For 100 Shares Tampa Bay, 2016 was a year to refine and personalize the procedures and systems that guide the functional aspects of carrying out the mission to invest in local faith-based charities that share the Gospel and serve those in need.

The year was marked by growth in several key areas. The organization grew in number to 43 partners by the end of 2016. The annual grant amount grew to $50,000 annually. The Board of Advisors grew to 11 very involved women by the year's end. Growth in these key areas are indicators of a gathering momentum that is projected to further strengthen our organization which, by many standards, is still a new presence in our community.

The most important reason that 100 Shares Tampa Bay exists is to foster the next step of growth in established local ministries by awarding significant grants to qualified organizations. Having identified four semi-finalists in the fall of 2015, site visits were conducted and in April, 2016, 100 Shares Tampa Bay awarded a $50,000 grant to Christian Outreach Center. The grant was used to expand their transportation capacity so that more children could be served by the ministry.

In 2016, 100 Shares revised procedures related to the grant application process by instituting a required Letter of Intent to be submitted prior to submission of a full-fledged grant application. This additional step was added to better steward and safeguard the valuable time of those in ministry so that organizations that do not meet the established criteria do not go through the extensive process of building a full grant application. In June, 2016, 18 Letters of Intent were received from local applicants. After thorough review of these letters, invitations were issued to 11 qualified organizations to submit a full grant application. From the 11 grant applications received, four semi-finalists were chosen: Good Samaritan Mission, The Next Stepp Life Center, Created Women and Fresh Start Ministries and Mentoring. These ministries were introduced to the partnership in October, 2016 and the grant of up to $50,000 will be awarded on April 27, 2017.

While 100 Shares Tampa Bay is an independent organization fully governed by local community members, it was patterned after 100 Shares Atlanta, the pioneer organization that has been in existence for over 10 years. The support, encouragement and best practices offered by 100 Shares Atlanta has been a key driver in the success our local group has had in its fledgling years of existence. In the third quarter of 2016, the 100 Shares Tampa Bay Board of Advisors conducted a full review and revision of the organization's by-laws in order to bring our by-laws in alignment with the modifications we have made as we build our own identity and continue to tailor our operations to our local community.