Transformation & Innovation Grant Finalists

We will vote to award one $100,000 Transformation & Innovation Grant in 2025.

Book 'Em
Book 'Em
FOCUS AREA EDUCATION 

Book ‘Em will use Impact100 funding to make their current short Book Bus ADA-accessible and add a second, larger accessible bus—meeting urgent community demand and eliminating barriers for children with mobility challenges. These critical upgrades will allow them to reach thousands more children across Davidson County, many of whom would otherwise never have the chance to get onto a book bus, choose their own books, and feel seen, included, and inspired.

📄 Link to Flyer
🖥️ Link to Slides
🔗 Link to Website

 

The Nashville Food Project
The Nashville Food Project
FOCUS AREA: HEALTH & WELLNESS

Impact100 funding will support the expansion of TNFP’s Community Agriculture Network by launching 2–3 new growing sites in low-income, low-access neighborhoods and installing 3–5 community orchards, including a food forest at Mill Ridge. Over two years, grant funds will provide stipends and training for Garden Leaders, immigrant/refugee farmers, and education facilitators; cover infrastructure needs such as tools, harvest supplies, and SNAP/EBT signage for the South Nashville farmers market; support multilingual interpretation for workshops; and fund coordination and planning through CAN and Orchard staff roles to ensure the long-term sustainability and impact of TNFP’s hyper-local food access efforts.

📄 Link to Flyer
🖥️ Link to Slides
🔗 Link to Website

 

Spark Grant Finalists

We will vote to award two (2) $37,000 Spark Grants in 2025.

Blind Early Services Tennessee
Blind Early Services Tennessee
FOCUS AREA: HEALTH AND WELLNESS

BEST is seeking $35,000 to advance the precision of our early intervention services with eye-gaze devices and specialized software, unlocking a unique opportunity to better support children with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), whose functional vision can improve with targeted intervention. These tools generate precise data—how long a child can maintain gaze, response times to visual stimuli, and the effects of light, color, motion, and visual complexity on focus and comprehension—enabling providers to design individualized strategies that maximize visual engagement, accelerate skill development, and give families actionable insight into their child’s vision.

📄 Link to Flyer
🖥️ Link to Slides
🔗 Link to Website

 

 

 

By Faith Farm
By Faith Farm
FOCUS AREA: HEALTH AND WELLNESS

The short- and long-term goals of Fed by Faith at By Faith Farm are designed to expand access to nutritious food, deepen community engagement, and strengthen organizational sustainability. Over the next three years, the organization is committed to increasing food donations from 228,000 pounds to 300,000 pounds, ensuring thousands of additional families receive fresh, healthy produce. Upon receiving the Impact100 Nashville grant funding, a walk-in cooler will be purchased to preserve the nutrient quality and keep vegetables fresh.

📄 Link to Flyer
🖥️ Link to Slides
🔗 Link to Website

 

Retrieving Independence
Retrieving Independence
FOCUS AREA: EDUCATION

Retrieving Independence trains service animals for placement with either facilities or individuals in need. Impact100 funding will allow Retrieving Independence to place up to five new facility dog teams in Middle Tennessee schools and youth-serving organizations over the next 12-24 months at no cost to the recipient organization, and provide the first years worth of expenses for each dog placed. This investment directly reduces our current waitlist, expands student access to supportive canine partners, and strengthens both educational and health outcomes.

📄 Link to Flyer
🖥️ Link to Slides
🔗 Link to Website

 

Members Voting Information

Only 2025 Impact100 Members can participate in voting.

🟣 Are you absentee voting?
You may submit your absentee ballot before the event. Here is how:

  1. This evening, look for an email with the subject line: “Vote now: It’s The Big Give 2025!
    • Be sure to check your spam folder.
    • It will be sent to the email account you have registered with Impact100
    • Look for an email coming from Impact100 Nashville via “noreply@electionrunner.com
  2. Click the link in that email to cast your vote by 5:00 PM CT on Thursday, November 13.

🟣 Are you attending The Big Give?
You will want to wait to submit your vote until after hearing the finalists present live. It is a very exciting night, and there is an opportunity for Q and A after each presentation.