Our Mission

In Impact100 Greater Wausau, we strive to be an inclusive, diverse organization of women who are growing as knowledgeable philanthropists to support nonprofits in Marathon County and make a lasting impact on the community. We rely on the skills and talents of our members to accomplish our mission.

Our Core Values

In Impact100 Greater Wausau, we value:

  • Empowering women to be philanthropic decision makers.
  • Raising our members’ awareness of nonprofit organizations in our community.
  • Giving every member an equal vote in the awarding of grants.
  • Ensuring that $1,000 of each member’s donation goes directly to grant awards.
  • Striving to be transparent, accountable, innovative, and continuously improving.
The Impact100 Model

The Impact100 model is readily available to all communities who wish to implement it. The model is designed to empower women to see themselves as philanthropists and overcome the barriers women have historically faced in this arena. The model is designed for transformational grant-making within local communities, with a minimum grant size of $100,000.

At Least 100 Women
Come Together

Each Woman
Donates $1,000

$100,000
is donated to a
Local Charity

*Impact100 Greater Wausau’s membership contribution is $1,100:
$1,000 goes towards grants, while $100 helps to cover administrative expenses

Become a Member
Focus Areas

Our goal is to award at least one $100,000 grant to a local nonprofit organization. Grants applications may be submitted in five broad Focus Areas:

Arts & Culture

Education

Family

Health & Wellness

Environment

Apply for a Grant
How it Works

Impact100 Greater Wausau members contribute $1,100 annually. Of that amount, $1,000 from each member is pooled into a grant fund to be given away to nonprofit organizations in our community. The number and size of grants awarded depend on our membership, but our goal is to give incremental grants of $100,000 each year. Grants can be awarded in the areas of Arts & Culture, Education, Family, Health & Wellness, and Environment. Grants are awarded based on a vote of the Impact100 Greater Wausau membership at our annual meeting. Every woman who gives $1,100 or more has one vote.

Timeline
Our History

Co-founders Jen Thomas and Becky Kettleson learned about the Impact100 model from a childhood friend of Jen’s who is an Impact100 member in Milwaukee. She invited Jen and Becky to attend Impact100 Greater Milwaukee’s Awards Banquet in June 2019. After reading about the chapter’s finalists – and doing some research about where they could get the best desserts – Jen and Becky went to Milwaukee.

The banquet hall was filled with women of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. At their table sat mothers who came with their young adult daughters, coworkers, neighbors, and friends. The room was electric; the excitement and anticipation were palpable. That night, they learned about Just One More Ministry’s Impact Grant proposal. With a $100,000 grant, they would purchase industrial refrigerators and freezers that would increase their food storage capacity by 700%, diverting countless pounds of fresh food from the garbage and into the hands of hungry men, women, and children. When Just One More Ministry’s proposal won, the women in the room stood to applaud, and Jen and Becky were hooked. With ideas spinning in their heads, the two friends forgot all about dessert and instead talked late into the night about what grants that size could do in Marathon County. Jen and Becky knew that the greater Wausau area needed Impact100.

In January 2020, Jen, Becky, and Margy Stahr incorporated Impact100 Greater Wausau. Plans for a September 2020 Membership Launch were running smoothly, until Covid-19 closures turned their attention to the global pandemic. What they learned from speaking with local nonprofits and Impact100 chapters around the globe is that the nonprofit community needs women and their resources now – perhaps more than ever!

The Greater Wausau area’s population is far smaller than some of the other geographic areas with Impact100 chapters. This only means that the impact of $100,000 grants will be more strongly felt by our community members. Our inaugural year goal is to recruit at least 100 members by December 31, 2020 so that we can award at least one, $100,000 Impact Grant in May of 2021. The time is now, Greater Wausau, to connect women and build a stronger Marathon County.

For more information about how Impact100 started, see our council story.

Join Impact
Becky Kettleson
Co-President/Co-Grants Director
becky@greaterwausau.impact100council.org
Full Bio
Becky Kettleson
Co-President/Co-Grants Director

Becky worked at the Best Buy headquarters in Richfield MN for 8 years, with her last position being in the online marketing capacity. She and her husband moved to the Wausau area in 2012 where she switched her focus to help out with a local family foundation and stay home with her two children. She is excited to see the power of collective giving go to work.

becky@greaterwausau.impact100council.org
Jen Thomas
Co-President/Co-Membership Director
jen@greaterwausau.impact100council.org
Full Bio
Jen Thomas
Co-President/Co-Membership Director

Jen earned her Masters in Education and was a middle school English teacher before becoming a full-time mom. Having grown up in Northcentral Wisconsin, Jen, along with her husband and daughters, were excited to relocate to Wausau in 2015, where many opportunities to actively volunteer in the community have been incredibly rewarding.

jen@greaterwausau.impact100council.org
Margy Stahr
Vice President/ Communications Director
treasurer@greaterwausau.impact100council.org
Full Bio
Margy Stahr
Vice President/ Communications Director

Margy holds a PhD in English and worked in higher education for more than a decade before returning to Wausau in 2016 with her husband and two children. Her true passion is volunteering with organizations that make a difference in the local community, particularly those committed to youth and families.

treasurer@greaterwausau.impact100council.org
Olivia Hill
Treasurer
Full Bio
Olivia Hill
Treasurer

Coming from Colorado, Olivia moved to the Wausau area in 2019 with her family to serve as the Executive Director at the Wausau Conservatory of Music. Olivia has a masters degree in arts administration, and has worked with numerous arts and education organizations focusing on education, fundraising, and operations. Olivia is excited to embrace philanthropy through service and giving through Impact100 Greater Wausau.

Nicole Lipowski
Co-Membership Director
Full Bio
Nicole Lipowski
Co-Membership Director
Nicole is originally from the suburbs of Chicago but has called Wausau home since 2002. She resides in Rib Mountain with her husband and two kids. Those who know Nicole best refer to her affectionately as a “Professional Volunteer” because she makes a difference with a variety of charities. Nicole is also an artist and substitute teacher.
Sarah Sewall
Co-Grants Director
Full Bio
Sarah Sewall
Co-Grants Director

Sarah was born and raised in Oshkosh, WI. She moved to Wausau with her husband in 2006 and works as a pathologist. She is the mother of four girls. As a part of Impact100, Sarah looks forward to the opportunity to bring community members and their innovative ideas together.

Cathy Ortscheid
Secretary
Full Bio
Cathy Ortscheid
Secretary

Over 100 women coming together to accomplish a philanthropic goal is immeasurably powerful!
Over the past two years, as a member of Impact, I have marveled at the camaraderie, mutual
respect, and inspiration every woman involved in Impact has brought to the organization. The
end result enriches our community and the future of many individuals directly receiving the
benefits of Impact100. I am proud to be a member of Impact100 and to serve on the board as
Secretary.

Join Impact