NOVEMBER 7, 2023: Impact100 Garden State has been chosen for a 2023 Spotlight Award by Philanos, a national women’s giving circle network. The award recognizes a transformational grant that funded an innovative program to teach formerly incarcerated people in New Jersey how to overcome barriers to employment by starting their own business.
In 2019, the Union County Economic Development Corporation (UCEDC) received a $110,000 grant from Impact100 Garden State to establish the Entrepreneurship as a Second Chance (ESC) program.
Since the program’s launch in 2021, 52 individuals—20% of whom are women— have graduated from five seven-week sessions. The program combines intensive classroom sessions with one-on-one mentoring and forgivable loans. ESC also provides ongoing support as the participant businesses grow and become engines of economic activity within their communities.
Because of the success of the initial pilot funded by Impact100 Garden State, UCEDC has attracted an additional $425,000 to fund ESC’s expansion. The Spotlight Award from Philanos includes a $500 contribution, which Impact will transfer directly to UCEDC.
More information about the thriving ESC program and its effect on participants and their communities can be found on the UCEDC website.
“The transformational grants we are able to give by pooling our members’ contributions leads to lasting impacts for underserved communities—not only in the year in which they receive the grant, but for years beyond,” says Impact100 Garden State President Debby Seme. “With the Impact model, every woman can become a philanthropist and make a difference.”
Impact100 Garden State, an all-women, all-volunteer organization, pools member contributions to create high-impact grants for local nonprofits and has granted more than $3 million to nonprofits in the last decade. Its 2024 Membership Drive is currently in full swing. To learn more, visit www.impact100gardenstate.org or write to 
member@impact100gardenstate.org.
Leadership Team members accepted the award at the Philanos PowerUp conference in Baltimore. From left to right: Vice President Celeste Campos; Secretary and Governance Chair Suzanne Thoeni; President Debby Seme; Treasurer Irene Maroney; and Nonprofit Outreach Chair Louise Murray.
The real winner is the Union County Economic Development Corporation. Thank you for your vision, initiative and commitment.