Impact Austin will boost non-profits

AUSTIN (KXAN) - In a down economy, a group of Austin women have risen to the challenge and will be able to give five $102,000 grants to five area non-profits. Two days before the New Year, Impact Austin needed 20 more generous women to come forward before Jan. 1, 2009. The goal is to have 500 members who each donate $1,000. A story was aired about the group’s need two days before the deadline.

"Our 500th member came as a direct result of [KXAN's] coverage," said Ann Taylor with Impact Austin. Ten additional women came forward, which brought the membership to 510.

The group was founded five years ago with 100 women, enabling the group to give a grant of $100,000 to an organization of its choice.

The group has grown by 100 members each year. Last year, the group was able to give five $100,000 grants through 500 members. The only two membership requirements are being female and donating $1,000. Finding members this year has been the hardest.

"There are some of us who are a little reluctant to just let go of that philanthropic dollar, because we're not sure of the future," said Impact Austin Founder Rebecca Powers.

Powers said some members who gave in 2007 lost their jobs. Others moved to other cities to find jobs.

In 2008, one of the $100,000 checks was granted to Goodwill's Project Reboot. It is a new program that gives at-risk young adults a paying job refurbishing computers that are donated. It is a 12-week program that equips students with a life-long skill that will help launch a future job in the computer industry.

"We have tried for years to get a program like this off the ground," said Jeff Kendall, the district manager of Goodwill Computer Works. "Without the funding from Impact Austin, it just would not be possible."

The program started in October. The Impact Austin grant covers the salaries of two trainers and ten out of their 60 paid students. Once the computers that they are working on sell, the program will sustain itself. Impact Austin got calls from several non-profits this year asking if it will still be able to provide $500,000 in 2009. Now, they can proudly say, 'yes.'