The Baldwin County Education Coalition was among the five area nonprofits awarded a combined $525,000 in grants from Impact 100 Baldwin County at their annual Evening of Impact on November 2, 2023. The Coalition received one of five $105,000 grants awarded.

Funds will be used to grow and expand Palm Project. Palm Project is a county-wide initiative to provide tangible resources, stocking each school’s care closet with essential items so students can focus on what matters most, learning.

The Impact 100 grant will allow the Coalition to add school uniform items to inventory, including navy polo shirts, khaki pants & shorts, shoes, belts, sports bras and leggings.  These items were identified in a survey sent to school partners as essential items for the elementary schools that Palm Project serves.

“We were so honored to be among the quality nonprofit organizations present at the annual Evening of Impact, most of whom are also partners of our school system,” said Terry Burkle, Executive Director for the Coalition. “We are thankful for the 471 women across Baldwin County who are current members of Impact 100. These opportunities would not be possible without them.”

This year marks the third Impact 100 Baldwin County Grant that the Coalition has been awarded in support of education initiatives.

In 2017 Impact 100 awarded the Coalition a grant for “Opening Minds and Doors through Child Literacy.” This project provided professional development for over 240 teachers in three specific feeder pattern communities that serve a high number of impoverished students. It will potentially impact thousands of students in the Guided Reading Initiative for Baldwin County Schools by increasing scores and readability.

In 2019 Impact 100 awarded the Coalition a grant for “Literacy-Building Classroom Libraries.” This project provided Scholastic‘s The 7 Strengths Libraries—a total of 31,100 books, teacher‘s guides, and book bins for classroom libraries in every kindergarten through third grade classroom throughout Baldwin County Public Schools.

“Impact 100 has without a doubt made a difference in the lives of students in Baldwin County,” said Burkle. “These grants have allowed us to fulfill the Coalition’s mission through funding projects and initiatives at the highest level. We are incredibly grateful to have been selected as a grant recipient again this year.”

Impact 100 Baldwin County is a community of women seeking to transform lives in Baldwin County by awarding high-impact grants to nonprofits in the areas of Arts, Culture, & Recreation, Education, Environment & Preservation, Family, and Health & Wellness. The ladies of Impact 100 Baldwin County have awarded over $5 million in high impact grants since 2008. To learn more about Impact 100 please visit www.impact100baldwincounty.org.