Celebrating Our Collective Impact at the 2026 Annual Meeting

Welcome & Thanks to Impact Austin Sponsors

To a standing-room-only audience, Impact Austin President Claudia Barlow welcomed members, Community Partners, sponsors, and guests. She warmly invited any guests not already members to consider joining us. Claudia thanked all those making our Annual Meeting possible, in particular our volunteers, interns, Austin Public Library, and our generous sponsors. We heard from two of our sponsors: Margaret von Flatern from FVF Law (also a member) and Stacy Armijo from Amplify Credit Union.

Girls Giving Grants - 20th Anniversary Celebration and 2026 Grant

Girls Giving Grants Co-Chair Rebecca Birch reminded the audience that 2026 marks g3's 20th anniversary. "Two decades of young women learning to give, lead, and make a difference. We are thrilled to share that in that time, g3 has awarded $138,600 through 22 grants to 20 nonprofits. This year, 63 young women participated from 21 schools across the community, and over the past nine months, they collectively put in over 1000 volunteer hours."  Rebecca thanked the Girls School of Austin for sharing space with g3 meetings.

While g3 named their 2026 Community Partner in April, the Annual Meeting provided another opportunity to share their grant to The Children's Advocacy Center Serving Bastrop, Lee and Fayette Counties.

In Memoriam - Past g3 member Savitha Shan was killed in the March shooting on Austin's West 6th Street. Her parents have established a memorial scholarship to benefit UT students, which they invite others to support. When the endowment reaches $500,000, the University of Texas will match it.

State of the Organization

Claudia Barlow provided an update of Impact Austin operations, both FY 2026 accomplishments and what is ahead for FY 2027.

• Membership Growth

  "This year we changed our membership model to offer women who want to be part of our mission with three levels of giving.  Our new membership model, launched last fall, has allowed women who are able to contribute more toward our grant pool to do so, and it’s also enabled women who couldn’t join Impact Austin before to be part of our collective giving movement.  I’m pleased to share that so far this fiscal year, 69 new members have joined Impact Austin, a 47% increase over the prior year.  Welcome to all of our new members!'" 

  
  

  Later in the program, Claudia asked members to stand according to their personal membership milestones: 20+ years, 15+ years, 10+ years, 5+ years, and 1+ year. It was fun to celebrate our long-time members especially! Two members were singled out for supporting the Get Back Campaign to invite past members to rejoin. "We especially want to thank Laura Freedman, for providing us with a $100 gift card to her restaurants Siti and El Reval as an extra incentive for members to participate. This year we would like to recognize Roslyn Breen for her efforts in bring back members."

  
  

• Volunteers and Interns

  Claudia asked volunteers to stand. "Every person volunteering her time and talent makes tonight possible. These are the women who do the work: answer the emails, chair the meetings, review the grant applications, manage our finances, fundraise, plan the member connection and learning events, welcome new members, post on social media, craft newsletters, and make sure this organization runs."

  
  

  

  Gerber daisies for Impact Austin volunteers!

  Later in the program, Claudia applauded outgoing interns Yelitza Castrejon, Leslie Pineda-Hernandez, and Audrey Villalobos

  
  

• Directors and Committee Leaders

  Claudia thanked retiring directors Ashley Stump and Deanna DeHaven, whose service to Impact Austin spanned 7 years. Claudia welcomed incoming directors Karen Cox, Lauren Lewis, Melissa Lorber, and Caroline Wilkinson. The FY 2027 officers include Claudia as President, Krista McNaughton (Treasurer), and Ami Kane (Secretary). Also joining the Executive Committee will be Jerrica Deloney Witte as Vice Presient Jerrica and Claudia will pilot a "Co-Chair model" in FY 2027, a practice working successfully in other giving circles. The goals are to increase sustainability, mitigate risk, and open up board leadership to a wider pool of qualified women. The pilot will be evaluated at the end of the fiscal year.

  
  

  

  
  

  Jerrica Deloney Witte introduced herself to those not yet acquainted with her: "Belonging to Impact Austin has placed me in inspiring rooms with thoughtful, compassionate, and courageous women. It has allowed me to build meaningful relationships and shown me what is possible when we come together not just to share funds, but to share time, perspective, trust, and voice. 

  
  

  "During my relatively short time with Impact Austin, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing—and contributing to —important moments in our organization’s evolution.  I’ve seen us embrace trust-based philanthropy through unrestricted grants, expand access through tiered membership, creating new pathways for women to participate in philanthropy. And I had the pleasure to stand in front of our GRC members to reaffirm our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as values that guide how we lead, listen, and serve. 

  
  

  "Our members are what make this organization special. What sustains us, what enables us to be bold, and what allows us to show up in ways not every organization can — or feels safe enough to — is all of you. You are our magic. During a time when the nonprofit sector is facing immense scrutiny and pressure, we can and have to stand up for them. To support them not only with funding, but with partnership and belief in their expertise. We have the opportunity to help restore dignity and humanity to a sector that should have never been under attack." 

  
  

  Claudia and Jerrica gave thanks to outgoing, long-serving committee chairs: Karen Davenport, Girls Giving Grants; Judi McCarthy, Marketing; Karen McLinden, Grants; and Audra Morris, Membership.

  
  
  

  

  

Volunteer Awards

These awards are a highlight of each Annual Meeting. Congratulations to these member-volunteers deservedly singled out for outstanding service in FY 2026.

The Val Kirk Above & Beyond Award is given to the member who exemplifies exceptional dedication, service, and heart. Congratulations to Lisa David, who was instrumental in the design and implementation of our new membership model.

Committee of the Year - Membership, represented by Co-Chairs Erin McCord and Caroline Wilkinson. The Membership Committee successfully navigated a leadership transition while simultaneously rolling out significant change to our membership structure. The committee continues to evolve, brainstorming fresh activities, deepening process analysis, finding new ways to drive meaningful membership engagement.

The Allison Marshall Volunteer of the Year Award goes to an individual who gave extraordinary time and energy to Impact Austin. Congratulations to Caroline Wilkinson, not only the new Co-Chair of Membership but also a member of Development Committee.

The Core Values Award recognizes a member whose actions and character reflect what Impact Austin stands for at its best. Congratulations to Margaret Ballinger, doing it all: Finance Committee, Member Connections, Grants Committee, and now Grants Co-Chair!

Spring Grant Announcements

Karen McLinden and Margaret Ballinger, 2026 Co-Chairs of the Grants Committee, thanked all Grants Committee volunteers. The GRC Co-Chairs followed to introduce GRC volunteers and announce specific grant awards - the evening's high point!

Congratulations to our 2026 Community Partners. We are honored to invest in your work!

Impact Austin thanks all leaders on our 2026 Grants Committee and the members and leadership of our three Grant Review Committees.

FY 2026 Grants Committee

Grants Co-Chairs: Margaret Ballinger, Karen McLinden

Girls Giving Grants Co-Chairs: Rebecca Birch, Karen Davenport, Gilyn Gibbs

Nonprofit/Finalist Coordinators: Carla Denison Bickett, Fay Evans-Martin, Elaine Jensen, Melissa Lorber

Grant Review Committee (GRC) Coordinators: Anne Helmick-Lyon, Jerrica Deloney Witte

Grant Finance Committee Coordinators: Melissa Gray, Angela Hebert

Technology Coordinators: Michelle Ahmad, Nedra Bray, Gilyn Gibbs, Peggy Hofmann, and Melissa McDermott

Community Partner Coordinators: Jen Hornish, Katherine Mudge, Roberta Rincon

Grants Advisor: Michelle Rankin

Thank you to our GRCs who thoughtfully evaluated 149 applications

to bring our 2026 Finalists to a member vote.

2026 Community GRC - 23 members reviewed 49 applications

Co-Chairs Karen Bantuveris and Brionne Griffin; Lisa Glenn, Advisor; Thea Ulrich-Lewis, Shadow

Alison Alter, Nancy Barlow, Kiyomi Beach, Karen Cox, Ann Denkler, Laura Freedman, Lynda Frost, Gilyn Gibbs, Ashley Graves, Jennifer Hornish, Megan Hutchison, Ami Kane, Maria Kiehn, Nancee Lottmann, Laura Morrison, Jen Plantz, Jeanne Robertson, Linda Rosens, Heather Seidel, Jacquie Shillis, and Kathleen Thompson

2026 Education GRC - 16 members reviewed 38 applications

Co-Chairs Amanda Farmer and Roberta Rincon; Elaine Jensen, Advisor

Roslyn Breen, Firdevs Canbaz Yumusak, Linda Carey, Seanna Crosbie, Teri Evans, Gloria Hughes, Joye Jones, Christiana Levy, Lauren Lewis, Judi McCarthy, Carol Meriwether, Katherine Mudge, Helen Nguyen, Linda Oliveira, and Tracy Snodgrass

2026 Health & Well-Being GRC - 26 members reviewed 62 applications

Co-Chairs Christina Shepherd and Holly Whitten; Margaret von Flatern, Advisor

Krista Anderson-Hill, Sameera Balay, Lisa Barden, Claudia Barlow, Bailey Barlow, Catherine Barry, Charlotte Berra, Susan Brown, Sara Clarke, Melinda Floyd, Ann Harwood, Kate Holloway, Jennifer Korba, Irene Lane, Mary Evelyn McNamara, Renee Meskill, Audra Morris, Meredith Morrow, Beverly Reid, Jacqueline Rixen, Jodi Schrobilgen, Connee Sullivan, Susan Tormollen, Jeanne White, and Molly White