to their community. Each woman donates $1,000 to become an Impact 100 Seattle member, and the money is pooled into a $100,000 grant.
- Small, local nonprofits apply for the grant.
- Our grant review team, which is made up for Impact 100 Seattle members, reviews the applications, and narrows them down to a small group of finalists.
- We come together at the annual meeting to hear about these inspirational nonprofits and vote to allocate the funding. Each member gets one vote. All organizations that are presented as finalists will receive a donation to thank them for the time they spent working with us even if they do not receive the large grant.
- Impact 100 Seattle continues to support our Grantee Partners in whatever way we can. Whether it’s a holiday drive, help spreading the word about an event, or making introductions to our network.
- Throughout the process, Impact 100 Seattle members have the opportunity to better understand the issues and needs of the nonprofit environment in Seattle, while the nonprofits have a platform to share their knowledge and ideas that will transform our community and gain passionate advocates.
Everyone has her own reason to join Impact 100 Seattle; here are just a few:
- Become part of a community of diverse women who want to learn from and inspire each other to take action and make an impact.
- Learn about the needs of your community by working on the grants committee and hearing from local community leaders and organizers.
- Contribute more than just money by getting involved in this volunteer-run organization.
- Connect with and help local nonprofits who are looking for people with your skills.
- Build a new organization that empowers and inspires women.
- Amplify your giving. $1,000 can make a difference, but $100,000 can make an impact!
- Don’t just sit there, DO SOMETHING!
People who identify as women including cis, trans and nonbinary women - are eligible to apply. Impact 100 Seattle's policy is one of self-identification - your own affirmation of identity is all we need. We are a diverse group of women committed to creating an environment in which everyone experiences a sense of belonging. Together we hope to stretch and empower each other to be a part of transformative change. While only those identifying as women can be members, anyone can make a donation!
As a member, you will become a building block in a community of women with diverse thoughts and backgrounds, who will learn together, shape each other's views and push each other's thinking. By working closely with expert nonprofit leaders, we hope to better understand the underlying issues impacting our Puget Sound community. As a member, you can expect to learn about organizations that are working to solve those issues. You will have the opportunity to understand what you can do to support their work while pooling resources to help make an impact. You can expect this to be an evolution and see the experience further take shape as we get to know each other and our community partners.
The level of involvement is up to each member. We anticipate some women will volunteer their time on committees, others will attend the majority of events offered, others may only have the time to write the check. Come as you are and give what you can, is what we like to say!
A membership in Impact 100 Seattle is $1,000/year. The full $1,000 is directed towards the Impact grant. We encourage our members to donate additional money to help cover some of the operating expenses of this volunteer-run organization. The suggested donation to cover operational expenses is $200.
We encourage you to pay via check or Zelle, as these are the most efficient forms of payment and do not incur service fees.
You may also pay via credit card (fees apply), stock transfer, or transfer from your Donor Advised Fund.
Zelle payments can be sent to Impact 100 Seattle (tag: impact100seattle). Please include your name in the “Reason” field so we can match your payment.
Note: Zelle limits may vary by bank.
Zelle limits are set by your sending bank, so they can vary. Some banks may have daily or per-transaction limits.
If you run into a limit, you may be able to:
- Send multiple payments across days
- Adjust limits within your banking app (if available)
- Use an alternate payment method (check, credit card, or DAF)
If you have questions or need help, please contact our treasurer at treasurer@impact100seattle.org.
Yes, you can pay over time, as long as you commit to donating the full amount of your membership over a 12 month period. If the financial commitment poses a problem, please consider applying for an Impactship. If you would like to pay over time, please contact our treasurer.
Yes! You are welcome to sponsor someone. If you know the person that you would like to sponsor, you may fill out the application with their information and pay their membership fee. You may also contribute to our Impactship program, which enables women who are not able to contribute the full $1,000 membership fee to participate in Impact 100 Seattle. You can read more about this program here.
Impact 100 Seattle is a volunteer-run organization and we do our best to receive pro-bono services and additional donations. Our operating expenses are mostly systems and technology driven and include:
- Website hosting and maintenance
- CRM management system
- Government filing fees
- Insurance
- Member and organization outreach
- Meetings and events (although we hope to cover most of those costs with sponsorships and donations)
