FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ranit Schmelzer, rschmelzer@impact100dc.org
Impact100 DC Awards $100,000 Grants to Edu-Futuro and Free Minds Book Club
Awards smaller grants to Empower DC, Grassroots Health, and Voices for a Second Chance
WASHINGTON (June 19, 2025) – Impact100 DC, a women’s philanthropic organization dedicated to improving lives in the Greater DC area by collectively funding high-impact grants to local nonprofit organizations, announced today that it has awarded $100,000 grants to Edu-Futuro and Free Minds Book Club respectively.
Impact100 DC awards grants based on the size of its membership in five focus areas: arts and culture, education, family, environment, and health and wellness. Each member’s $1,000 membership contribution goes into a pool of money to create high-impact, $100,000 grants. A record membership this year enabled Impact100 DC to award $100,000 each to the two top finalists. The three other finalists received grants of $5,000 each.
This year marks Impact100 DC’s fifth grant cycle. Since its inception in 2021, Impact100 DC has awarded $770,000 in funds – including $210,000 this year – to 20 nonprofit organizations on the front lines of change in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
“At a time of uncertainty and unprecedented need in our region, we are immensely proud to award Impact Grants to Edu-Futuro and Free Minds Book Club,” said Ann Vaughn, president, Impact100 DC. “These are truly transformational organizations that are helping young people and families unlock their potential, disrupt cycles of poverty and incarceration, and build pathways to long-term success. On this Juneteenth, we’re especially proud to support nonprofits that are advancing equity, opportunity and justice in our region.”
Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop builds community to foster personal development and systems change for justice-involved youth and adults through the literary arts, workforce development, trauma healing, peace-building and member-led advocacy. Free Minds provides a vital support system for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated members, providing the necessary resources and services to help them learn, grow and thrive. Through comprehensive pre- and post-release reentry services, Free Minds equips incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals with the tools needed to achieve their career and education goals through three core programs: the Jail Book Club (at the DC jail and juvenile detention center), the Prison Book Club (spanning 110 federal prisons across the country), and the Reentry Program for members released from jail or prison.
“We could not be more excited and honored to receive this tremendous support from Impact100 DC,” said Tara Libert, co-founder and executive director, Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop. “This means that more formerly incarcerated individuals can now be part of Free Minds’ intensive reentry program. Here at Free Minds, we see firsthand through our work what people can accomplish when they come together as a collective – whether that’s a book club, a giving circle or a coalition of changemakers – and we are thrilled to be connected to this incredible community of women who embody this ethos.”
Edu-Futuro’s mission is to empower immigrant and underserved youth and families through mentorship, education, leadership development, parent engagement and workforce development. Founded in 1998 by a group of volunteer parent leaders in collaboration with Arlington Public Schools, Edu-Futuro began as an academic enrichment program to support Arlington’s growing Latino immigrant population. It has evolved into a comprehensive nonprofit organization serving diverse communities across Northern Virginia. With a vision of realizing the potential of immigrant and underserved youth and their families, Edu-Futuro employs a research-based, Two-Generation approach to ensure that both youth and parents achieve postsecondary goals, improve financial stability and strengthen family cohesiveness.
“Edu-Futuro is deeply honored to be selected by Impact100 DC as a recipient of the highly competitive $100,000 Impact Grant,” said Jorge E. Figueredo, executive director, Edu-Futuro. “This investment will expand our Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), allowing us to serve 920 students and families during the 2025–2026 school year and help first-generation students secure $10 million in scholarships and financial aid. Thank you, Impact100 DC, for choosing Edu-Futuro at a time when your investment is truly a game changer. Together, we are building a future of opportunity for the next generation of leaders.”
“In addition to awarding our high-impact grants, we were able to support three additional finalist organizations with $5,000 mission-based grants,” said Vaughn. “Empower DC, Grassroots Health and Voices for a Second Chance are changing lives in our community, and we look forward to celebrating and amplifying their work over the course of the next year.”
Learn more about Empower DC, Grassroots Health and Voices for a Second Chance. A full list of Impact100 DC grantees is available here. For more information or to speak with Ann Vaughn, Impact100 DC president, please contact Ranit Schmelzer at rschmelzer@impact100dc.org.
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About Impact100 DC
Now in its fifth year, 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. One hundred percent of membership fees go directly to the grant recipients. Learn more at www.impact100dc.org.