Women from San Antonio and surrounding counties, from virtually all walks of life, are invited to the “Drive for Five” membership kick-off event for Impact San Antonio from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18 at the Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway.
Members, either individually or in groups up to four people, contribute $1,000 annually with one hundred percent of donations pooled to create multiple $100,000 grants which are awarded to nonprofits that submit proposals in one of five focus areas: Arts and Culture, Education, Family, Health and Wellness and Environment/Recreation/Preservation. The goal is to have the membership strength to award five $100,000 grants, one in each area.
Singer Patsy Torres, Ph.D., is the keynote speaker. Cost to the kick-off event is $25 for members and $15 for guests. For more information, visit www.impactsanantonio.org.
“On behalf of Impact San Antonio, I hope you will consider joining our organization and help us reach our goal to award five $100,000 grants in 2017 through the strength of 500 members,” President Beverley McClure said.
Because many women do not always have extra time to participate with a civic organization, members can be as involved or uninvolved as they choose. “Membership is on your own terms,” McClure said. “If all you have time to do is write a check, that’s fine. However, we also have great opportunities for those who prefer to become more involved such as serving on our various committees or networking with other like-minded women.”
Members have an equal vote for the nonprofits that receive grants, McClure added. By empowering women as the decision makers and allowing them to see the impact their collective efforts have on local needs, Impact San Antonio inspires a lifelong passion for philanthropy.
Torres, who received her Ph.D. in education and organizational leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word, is considered one of the most influential Tejano singers. She has performed for live audiences of more than 100,000 people, appeared on national television for millions of viewers, and traveled all over the world winning countless awards for her musical talents and community works.
She does speaking presentations all over the country ranging from leadership and motivation to education and faith. She also teaches underprivileged children with the NSPIRE A Child organization.