VERO BEACH — Impact 100 Indian River gave $500,000 in grants to five nonprofits serving Indian River County at its annual Grant Awards Celebration. The event took place on April 16th at Bent Pine Golf Club, with over 200 members and guests in attendance.
Each winner received a $100,000 grant. The recipients are:
- Hibiscus Children’s Center Inc. for its program supporting families in crisis.
- Safe Families for Children Treasure Coast for a bilingual community partners and volunteer coordinator.
- Team Success Enterprises for its Moving Up moving services program.
- Treasure Coast Food Bank for benefits outreach assistance.
- Tykes and Teens for mental health outreach hubs.
These programs do meaningful, high-impact work and the money will help create lasting change in Indian River County.
Two other finalists received Merit Awards: Dynamic Life Inc. for a meeting room expansion, and New Port Club of Vero Beach Inc. for its Transformational Change: Building a Better Day project.
“The evening was truly something special,” said Peg Regan, President of Impact 100 Indian River. “From the heartfelt words shared by our sponsors to the emotion expressed by our grantees, the impact of what we do together was felt across the entire room. It became clear—this was more than a program. It was a true celebration of transformation, generosity, and community.”
This season brought changes to Impact 100 Indian River’s grantmaking process. Grants Chair Heather Blome led the effort, which added more rigor, consistency and member involvement from start to finish.
“This year’s process ensured thoughtful, well-informed decisions at every stage,” said Blome. “The seven finalists reflected exceptional work across our community.”
The night also gave local students a chance to take part. Students from the Vero Beach High School Digital Video/Photo Technology program handled videography during the award presentations. A jazz ensemble from the Vero Beach High School Band performed at the cocktail reception that followed.
“What we witnessed was not just the culmination of a grant cycle,” Regan added. “It was the impact of a community coming together with purpose. The Impact 100 model is simple but powerful—each woman contributes $1,000, each woman has one vote – and together, 100 women fund a $100,000 transformational grant. It’s a model that turns individual generosity into collective impact in a way none of us could achieve alone.”
Impact 100 Indian River is part of a global movement of women who pool their resources to fund transformational grants for nonprofit organizations. Through collective giving, members support high-impact initiatives addressing critical needs in Indian River County, advancing a shared vision of a thriving community for all.
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