FEATURED PHOTO: Deirdre Spiropoulos & Heather Burke | CREDIT: Melissa Amorelli Photography

Meet the Founders of Impact 100 Jersey Coast: Deirdre Spiropoulos & Heather Burke

The old saying goes there is strength in numbers. But what if someone is already strong and she joins with another woman who has strengths? The result – an impact. Together these women have raised $727,000 and grown from 11 members to 336 in fewer than four years. They belong to a larger movement found around the world, but their impact is Monmouth County, and their focus is transformational grants. They are your neighbors, your friends, the owners of the businesses you frequent, they are the women of Impact 100 Jersey Coast.

In 2001, Wendy Steele started a movement in Cincinnati to change the way women philanthropists donated money. Her concept was simple, and her goal was 100 female members. Her idea has become a proven model with one change, the numbers have grown and continue to climb. Any woman can become a member by contributing $1,000 annually toward a pool to award grants of $100,000 or more for targeted projects. The projects are proposed by local nonprofit organizations, and the grant proposals are vetted by volunteer-members with all members having an equal vote on the ultimate grant recipients. Now in more than 50 cities in the U.S. and other countries, Impact 100 found its way to Monmouth County through Deirdre Spiropoulos, president and co-founder, and Heather Burke, vice-president and co-founder, who joined their individual talents and backgrounds in 2015.

A growing movement in our county that has contributed major grants with long-reaching effects, we introduce you to Founders Deirdre and Heather and allow you a deeper look into Impact 100 Jersey Coast.

CM: What prompted you to choose Impact 100 over all the other charities you could have formed or worked with?

Heather: When I moved to Monmouth County, like so many other transplants, I was trying to learn about my new home. I knew I wanted to get involved in service and I knew what issues I was passionate about, but how did they play out in this community? Who are the main organizations working in them? What could I do to help them in a hands-on way? It can leave one feeling scattered just responding to projects as you learn about them from friends and colleagues without any sense of a wider context. For me, Impact is a wonderful way to gain that bird’s-eye view I was so hungry for. It is a way to learn about groups outside my comfort zone, find the groups that resonate with me, and figure out where I might like to take a deeper dive by getting involved with them directly.

Deirdre: One of the most compelling aspects of Impact is its a proven model. When Heather and I started our chapter, we had the benefit of years of experience and knowledge from other groups. The fact that we didn’t have to start from scratch and could hit the ground running by launching as a special project fund under our parent 501(c)(3) Community Foundation of New Jersey gave us the inspiration and momentum we needed.

CM: Why have you chosen a charity that gives grants to other charities vs. an organization that helps people directly?

Heather: Impact allowed me to maximize my giving (by a factor of 100!) by pooling my donation with other women. It gave me the opportunity to leverage my $1,000 and to make a six-figure gift, something I certainly wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise. And by funding a specific project-based grant it gave me and my fellow donors insight into where those dollars were going and a level of accountability that’s just not possible with smaller gifts.

Deirdre: I like to think we are helping people directly, just not in the most traditional sense. Personally speaking, Impact has helped me polish and hone my professional toolkit after pausing my career to raise my children. In the process it has shifted my paradigm and opened my eyes to the many needs, right here in my own backyard. I think we are also helping the nonprofit community by challenging them to dig deep and consider new or improved ways to solve critical issues in their sectors. Often times nonprofits are understaffed or focused entirely on the day-to-day tasks of their mission. However, when a nonprofit applies for an Impact grant it’s a rigorous process where we encourage applicants to think about the big picture and clearly articulate how the grant will help them address an unmet need or reach underserved populations in a transformational way. Even if the organization does not ultimately receive our grant that year, we’ve been told that they benefited from those discussions and are often more motivated to seek funding to pursue their project.

CM: Your membership now costs $1100 annually, is that prohibitive for some?

Deirdre: The donation is intended to be a “stop and think” gift so that each member feels highly invested in her membership. We make the same ask, and one ask only, to our members each year. It’s a big ask, but that’s what makes it impactful.

Initially I was nervous asking women to make such a significant donation, especially in our first year when we didn’t have a grant recipient to help illustrate our impact. But I was pleasantly surprised, more like amazed, when so many women resonated with the idea and were able to work Impact into their charitable budget. For many, myself included, it’s an impetus to consolidate your giving and focus your charitable dollars on a hyper local initiative in a unique way.

Amongst our top goals is to ensure that Impact is a highly inclusive organization, because our strength is not just in our number but in the diversity of our backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. In many instances a woman might initially join because she learned about Impact through a friend, but Impact membership is a very personal choice and individual experience.

CM: Did you start your chapter together from the beginning or did one bring the other on board?

Deirdre: When I heard about the Impact movement from my husband, George, I immediately researched it and learned there was a chapter in northern New Jersey called Impact Garden State. I contacted them and set a meeting with their President and Membership Chair. Both women were incredibly collaborative and encouraging. The more they explained it, the more I knew it was something I HAD to start in Monmouth County. Fortunately, one of their newest members, Bonnie Torcivia (who soon became one of our founding members), lived in my town so I knew there was at least one other Monmouth County woman who supported the idea!

I did a quick needs assessment and knew I needed a partner to help establish the group. I came from a corporate background so I knew I could bring analytical and project management skills but I needed a counterpart who understood grants and the nonprofit landscape. A name of a woman I had met only twice popped into my head, Heather Burke. We were introduced via a mutual friend and I remembered she was a grant writer who was socially conscious and incredibly smart. I tracked down her email and sent her some info about Impact and invited her to lunch. It was my first Impact “pitch” so I was a little nervous about how it would go. Thankfully, Heather was keen to the idea. Not only did she “get it” but I could sense her excitement and desire to bring the model here to Monmouth County.

CM: Your first year, how did you go from 11 members to more than 100 so quickly? What are the goals of Impact 100 Jersey Coast in 2019?

Heather: We went from 11 to more than 100 quickly, in retrospect, but I always like to stress that it still happened one woman at a time. It reminds me of that saying about parenting: the days are long but the years are short! That first year we met new members at gatherings of all sizes, around dining room tables, in living rooms, over phone calls, at carpool pick-up, in office cubicles. In hindsight it did gain traction and start to pick up momentum–and I think that speaks to the fact that the model is clear and compelling and resonated with the women in our community. But at the end of the day, women joined because someone they know and trusted asked them to and they decided to take the leap.


CM: What is your membership goal for 2019, and then long term?

Deirdre: 2019 is a big year for Impact Jersey Coast. Our goal is to surpass one million dollars in total funds raised for nonprofits in our community. With that, our parallel goal is to impact as many nonprofits as possible with our grant funds. The more women who join, the more grants we can fund and thus the more lives we Impact. In the end, Impact is only as strong as the members we have and only as transformational as the nonprofits that apply for our grants.

CM: Deirdre, how did you get involved with Hayden’s Heart Foundation and are you still actively working with that group?

Deirdre: One of my friends experienced the tragic loss of her 5-month-old son due to complications from a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) so she started a foundation to honor her son Hayden’s legacy and help families affected by CHD. I was honored when she asked me to join their leadership team in 2015. I was brought on to help with fundraising and co-chair their Gala.

Currently I’m serving on the Advisory Board assisting with strategic initiatives and broader communications. (NOTE: Deirdre and George have three children: Rosie, 9, Timmy, 8, and Julianne, 6.)

CM: Heather, tell us about your decade working in book publishing?

Heather: I loved my time in publishing and the chance it gave me to be around wonderful writers, designers, and to play a role in creating amazing publications. I think it really built my project management and research skills. I am a self-professed copyediting geek.

At the same time I always wanted to get involved in the arts more broadly in a nonprofit context. I can’t resist the chance to be around people who work to bring ideas into the world, as artists, as organizers, as advocates for worthy causes. So when I had the chance to go work for an oral history project I loved called StoryCorps I jumped at it and took a job in fundraising. The skills in publishing translated pretty directly, and fundraising offers you a unique vantage point from inside any organization to really get your hands in everything and see how it works. Impact has now taken my interests one step further and fulfilled my aspiration to learn not only about grant-seeking, but grant-making. (NOTE: Heather and her husband Colin have two children: Oliver, 9, and Ella, 7.)

Grants awarded from Impact 100
CM: What are the benefits of membership to the women who join?

Deirdre: We are true to our name because the biggest benefit we offer our members is the Impact of their individual donation. It feels exhilarating to amplify my giving and award six-figure grants to multiple nonprofits in my community. By collectively pooling our individual donations, we each make a significant impact in a way we could not have otherwise as separate individuals. That’s both impact and value!

Another benefit is a unique, hands-on approach to giving. Members can serve on a grant committee to gain a deeper understanding of the proposed projects and portfolio of needs in our region. Committee members may also attend site visits where they meet with applicants to gain deeper insights on the proposed project and vision of the leadership team. Often our members say this is the most gratifying part because it brings the application to life and gives them a chance to ask critical questions and “kick the tires” to better understand the viability of the grant proposal.

Another fantastic membership benefit is being part of a diverse network of dynamic women. I feel blessed to work alongside very brilliant and accomplished women, from all ages and backgrounds, most of whom I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.

CM: Are all positions volunteer or are there paid positions within the organization?

Deirdre: Impact Jersey Coast is an all-volunteer run organization. There are no paid positions. We rely solely on the time and talent of our members to carry out our mission. I am constantly in awe of the passion and professionalism of our leadership team and our many volunteers. We take great pride in our process and mission and appreciate how each woman brings a different perspective and skill set to the table. Our organizational culture is highly inclusive and very egalitarian; there’s no time or space for egos or competition. We exist solely to support our nonprofit community so that drives our purpose and focus.

CM: Do you raise money in other ways beyond membership fees?

Heather: We have been fortunate to secure corporate sponsorships (both financial and in-kind) to help underwrite some of our costs. In addition, we designate any matching corporate funds requested by members to help support our operational costs. All of these measures ensure that every dollar of the member’s $1,000 contribution to the grant fund goes to the selected projects and our simple commitment to one woman, one donation, one vote.

CM: What do you each most love about working with your organization?

Heather: I always say that when Deirdre first approached me about Impact it was a no-brainer. It was a way to have my cake and eat it too! I get to continue my learning about the nonprofit landscape, which is where my professional goals were directed, and it introduced me to these amazing people in the community I would never have met otherwise and who have opened up new vistas in my life. Impact gave me an immediate way to connect with them in a shared goal.

Deirdre: There are so many things I love about Impact! First and foremost, is our ability to truly make an impact, together as a group of women. We live in a beautiful and resource-rich community, or what many refer to as the “bubble”. Before Impact Jersey Coast launched, I was searching for a way to break out of my own bubble and better understand the needs in my community. I also had a strong desire to share my time, talent, and treasure with groups and people in need of support. With small children at home, and limited time to “volunteer”, I found myself paralyzed and frustrated, not knowing who or where to “help” in a meaningful way. Enter Impact Jersey Coast. Within months of starting the group, I saw those barriers begin to dissipate. Now it’s gratifying to hear members say how Impact provides a “one-stop-shop” to learn about local needs and connect with nonprofit causes that are near and dear to their hearts. So what I love most about Impact is uniting with philanthropic and passionate women to provide an outlet to harness our time, treasure, and talent in a simple, yet high-impact way.

CM: Is there anything specific you’d like to share with our readers?

Deirdre: I would absolutely like to share an invitation to come find out more about Impact and be a part of this movement! Join as a member. Bring other women you care about to Impact. Tell the nonprofits you support to see if they are eligible to apply for funds. Help us spread the word and increase our impact, one woman and one nonprofit at a time.

To learn more about Impact 100 Jersey Coast or to become a member, visit Impact100JerseyCoast.org today.

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