The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids has announced that NewBoCo, Trees Forever, and Willis Dady Homeless Services will each pitch for a chance at $100,000 in funding, as part of this year’s Grand Impact luncheon on May 12.
According to a news release, the three nonprofits will present a transformative project to an audience including representatives from this year’s 50 donor businesses, who will ask questions and vote for their favorite pitch.
The winner will leave the event with $100,000 in funding for their project. NewBoCo, Trees Forever, and Willis Dady were among the dozens of nonprofits that submitted for the opportunity, and were selected by judges based on their projects’ potential impact and financial sustainability.
Last year’s winner was Together We Achieve, which was formed in the aftermath of the 2020 derecho.
“We were inspired by the creativity and commitment each applicant brought to the table— narrowing it down to three finalists was no easy task for our judges,” said Grand Impact Chair Jennifer Welton, in the release. “We can’t wait to see these three nonprofits take the stage and share their transformative ideas with our business leaders.”
The Grand Impact will be held on Monday, May 12, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Cedar Rapids. The public is invited to attend this event, but must pre-register and pay for lunch ($50) at rotaryclubofcedarrapids.org/event/2025-grand-impact-event. The deadline to register is Monday, May 5.
