October 24, 2025
Impact100 Houston is pleased to announce its five nonprofit finalists for 2025:
Arts & Culture: Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft stands as a beacon of creativity and inclusion in our region, one of the few institutions nationwide dedicated solely to contemporary craft. Its exhibits and programs spark curiosity and broaden understanding of the artistry behind clay, fiber, glass, metal, and wood—demystifying the craft process and celebrating the makers behind each unique piece.
Deeply committed to breaking down barriers to the arts, the Center welcomes people of all backgrounds and ages through its free, hands-on educational and community programs. These experiences are designed not only to introduce participants to the beauty and complexity of craft but also to empower children to explore, create, and think critically. Kids dive into tactile projects that encourage them to ask questions, try new techniques, and develop problem-solving skills—all while discovering the joy of artistic exploration. Through seasonal festivals, Craft Garden workshops, Spring Break drop-ins, summer camps, and monthly family programs, around 9,000 community members each year participate in these programs where creativity and learning flourish, regardless of financial means.
The Center’s school outreach program ensures that students from low-income schools have the chance to engage with contemporary craft through free access, transportation, and materials. Resident artists, in turn, share their expertise and passion with the students and Houston community, inspiring the next generation while honing their own teaching and leadership abilities.
An Impact100 Houston grant would further amplify these educational and community opportunities – removing cost barriers so every child can experience the transformative power of art, and ensuring that no one is left out of Houston’s vibrant creative community.
Education: Literacy Now
Literacy Now (originally known as Making It Better) is dedicated to empowering children and families in Houston’s underserved communities by fostering literacy and essential life skills. Its vision is to ensure every child reads at grade level, and, since 2006, Literacy Now has impacted more than 26,000 children and families through programs centered on reading readiness, intervention, parent engagement, and mentorship. With only 27% of Houston-area 3rd graders reading on grade level, its mission is as critical as ever.
The heart of its work is its one-of-a-kind Reading Intervention program, which delivers 25 weeks of individualized, small-group instruction to nearly 900 K-5th grade students in Title 1 schools annually. Staffed by highly trained interventionists, the program uses research-based curricula to help students master foundational reading skills, build confidence, and become independent readers. Literacy Now engages parents with hands-on workshops, books, and supplies to support literacy at home, recognizing a parent’s role as a child’s first teacher. The student population it serves is diverse—45% Hispanic, 40% African American, 6% Asian, 6% multi-racial, and 3% White—with over 93% from low-income households and typically one to two years behind in reading.
An Impact100 Houston grant would enable Literacy Now to expand its Reading Intervention program, reaching more struggling young readers and their families, and removing barriers to educational success. Its aim is to close achievement gaps, improve graduation rates, and build a stronger, more literate Houston community.
Environment: The Woods Project
The Woods Project is dedicated to empowering Houston high school students from underserved communities through transformative wilderness experiences. Since 2006, The Woods Project has provided year-round outdoor education programs designed to foster leadership, teamwork, resilience, and academic motivation for youth who might otherwise lack access to the benefits of nature. Its mission is to help students develop critical life skills, self-confidence, and the tools needed for college, career, and lifelong success.
Each year, The Woods Project serves over 500 students ages 14 to 18, with signature summer immersion trips taking students backpacking and paddling in places like Olympic National Park (WA), Desolation Wilderness (CA), Lost Creek Wilderness (CO), and the Apostle Islands (WI). Through after-school clubs, weekend camping trips, service projects, and the Junior Leaders Program for alumni, participants learn camping and survival skills, practice environmental stewardship, and engage in hands-on citizen science and self-reflection. These programs are led by trained volunteers who inspire youth to step outside their comfort zones, build positive peer relationships, and discover new strengths.
The organization’s community impact is profound: students return with increased resilience, self-esteem, and academic engagement. The program especially benefits young people of color from low-income households—over 90% of participants are Latino or African American. Despite rising costs, The Woods Project remains committed to eliminating barriers by providing transportation and substantial fee subsidies, ensuring equitable access for all participants.
With an Impact100 Houston grant, The Woods Project would support critical operating expenses, including transportation, gear, permits, and volunteer training, allowing even more Houston youth to experience the life-changing power of wilderness immersion and personal growth.
Family: AVDA – Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse
Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse (AVDA) is a multilingual, culturally responsive nonprofit dedicated to ending family violence in Houston and the surrounding area. For 45 years, AVDA has advocated for the safety and self-determination of survivors, promoted accountability for abusers, and fostered a community response to domestic abuse. AVDA’s holistic approach centers on three core programs: the Legal Advocacy Program, which provides free civil legal representation for survivors of domestic abuse—including protective orders, divorce, custody, and child support—alongside trauma counseling and victim advocacy; the Battering Intervention and Prevention Program, an 18-week psychoeducational initiative for abusers that encourages accountability and behavior change; and the Community Awareness and Prevention Program, which educates youth and adults about the signs of abuse and promotes healthy relationships.
AVDA’s impact is far-reaching, having helped more than 100,000 survivors secure safety and rebuild their lives. In 2024, AVDA assisted over 2,500 survivors in Harris County, providing legal representation, trauma counseling, and critical resources. The majority of AVDA’s clients are women and children from diverse backgrounds, with a significant portion living below the poverty line and facing language barriers. Domestic violence remains an urgent crisis in Harris County, which accounts for nearly a quarter of all cases statewide.
With an Impact100 Houston grant, AVDA would strengthen its Legal Advocacy Program, enabling more survivors to access free legal support, bilingual advocacy, and trauma-informed care. This support is crucial for empowering victims to achieve safety, stability, and healing, thereby fostering safer homes and communities throughout Harris County.
Health & Wellness: San Jose Clinic
San José Clinic (SJC), established in 1922, is dedicated to improving health outcomes and promoting health equity for Houston’s underserved populations by providing high-quality, compassionate healthcare and education. As one of Texas’s oldest safety-net clinics, San Jose Clinic serves uninsured and low-income individuals who live at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level, many of whom do not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare and lack employer-based insurance. Through its two locations, the Clinic delivers comprehensive primary and specialty care across 20 disciplines—including gynecology, cardiology, mental health, and more—as well as pharmacy, dental, diagnostic, and disease management services.
The Clinic’s impact is far-reaching, addressing critical gaps in access to care for Houston’s uninsured, who represent more than a quarter of the city’s population. Its holistic, multidisciplinary approach extends beyond medical services, offering support such as affordable medications, transportation assistance, and essential supplies to help patients adhere to treatment and achieve better health outcomes. Survivors of human trafficking frequently present with severe oral health issues as a result of prolonged neglect, malnutrition, physical abuse, and lack of access to preventive care. San Jose Clinic’s innovative Human Trafficking Survivor Program delivers trauma-informed care and case management to survivors completely free of charge, helping them achieve stability and rebuild their lives.
With an Impact 100 Houston grant, San José Clinic would expand and sustain its Human Trafficking Survivor Program, reducing waitlists and improving access to high-quality, trauma-informed dental care. It strives to ensure that every survivor referred to the Clinic receives timely and culturally-sensitive support, with a targeted focus on closing the critical gap in dental services.