Impact 100 Baldwin County Opens 20th Year With Membership Drive and Free Events Through March
The women's giving circle has passed $7.1 million in giving and is holding free events from Fairhope to Orange Beach to recruit members for 2027.
FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Impact 100 Baldwin County, the women’s giving circle that pools member dues into six-figure grants for local nonprofits, is opening its 20th year of grantmaking with a membership drive and a series of free get-togethers across the county. The drive runs through the end of March, and the first event, a membership kick-off at The Hope Farm in Fairhope, is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The organization says its combined giving has passed $7.1 million. Leaders say they want a record membership so that 2027 can be the group’s biggest grant year yet.
A record year takes record membership
“We have big goals as we turn our focus to our 20th year of grant giving,” President-elect Meg Willett said in a news release from the organization. “To give a record amount of grants in 2027, we need a record number of members. Our membership drive runs now through the end of March, and I encourage anyone interested to attend an upcoming event. Our mission and the work of all our nonprofit partners inspire me daily, and I would love for everyone across Baldwin County to be familiar with what we are doing.”
Nancye Wolfe also commented in the release on the anniversary. “Twenty years is a wonderful milestone, but it is also a reminder that there is still so much we can accomplish together,” Wolfe said. “We look forward to building on this legacy and continuing to invest in the organizations and people who make Baldwin County such a special place to live, work, and serve.”
Every member contributes $1,000, and those gifts are pooled to fund large grants. Beyond the money, members take part in the grantmaking process and meet other women who share an interest in volunteering and improving their communities.
Free events through March
All of the gatherings are free to attend. The organization has scheduled a kick-off event, evening meet-and-mingle events and morning coffee socials:
Membership kick-off
- Nov. 5, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., The Hope Farm, Fairhope
Meet-and-mingle events
- Jan. 14, 2027, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Springhill Suites, Orange Beach
- Jan. 26, 2027, 5 to 7 p.m., Big Mike’s, Bay Minette
- Feb. 16, 2027, 5 to 7 p.m., Local and Company, Foley
- March 15, 2027, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Sweetwater Café, Point Clear
Coffee socials
- Dec. 7, 8:30 to 10 a.m., Gather and Grind, Daphne
- Jan. 28, 2027, 8:30 to 10 a.m., Provision, Fairhope
- Feb. 25, 2027, 8:30 to 10 a.m., Coastlands Coffee, Foley
Women interested in membership, the grantmaking process or the group’s community impact can visit impact100baldwincounty.org or follow Impact 100 Baldwin County on Facebook and Instagram.
How the giving circle works
According to the organization’s website, Impact 100 Baldwin County was established in 2008 by a group of women brought together by Irene Meehan, who had read about similar organizations in Cincinnati and Pensacola. In that first year, 82 members joined and the group awarded a single grant of $82,000. In 2025, it awarded six grants of $94,000 each, bringing the total given to nonprofits serving Baldwin County to $6.5 million.
The group’s stated goal is 500 members a year, enough to fund five $100,000 grants, one in each of five focus areas: arts, culture and recreation; education; environment and preservation; family; and health and wellness. Nonprofits apply in those categories. Member volunteers serve on committees that evaluate the applications and select finalists, and the entire membership votes to choose the recipients. Membership is open to all women who embrace the group’s goals.
This model of philanthropy is known as a giving circle: donors combine their money and decide together where it goes. Supporters say it lets people who could not fund a major project alone make a meaningful difference locally, while also educating members about community needs through the application and site-visit process.
This fall’s grants
The group’s most recent awards came at its annual “Evening of Impact” meeting at the Daphne Civic Center, where $100,000 grants went to six nonprofits for a combined $600,000: Eastern Shore Repertory Theatre, Dream Center of Baldwin County, Mobile Baykeeper, The Sea Glass Initiative, Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches and The Shoulder of the Central Gulf Coast. South AL News covered those awards in Impact 100 Baldwin County Awards $600,000 in Grants to Six Local Nonprofits.
That $600,000, added to the $6.5 million the group reported through 2025, accounts for the $7.1 million total cited in the new release. The grants are paid for entirely by members’ own contributions.
Why it matters in a growing county
Baldwin County has been one of Alabama’s fastest-growing counties for years, and the growth has added to demand for services from local nonprofits, from youth programs and family support to environmental protection. Single grants of $100,000 can allow an organization to finish a project it has planned for years, replace aging equipment or launch a new program without drawing on its operating budget. The events are meant to give women a chance to learn about the mission, meet current members and explore ways to get involved.
