EDITORIAL: Charity for charities

Las Vegas Valley charitable organizations still feel the sting of the Great Recession. Demand for services is as high as it’s ever been for nonprofits, but funding — donations are the lifeblood of such organizations — remains a struggle.

If Impact Las Vegas has its way, that will change starting this year. As reported by Jan Hogan of View Neighborhood Newspapers, the women-only nonprofit aims to bolster the coffers of one charity in June and many more in the years to come.

Impact Las Vegas has modeled itself after Impact Austin in Texas. Each group pools its annual member dues for distribution to deserving organizations; Austin’s group has more than 500 members who pay annual dues of $1,000, which allows it to give five $100,000 grants each year.

Impact Las Vegas is in its first year and has 13 members, meaning its initial grant will total $13,000. “By combining (the dues), we can give a bigger grant than any one of us could do on our own. None of us have to be in the position (of) Elaine Wynn or Melinda Gates or any of those kinds of people,” said group founder Maureen Romito. Indeed, the $1,000 membership fee works out to about $40 per paycheck, an amount Ms. Romito says is manageable for many women.

Ms. Romito hopes to make the huge jump next year to a $100,000 award and envisions matching the Austin group eventually, with five $100,000 grants yearly. The Austin metropolitan area has a population of around 1.85 million; there are about 2 million people in Clark County.

There is no shortage of worthy beneficiaries in this community. Impact Las Vegas (impact-lv.org) deserves much credit not only for stepping forward with a bold vision and different approach to help those in need, but for doing so amid a challenging fundraising environment. Here’s hoping this model is successful.