FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Impact100 DC Awards $100,000 Grant to BEST Kids Mentoring Program
Provides smaller grants to DC Greens, First Generation College Bound, Playtime Project, and The MusicianShip
Washington, DC (June 19, 2024) – The women’s philanthropic organization Impact100 DC, which is dedicated to improving lives in the Greater DC area by collectively funding transformational grants to local nonprofit organizations, announced today that it has awarded a $100,000 grant to BEST Kids Mentoring Program.
Additionally, Impact100 DC awarded grants of $15,500 each to DC Greens, First Generation College Bound, Playtime Project, and The MusicianShip.
“BEST Kids Mentoring Program is truly a transformational organization,” said Ann Vaughn, President, Impact100 DC. “They serve some of the most vulnerable youth in Washington, D.C., who cope daily with a range of circumstances that can pose significant risks to their mental health and well-being. We are immensely proud to increase their capacity to address the mental health needs of their youth, supporting them in understanding the mental and behavioral risks they face and advocating for their mental health and well-being.”
Established in 2001, BEST Kids provides group and one-on-one mentoring as well as educational and career programming to foster and at-risk youth. Through long-term mentoring relationships and exposure to social experiences and college and career pathways, BEST Kids ensures youth are connected to positive adults and develop the skills needed to achieve success as adults. BEST Kids plans to use the Impact100 DC grant to fund a mentoring support specialist and support the kids’ mental and behavioral health challenges through peer groups and integrated mental health awareness curriculum.
“BEST Kids is extremely grateful to be the 2024 recipient of the Impact100 grant award,” said Dr. Stephania Herrera, Executive Director, BEST Kids. “This support will help us to further our mental health initiative and provide the critical resources that will impact the lives of the youth we serve. Thank you once again for this amazing opportunity and we look forward to continuing our partnership for years to come!”
Now in its fourth year, the all-volunteer philanthropic women’s community awards grants to programs in five focus areas: arts and culture, education, family, environment, and health and wellness. Within those areas, Impact100 DC prioritizes proposals that address the unmet needs of those who have been historically underserved, underrepresented, and marginalized as a result of systemic racism and structural inequity. Local organizations with budgets of $300,000 to $5 million are eligible to apply.
Impact100 DC awards grants based on the size of its membership. Each member contributes $1,000 and the first $100,000 is awarded to the finalist. The remaining amount (depending on the number of members) is divided among the remaining four finalists. 100% of membership fees go directly to the grant recipients.
“In addition to awarding our high-impact grant, we are fortunate this year as well to be able to support our four finalist organizations with mission-based grants of over $15,000,” said Vaughn. “DC Greens, First Generation College Bound, Playtime Project, and The MusicianShip are changing lives in our community, and we look forward to celebrating and amplifying their work over the course of the next year.”
For more information, or to speak with Ann Vaughn, Impact100 DC President, please contact Ranit Schmelzer at rschmelzer@impact100dc.org or 202.538.1065.
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