Fifteen women signed on as board members.

They figured that success for their first year would be if 100 women joined, each giving $1,000.

A year later, 123 women have joined and given. And Impact 100 is ready to write its big first check.

Impact 100 is Ms. Hushak's brainchild, a foundation run and funded by women but which gives to charities extending beyond women's issues to culture, environment, families, education and health.

Bite-size activism

What makes it unique is its modest involvement and its targeted membership. Tonight, at

the first of what is to be an annual meeting, it will give $123,000 to one Cincinnati-area charity.

It's an important step for Tristate women who feel limited by time and income from participating in other major charitable efforts, Ms. Hushak says.

In Cincinnati's philanthropic circles, men are most often asked to lead and to write the checks, she says. Women most often are asked to contribute time and direct effort.

Ms. Hushak is a 39-year-old former bank executive who stays home to raise three little ones.

“Our lives are so busy, I wanted to do something that was much more flexible,” she says.

Each January, the group hopes to sign on at least 100 new members — contributing $1,000 each — who can then be as active or inactive in the group as they wish. Throughout the year, charities draw up specific proposals to use each $100,000 grant.

At the annual dinner, each of the 100 women gets one vote, unlike many foundations and funding entities that have tiered donorships and designated voting representatives.

It's bite-size civic activism, but with potential for a big impact.

The needs

For instance, the Greater Cincinnati Oral Health Council proposes using the $123,000 to equip five dental treatment rooms at the McMicken Dental Center for the Homeless, the only free dental clinic like it in the Tristate. Almost daily, the homeless line up by 7:15 a.m. outside the Over-the-Rhine clinic, which opened in 2001.

“The equipment is falling apart in the hands of the staff. Almost daily something else ceases to function. Fires have even occurred,” the council wrote in its application.

The Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati wants to buy a truck and hire an intern for its Clifton-based education and botanical center. It has helped Cincinnnati residents start more than 52 community gardens and provided at least 100 in-school “GrowLabs” for students.

Lighthouse Youth Services wants to provide social services, counseling and after-school guidance to up to 400 youths police identify as headed for trouble. It would hire two caseworkers and a part-time assistant with the funds.

Beech Acres also wants to redirect youths — back into school. Instead of sending chronic truants to juvenile court, Beech Acres wants to set up a mediation system to help them first.

United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cincinnati and two arts groups are hoping the funds will make possible a new art studio for adults and children with mental and physical disabilities and income disadvantages.

Only one of these groups will get Impact 100's check, but the others will provide a wishlist to Impact's members, who also will contribute on their own.

In five years, Ms. Hushak hopes, Impact will involve 500 women in at least five charities.

For more information, visit www.impact100.org

E-mail damos@enquirer.com or phone 768-8395

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