Impact100 Martin Awards Five $100,000 Impact Grants to Local Nonprofits for 2026
Posted on April 20, 2026
STUART, Fla. (April 17, 2026) – With the combined strength of a record-breaking 572 members, Impact100 Martin awarded five $100,000 grants to local nonprofits at its Grant Awards Celebration on April 16.
Presentation of the grant finalists, carefully vetted in advance by the organization’s Grants Committee, took place during the celebration at Temple Beit HaYam. Members voted for the five grant proposals that they believed would do the most to create transformative change in the community.
The projects receiving $100,000 Impact Grants for 2026 are:
- Martin County CareBag, CareBag Mobile Shower Unit
- Hope Center for Autism, Hope in Motion
- Kiwanis Club of Stuart, Kiwanis Park at Woodlawn: “Music in the Park” and ADA Swing Project
- Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, Purchase of New Digital Ray Machine for Veterinary Clinic
- Environmental Studies Council, River Scout II: A New Voyage
Two other finalists, Education Foundation of Martin County’s NextGen Veterinary Clinical Simulcation and Skills Lab Project and Hobe Sound Nature Center’s Wildlab on Wheels were named Merit Recipients, and each received $36,000.
The Impact100 model of collective giving is simple: members contribute $1,000 a year to be pooled together into a grant-making fund. For every 100 members, Impact100 Martin awards one $100,000 grant.
In applying for the grants, local nonprofits are encouraged to “dream big" and present projects that will have a lasting impact in Martin County.
After a rigorous vetting process, members review all of the supplemental material from each finalist, hear their presentations, and then vote on which projects to fund at the organization’s annual Grant Awards Celebration in the spring. Grants are awarded within Impact100 Martin’s five focus areas: Arts & Culture, Education, Family, Health & Wellness, and Environment, Preservation & Recreation.
Founded in 2017 by a group of local women passionate about making substantive change through philanthropy, the organization has grown over the past nine years to reach a membership goal well over 550. It has contributed $2.9 million in grants to local nonprofits.
“Impact100 is built on the idea that women coming together can create meaningful change,” said President Sue Whittington. “It is exciting to see that spirit alive and growing here in Martin County. Every member takes her vote very seriously, knowing that we are impacting the quality of life for today and for the future.”
Whittington also described the “ripple effect” of the grants, inspiring nonprofits to think big, bring partners together in new collaborations, and leverage additional grants from other philanthropic sources.
All of the projects that received awards in past years, as well as those receiving grants for 2026, are described on the Impact100 Martin website, www.impact100martin.org.
To learn more about Impact100 Martin, membership opportunities, and the impact that $2.9 million in women’s philanthropy is having on Martin County, visit www.impact100martin.org.
ABOUT:
Impact100 Martin is a nonprofit organization with a mission of creating positive, lasting change in the community through collective giving. Founded in 2017, it is a chapter of the national Impact100 Movement founded by philanthropist Wendy Steele to transform communities through the power of women’s philanthropy. It is a member-driven organization that awards grants in $100,000 increments each year to local nonprofits in the areas of arts & culture, education, family, health & wellness, and environment, preservation & recreation. Detailed information about membership, grants, and community impact is available at the website www.impact100martin.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Impact100Martin or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/impact100-martin-county.