56 men of Impact 100 Men Palm Beach County voted to award its first $50,000 grant to the Miracle League of Palm Beach County. Finalists Junior Achievement of South Florida and the Milagro Center each received a $3,000 grant.
Impact 100 Men is a donor advised fund of the Community Foundation. Modeled after the national “Impact 100” groups, the goal of Impact 100 Men is collective giving – bringing charitable men together to make a singular impact. Impact 100 champions the “power of giving as one”. Each member of the fund casts a vote to award a high-impact grant to a nonprofit serving children in the southern Palm Beach County area (Lake Worth Road to the Broward County line).
Each grant finalist – the Miracle League, Junior Achievement and the Milagro Center – presented to the men of Impact 100 at its award ceremony. Miracle League of Palm Beach County was selected by majority vote.
Miracle League plans to use its grant to promote and provide inclusion for the estimated 40,000 individuals with special needs that live in Palm Beach County. It plans to construct a ‘boundless playground’ adjacent to the Miracle and Little league fields. According to the organization, one in every 10 children cannot play on the average playground because of physical limitations.
“The current playground in Delray Beach is in disrepair and is not accessible to wheelchairs or other adaptive equipment. Creating a safe place for individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities, the Barrier Free Playground will encompass the opportunity for the development and achievement of crucial life skills for all levels on ability. This playground would be the first of its kind in Delray Beach,” said Julia Kadel of Miracle League.
“Our group decided on Miracle League as we felt the money would make the largest impact with a great amount of local children. Knowing there are over 150,000 visitors to Miller Park annually and thousands of residents in our county with special needs, the vision for the grant becomes clear – an unrestricted, boundless, and inclusive playground and garden area to be built adjacent to The Miracle League Field. The new playground will include a shaded space with wide pathways, level play areas, seating, and green space with accessibility for wheelchairs and other adaptive equipment. Most importantly, it will be an all-inclusive area allowing participation, providing perspective, and reducing prejudice for those with differing needs,” said Stephen Greene, co-founder of Impact 100 Men Palm Beach County.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties is one of Florida’s largest community foundations, an organization created with gifts from generous people committed to local causes. The nonprofit organization has provided nearly $129 million in grants and scholarships over its 44-year history. For donors, the Foundation serves as a philanthropic advisor and ensures the charitable dollars entrusted to it are available to the community – forever. For the community, the Foundation serves as a grant maker and a civic leader. Through the support of its donors and fund holders, the Foundation has been able to address some of the community’s most pressing needs, including hunger, housing and education. For more information, please visit www.yourcommunityfoundation.org or call (561) 659-6800.
ABOUT IMPACT 100 MEN PALM BEACH COUNTY: Impact 100 is a donor advised fund of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, which provides critical guidance and oversight throughout the grantmaking process. Our partnership with Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties is key to achieving our objectives. Established in 1972, the Community Foundation builds charitable endowment to benefit the community forever. The Foundation assists Impact with the entire grantmaking process, from proposals to vetting to scoring and more. The Foundation offers greater community access (for increased membership and an outreach platform to future grantees) to even greater credibility, as Community Foundation staff scrutinizes the operations of hundreds of local nonprofit organizations each year, and has a large reservoir of knowledge regarding virtually all aspects of the local nonprofit sector. Through its critical partnership with the Foundation, Impact continues to strengthen the community with high-impact grants that will make a difference forever. For more information, please email impact100men@gmail.com.
