Inside Impact100 Sonoma: The Women's Giving Circle Changing Sonoma Valley

Cold Open: The Women Take Over

[0:00] JACKIE EGIDIO: Welcome to It's All Money. I'm your host today, Jackie Egidio. I'm the Chief Operating Officer of Sonoma Wealth Advisors, and I'm joined today by the Impact 100 Sonoma team and my co-host, Shelby Weirich, our Financial Advisor at Sonoma Wealth. I'm really excited about this episode today because, number one, the ladies have taken over. Dan and Darren are kicked out today.

[0:26] JACKIE EGIDIO: And I'm joined by a really great panel. So please join me in welcoming Leslie Blankenship and Christine McMillan of Impact 100 Sonoma. I'm really excited to learn more about the organization and all the great grant giving and work that they're doing in the community.

[0:46] JACKIE EGIDIO: Financial confidence for your hip pocket money is really good energy if you're checking out It's All Money i'm gonna pass it over to Shelby wyrick again Shelby is our financial advisor and joining us on It's All Money to make sure that i'm saying the right things today thank.

[1:08] SHELBY WIRICK: You jackie for those listening i just want to take a minute and give a shout out to matt and brooke 7-0. They are letting us use this wonderful space. We are here in Sonoma, downtown at the Plaza, and we're just so excited to share how wonderful this organization is, and we're really grateful for this opportunity to be able to interview you both today, so thank you. Thank you.

[1:32] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Yes, thank you.

What Is Impact100 Sonoma?

[1:33] JACKIE EGIDIO: Leslie, tell us about Impact 100 Sonoma. Give us the highlights, the foundation, the mission, the vision of the organization.

[1:40] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Wow, big question. Yes. First. Thank you very much for having us. We're excited to be here. Sonoma, Impact 100 Sonoma, is a collective women's giving circle. And what that means is a bunch of women pool their money together because as a group we're able to... Able to give far more and have a bigger impact than we would individually.

[2:03] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Our vision is simple. It's for a just and thriving Sonoma Valley and a little history. We were founded in 2009 by two women who had the idea that let's gather 100 women together and have each of them give $1,000 and we'll have $100,000 making a much bigger impact. And that blossomed, so to speak.

[2:28] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: That's where the name comes from Impact 100 Sonoma that because of the looking for 100 women to give a thousand dollars and you're much bigger than 100 now we are we've got 330 and we've been around 16 years and over those 16 years we've granted 4.9 million dollars in money to Sonoma Valley itself so it's just our local community here local community from Shellville to Kenwood so very local community.

[2:54] JACKIE EGIDIO: Yes. It's incredible.

How Impact100 Picks Its Grant Recipients

[2:55] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Yeah, we were the first Impact 100 Sonoma, it is a national organization, but we were the first one in California. And ironically, we are the smallest community and we have the biggest annual grant pool. This year was $365,000, Christine? Yep. So the process actually is a grant-making process. And I don't know if you know this, and my statistic won't be completely correct, but at one time in my tenure, Sonoma Valley.

[3:27] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Had more nonprofits per capita than any other in California. We also have more volunteers, and that works for a very big, thriving community to apply for grants. So we get the nonprofits in town. They either have to be in town locally, or they have to provide a benefit to the Sonoma Valley to apply for a grant.

[3:50] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: So you could be in Marin, but you might be having a program in Sonoma, which would work. And there are several examples. Examples of those I can get to later. But of those grants, we get, probably really shouldn't say, but probably 50 come in each year. And then there is a team of financial people, as well as a due diligence grants team that tries to, let's think of it as a funnel.

[4:15] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: We start with those who are qualified. We try to narrow the field, narrow the field, narrow the field. There's a lot of site visits, one-on-ones, looking into their plans, looking into their programs. And so that grant committee tries to narrow the field so that the 330 women can vote. So at the end of this process in the spring, 330 women get presented to by those finalists.

[4:41] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: They vote on those who will be funded, and we move forward. So it's a grant-making organization funding local nonprofits, and then they come back and tell us how they've done. It is a remarkable organization. They've done... The nonprofits have done remarkable things in this Valley, and I'm really proud to be a part of it. Christine, stuff you can add?

[5:03] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: I think that was fantastic. That's exactly right. It's democracy at work, right, in a women's giving circle.

Part Of A Global Giving Network

[5:10] JACKIE EGIDIO: This organization has been impactful for me over the years, just watching the projects get done, watching the work get done. I think every community has needs, and you guys are definitely filling an amazing need in just a small local community. Christine, can you talk a little bit more about the larger organization and how that that fits with the local Sonoma chapter?

[5:33] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: Yeah, we are part of Impact 100, which is a global organization.

[5:39] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: And we are also part of Philanos, which is a women's giving circle organization. Those are larger, that's a national organization. And while we're a part of them, it's not necessarily they're dictating how we do things or how we're structured or anything like that. They are really there to provide guidance, support, best practices, those kinds of things. For us.

[6:02] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: And we go to their conferences every year. We learn a lot, just like women are collectively here learning from each other. Then we move to a national scenario where we're learning from each from people who have an impact inside of Atlanta, or maybe they're from New York. And it's fascinating to hear what these different methodologies are and what has really worked in different communities. So it's been great.

Why Shelby Joined

[6:26] JACKIE EGIDIO: Shelby, why have you joined?

[6:29] SHELBY WIRICK: So I actually actually just joined over the past year and I was really seeking a group of women that come from all different backgrounds and not just from a networking standpoint but just really getting to know women in this community and there's not a whole lot of organizations like this and so when I went to the first meeting I just felt so welcomed.

[6:51] SHELBY WIRICK: The women that you meet there are incredible. They are driven and they're all there for the right reason which is to make a difference here in this community.

[7:00] SHELBY WIRICK: It really is a testament. I mean, you can physically see what is happening in this community and in the amount of giving and how these organizations and the people in this community are impacted. So that's why I'm part of it. And I just feel so honored to be able to be part of such a great organization.

The Biggest Needs In Sonoma Valley Right Now

[7:17] JACKIE EGIDIO: Leslie, what are you seeing as the immediate needs in the community right now? What are some of the things that the nonprofits are asking for help from the organization.

[7:29] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Well, interesting.

[7:31] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: We tend to have over the years an ebb and flow and based on things that have happened nationally of late, fundamental needs are prime right now.

[7:42] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Last year, the majority of our requests and the majority of our grants were housing insecurity, food insecurity, keeping elders in their homes, keeping pets with elders, keeping the core essence of who people are and letting them live gracefully was really what we funded last year in various different aspects but those were the bulk of the requests last year and a bulk of the grants that were awarded we have other years when people aren't in so much need where there might be more opportunity for arts or esoteric things i guess is the best way to say that but it's of late it's been fundamental needs.

[8:30] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: And I would expect the same this year. Our grant applications aren't due. They come in starting in November through the end of December. And I will expect that they will be the same because more things have been cut from food and housing of late.

How Women's Giving Is Different

[8:46] SHELBY WIRICK: Yes. Christine, how is women's giving fundamentally different?

[8:51] SHELBY WIRICK: I know that's a tough question.

[8:54] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: It's not a tough question. It is a question that comes up quite a bit. Especially from our male counterparts. They're like, why just women? And what I will say is that there's been a lot of studies done, actually.

[9:10] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: But what is fundamentally different is the why women give. Women are different in that they feel a very personal connection to their giving. And so they'll look at their own household. Then they look at their neighborhood.

[9:28] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: Then they'll look at the community and they will prioritize needs and I think as a woman you probably know what I'm talking about like we all run around with a checklist in our brain you know that you know and sometimes it's a grocery list sometimes it's the bills sometimes it's the calendar of what's happening this month or whatever it is well our approach is very much the same with with giving and and that is that we are looking at our home we're looking at our neighborhood We're looking at our community, the bigger community, and we're prioritizing.

[10:03] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: And so what they found is that women like to be connected to that, number one. The second thing is how we give. Women are much more likely.

[10:14] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: To connect and and to be collaborative and so it's no surprise that women giving circles are on the rise across the united states and so i would say also it's different in the outcome as well so in the outcome the outcome is that we get a more engaged with our community we also will not just donate money we'll end up donating time a lot of the our members when they you know maybe they they serve on a grant committee and they go and visit one of the applicants, they'll love it so much.

[10:52] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: They'll come back later and say, hey, I can help you in this way, or I know a board member, or I can, you know, so they get engaged more civically as well.

[11:03] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: And then also, this is for women, because there is so much connection in how we give, it then becomes, our membership becomes a close collaborative, and really just like a great place to hang with a lot of women who are like-minded and have great ideas. And so we end up having things like patio parties, and we just, we end up being kind of like a club as well. So in the end, women give local to solve local problems.

Women Uplifting Women

[11:39] JACKIE EGIDIO: That's amazing. That's amazing. Yes. I've been a member for approximately about 10 years. Someone will have to fact check me on that. But I remember in the early days, the $100,000 grants and that fascinate. Me as a new member and a young mom. I was young back then.

[11:59] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: You still are. You still are, my darling.

[12:03] JACKIE EGIDIO: Women uplifting women. Thank you. Thank you. Women uplift women. Thank you. We need an affirmation.

[12:11] JACKIE EGIDIO: Madeline Albright said it well. She said there's a small place in hell for women who don't help other women. So, yes, there we go. No, this organization has really motivated me personally because you actually, just like you said, Christine, you see it and you feel it in the community, and it is a small community here.

The COVID Pivot That Changed The Grant Model

[12:29] JACKIE EGIDIO: And I was taken by the large number of money that this organization was giving together. But I was also really impressed with the huge pivot that you made. You guys did during COVID. You switched the programming and you grew the organization still through a time that was pretty tumultuous, especially for grant giving. So, Christine.

[12:51] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: I'd love to actually answer that. Sorry, Christine, but that's near and dear to my heart.

[13:01] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Sonoma, Impact 100 Sonoma has been nationally recognized for that and I have been speaking the last year just on that pivot.

[13:08] JACKIE EGIDIO: Congratulations. I didn't do it.

[13:10] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: I'm just speaking about it.

[13:12] JACKIE EGIDIO: I say that collectively to everyone.

[13:14] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Yeah, I too was involved during COVID and what happened is I had originally explained That they started with a $100,000 grant model. Over time, as there were more women, there was more than $100,000 to give. So they had what they refer to as community grants. The name doesn't matter, but they had a $100,000 grant and then with the excess money.

[13:34] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: They gave smaller grants and that continued for years nine or ten and then Covid hits and they are not permitted they being the grants committees as they as the grant applications filtered through the process. They got through finance. They got through the first round of grants review.

[13:55] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: The list is narrowing. And then we closed. The community closed. And you can't do further due diligence because you can't go and interview them. You can't go see them at work. You can't see the programs they're proposing. So the board at the time, which I was not on, but I'm quite proud of, decided they would take all the funds and give unrestricted grants.

[14:17] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Matter what the proposal or the application had been for and divide up the money and give it to everybody who was still remaining. And people got, I don't remember the exact amount, but it was like $23,000 and that could be to keep your door open.

[14:32] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: It could be pay the bill for the electricity. It could be anything survive through this pandemic. And then what happened is our nonprofits told us after that we had a little committee sort through and do a follow-up with the non-profit. All the nonprofits in the Valley, not only those that had received grants, but others as well, and said, what do you think about that?

[14:56] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: And overwhelmingly, the response was, we like the smaller grants better. We don't like competing with the other nonprofits. We're a collaborative group. We can handle the money better. It's much easier to write a grant application for $25,000.

[15:13] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Than a hundred thousand dollars and if you think about it again not many there are not many organizations in Sonoma our Valley that would qualify for a hundred thousand dollars so we pivoted we were like well if that's what you want that's what we're going to do and one of the reasons our grant program is so successful nationally is we listen to our recipients and pivoted based on their needs and we've done that quickly we pivoted right away so since that time we've been giving $25,000.

[15:43] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Which goes a lot further. We'll get 15 grant recipients rather than one with a few others. And we also, we've seen a lot of collaboration between the nonprofits where they might pool together, and two or three of them might develop a program where one is getting the $25,000 and they're adding to it with another, or three go together and then they get a program that works for all of them.

[16:08] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: There's a lot of collaboration. There's a lot of knowledge. More people get the grants, more... A variety of grants. I mean, it's perfect. And interestingly, like I said, I've had to talk about this nationally a couple times of late.

[16:22] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Larger organizations like, take a city, a metropolitan, Chicago, Denver, they have very large women's impact groups, and they don't know their nonprofits as well. We are sort of a partnership, and it's trust-based, and we're in a small town and we can move that way. Actually, it's amazing what it accomplished because we've known our nonprofits for years. They trust us. We trust them.

The Encore Grant: Two Years Of Funding

[16:53] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: It was a great thing that happened. Covid wasn't great, but the result was. So we've also pivoted again because one of the other things that they had said in that same response was that it would be helpful to have a grant that lasts more than one year. They actually wanted a three-year grant.

[17:14] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: But as a board it's hard to reserve money for three years when our our the amount of money we give changes every year based on how many members we have so it's very hard to take a three-year chunk out of the money that we have in a particular year and set aside in a reserve for one recipient to get three years so we compromised they wanted one we couldn't really do it.

[17:37] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: So we compromised on one recipient gets two years. We call it the Encore Grant. Again, which doesn't matter, but one group usually who has a program or plan or need that might continue. They all have needs that continue. However, a plan that would build upon a prior year.

[18:00] JACKIE EGIDIO: That is intended for that Encore Grant so they get a second year of funding well i have to applaud you because and i know it's not you and it's the board and it's the the tenure that has come in the past but i've served on the financial committee for a few years in the past and was a part of that tenure that pivoted and to watch that in action was incredibly impressive the speed at which the women work together, the speed at which they make decisions.

[18:30] JACKIE EGIDIO: And they actually collaborate to make the pivot was incredible. The think tank behind how that worked was really impressive. Given how slow COVID moved in terms of the government assistance during that time, you guys filled holes that were just incredible legacies to leave. So I applaud you and the board and the legacy that has been Impact 100 Sonoma. So I think this is a great time to pivot to Shelby.

Donor Advised Funds And Charitable Giving

[18:59] JACKIE EGIDIO: Because there are financial tools for giving and charitable giving that we utilize at the firm and advise our clients on quite often and i'd like to take just a moment to put that out there to the table because your members and your future members have the opportunities to get into legacy giving and other charitable giving and as you said the the chapter is only as good as how many members renew every year because that's how much money you get.

[19:29] JACKIE EGIDIO: Give. Whoever pays dues, that's going into the grants. So Shelby, I'd like to turn it over to you and have you give us the perspective from the advisor.

[19:37] SHELBY WIRICK: So in my world, a lot of people are not aware of donor advised funds. They're often referred to as DAFs, but they're pretty amazing tools when it comes to financial planning and also tax strategies. So if you want to accomplish giving, which a lot of people want to be philanthropic, and handle kind of a taxable event.

[19:59] SHELBY WIRICK: Where you're trying to lower your tax bracket in a specific situation or a specific year, you can open up a donor advised fund. So it's a charitable giving account. You can open it up at any institution, Schwab, Fidelity, etc.

[20:16] SHELBY WIRICK: And the donor can put a large sum of money into this account. And it happens within that given year that serves as a tax deduction within that year, but then the donor is able to give grants and that money is invested.

[20:30] SHELBY WIRICK: It can be used through cash, stocks, et cetera, and it grows over time. And it's really a great way you had mentioned about the legacy giving piece and how sometimes that can be a struggle because you, you know, people are wanting that over the grants over a specific timeframe.

[20:48] SHELBY WIRICK: And so this is a great way for people to take advantage of them. That and be able to give over a longer period of time. So I want to bring that back to impact. Leslie, can you elaborate on how legacy giving helps you plan from a strategic standpoint when giving out grants?

Why Legacy Giving Matters To Impact100

[21:04] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: We encourage planned giving or legacy giving, whatever the term of art might be, and we are actually in the process of developing a not plan, but sort of a communication plan about encouraging others to give. Because what's happened in the past is we are women who give our thousand dollars a year, and then we have this pool of money, and we give away all the money we have.

[21:27] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: We're all volunteers. Giving away everything we have. We have a small overhead that really just rents rooms and pays for our software infrastructure. But we don't have long-term funding, and therefore our...

[21:44] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Grants pool what's happened is we keep giving more and more and more and more each year and then coming from the grants perspective we panic about getting enough members because we don't want to give less one year than we gave the year before and we and we sort of go into this turmoil about grab members grab members grab members and we're we're trying to encourage people to give more if they are so inclined so that we have a pool of reserves that we can even out grant pools over the years, respond to emergencies as they...

[22:14] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: They come. We might be able to start a new type of grant if we had that extra money, but we need, we want to encourage it because we want to be able to even out our distribution, and the reserves would be nice. We have had from time to time people do leave a legacy gift, but we don't have a formal marketing plan where we're encouraging it.

[22:37] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: So there are very many ways to give right now. We do accept DAF funds. You have to go to the treasurer to do so. You can't do it online. You just make the arrangements with our treasurer, and then it's easy.

[22:52] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: But you can also, men can give, people can give more, people sponsor. There are other members. There are all other ways to give on top of the $1,000 that goes to the grant fund. So there are ways to do it, and we very much encourage it. And I hope you can find a way that people will be inspired to do so.

How To Get Involved

[23:12] SHELBY WIRICK: Legacy giving is so important. You can also check out on our website. We have a lot of different white papers and information about DAFs for those that are listening and want to learn more. Christine, I am just curious if you can explain a little bit. Or highlight how people can get involved in the organization?

[23:31] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: Absolutely. Join.

[23:35] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: Please, become a member. So our members, you can become a member. It is 12.

The "Wealthy Women In Hats" Myth

[23:43] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: Hundred dollars a year or hundred dollars a month for for some of you but it is it's interesting and if I could just take a step back because I feel like before I explain this there seems to be this myth out there that is another thing that I come up against quite a bit which is that we are just a bunch of crazy wealthy women that wear funny hats and go to garden parties and And it's, you know, that is not who this membership population is by any means.

[24:13] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: We just actually finished a membership survey and we have people who have little kids at home and we have people who are retired, you know, and that have been with this for 10 years, 20 years, you know, since the very beginning.

[24:29] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: So that is absolutely not the case. In fact, it is $1,200 a year to join.

[24:36] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: And that is the exact opposite of wealthy women with crazy hats at garden parties.

[24:41] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: And I I don't have a hat.

[24:45] SHELBY WIRICK: Hey, there's something wrong with a crazy hat.

[24:47] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: I have seen some of these hats. I'm going to own that. But anyway, so yeah, you can join and become a member. You can also have a shared membership, which we do quite a bit, where two people say, hey, let's share our vote. You do 600, I'll do 600, and we'll get involved. We have sponsorship programs as well. So you want to get involved. You want to be a member.

[25:10] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: You don't have the finances to do it. It right now, please, please reach out to us. And that's just info at impact100sonoma.org. And let us know. You really don't care about the vote too much, but you do want to get involved and learn more about our NPOs or get on a committee or help out or anything like that. We are happy to have you. There are so many brilliant, talented women in this Valley.

[25:36] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: Please, please, again, get in touch with us. So those are all different ways to get involved. What we found in this survey that we just completed was that the greatest portion of the people that we surveyed want to be an evangelist for this organization. And that was just really thrilling. And I think it spoke volumes about what the experience is to be a member. So yeah, join.

[26:05] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: And if you keep in mind, everybody that joins, if 25 people join, that's another. Grant. I mean another nonprofit gets an entire grant for two years based on 25 women joining. I mean it's just every person contributes to the Valley just by joining.

[26:22] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: Yeah and then you get to walk around and see it in action and I love to do this with my husband I'm like oh yeah impact was part of that. Oh impact was part of that. All over you know and I think he loves it too. That's so cool. Yeah. You know?

Events, Committees And Patio Parties

[26:37] SHELBY WIRICK: One thing that I feel like we're missing here is how involved, I mean, yes, there's the giving piece, right, and the grants, but there is a lot that Impact 100 Sonoma does within the community as far as farm. Farmers markets.

[26:52] SHELBY WIRICK: The Impact 100 Sonoma was in the 4th of July celebration. Is there, you know, there's event calendars. Can you talk a little bit about that too? So the listeners, or if anyone's interested in joining, can learn more.

[27:03] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: Yes, I'll tell you all about that. So we, like I said, being a member, when you start engaging, members start engaging with each other, we just end up wanting to spend more time together, which is a great thing. But we have our annual, our year kicks off with our annual meeting.

[27:21] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: Where we start talking about how much money we have to spend this year. And it really feels like you're part of what's about to happen. We have grant review committees. You can get on a grant review committee, which people are saying that that seems to be life-changing for a lot of folk. Absolutely.

[27:38] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: They just get so engaged, and you're right there in the thick of it, really seeing the need that's here in the Valley. And like I said, a lot of people translate that to ending up volunteering at some of the the places that they visit. So there's that. We have an incredible board that you can get involved with. I'm telling you, these women could run a country, I'm convinced.

[28:00] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: I agree. They are just amazing. I'm constantly learning from our board. And beyond the board are committees. So every chair position, please join communications chair if you'd like. A little plug there. But yeah, I mean, every single chair has their own committee. A lot of people get involved that. That way. We then go and move through the year.

[28:23] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: We have something called spotlight events, which are amazing. You can join a spotlight event where we will have somebody in the community who is, you know, speaking on a topic. It's not about, oh, hey, you know, we need money, we have It's about going deep on a specific topic, whether that's immigration or whether that's recycling.

[28:46] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: We've had just information about Jack London. We've had a myriad of folk. I think the last person that we had, which was just last week, was someone that came in and spoke to what it's like to grow up in different countries and then come here.

[29:06] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: And just so giving lots of perspectives. And that is a very popular event. And we love those. And then we also have just kind of let's get together and talk. And those end up being, we call them patio parties. But what it.

[29:19] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: What it ends up being is people getting together and coming up with ideas. So many ideas come out of those patio parties. I always brace myself for the day after a patio party because my email starts going like this.

[29:33] SHELBY WIRICK: Actually, this started at a patio party. Yes. The podcast was a patio party idea. That's right. Yes.

[29:40] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: Not that that's a bad thing. We have those. We also have other events where we award, wait, not award, but we. Our grant recipients, we hand out our grant money and it's a really huge celebration. Prior to that, they come in, each one that has been vetted can come in and speak to specifically what they want to do with this money and that helps us vote.

The Grant Recipients Update Meeting

[30:06] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: But then after we vote, of course we award the grants. And then after that, we have our grum, which I hate saying that word it's just about to ask you about eternal work and ask the grum But I will tell you that, and we've got to rename this.

[30:21] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Wait, let's tell, Grants Recipient Update Meeting.

[30:24] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: Yeah. Okay. It's the Grants Recipient Update Meeting. For the audience, it's the Grants Recipient Update Meeting. And I will say that, you know, before anything else, it's part of our due diligence, right? We've awarded the grant, and now we need to know what's happened with the grant.

[30:39] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: So we do need an update, but we have the grant recipients come in this year. It'll be at the Sebastiani Theater. And we are actually welcoming the entire. City community in the Valley to come. It's on October 22nd at 4 p. m.

[30:57] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: It is fantastic to see, to both hear and see, what has happened with these grants. And our membership loves it. This year we're inviting the entire community because we want the community to understand what's happening in the Valley.

[31:16] CRISTINE MCMILLAN: And then, of course, we have our end-of-year holiday party. But essentially those are all the things that happen throughout the year to keep membership engaged and to keep the community engaged. Aware of what's going on with impact.

[31:30] LESLIE BLANKENSHIP: Yeah and I want to add to that she's already said it but I want to emphasize the Grants Recipient Update Meeting being open to the community this is the first year we've done this and we're actually complete we two are completely excited because we're not showcasing impact we're showcasing the nonprofits and so now everyone's partner everyone's friends not just people you think might be a member but the whole community can and see what an amazing group of non-profits we have in this Valley and you'll learn what they're doing it'll be bring Kleenex it'll be great.

Closing Thoughts

[32:02] JACKIE EGIDIO: I know I can't wait well the Impact 100 Sonoma membership drive is happening now everybody can join please visit the website. It's impact100sonoma.org. Leslie Blankenship, thank you so much for your time today. Thank you for coming to the podcast and talking with us about the organization. Christine McMillan, thank you so much for your time and your expertise.

[32:28] JACKIE EGIDIO: You guys are the creme de la creme in terms of the board leadership at the moment. So thank you so much for the time today. Sonoma Wealth Advisors is very honored to have you guys on the podcast. We're going to have to.

[32:40] JACKIE EGIDIO: To take the women are gonna have to take over again sometime soon so are you up for another one maybe down the road certainly certainly thank you for having us Shelby thank you for your time as well thank you

Credits & Outro

[32:51] DANO WEIR: thanks for watching and listening to It's All Money we hope today's episode shared information to increase your financial confidence now is the time in the show for the voiceover with a bunch of words at the end listen close though you might find out something you didn't know.

[33:07] DANO WEIR: It's All Money is powered by by Sonoma Wealth Advisors. Sonoma Wealth Advisors helps individuals and families in Northern California and across the country with building, managing, and sustaining wealth. Sonoma Wealth is a comprehensive, holistic finance solution offering...

[33:24] DANO WEIR: Financial planning, asset management, tax planning, 401k solutions, and appropriate insurance. Take our free wealth analysis now at SonomaWealth. Com. If you haven't already, like and subscribe to It's All Money on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. It's All Money features human hosts, musicians, editors, video crew, and voiceover talent.

[33:48] DANO WEIR: Video production by Forz Media in Roanoke Park, California. Online at forsmedia.com. Music by Neon Beach, Sparkle Rising on Soundstripe. Voice over by me, Dano. Thank you for listening to the very end. We appreciate diligent viewers and listeners.

[34:07] DANO WEIR: Fermata Advisors LLC is registered as an investment advisor with the SEC and only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is excluded. Or exempted from registration requirements. This content was produced by Fermata Advisors, LLC, DBA Sonoma Wealth Advisors, DBA Fermata 401K, DBA Fermata Tax.

[34:29] DANO WEIR: The opinions expressed by Fermata Advisors, LLC, LLC on this show are their own. Information presented on this program is believed to be factual and up to date, but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed.

[34:44] DANO WEIR: Discussions and answers to questions do not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice, but are limited to the dissemination of general information. A professional advisor should be consulted before implementing any of the options presented. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not Intended.

[35:01] DANO WEIR: To make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Information Express does not take into account your specific situation or objectives and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual.

[35:22] DANO WEIR: Viewers and listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment advisor to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.