Women’s giving circle is seeking Manchester members and charities
Women of Manchester, Chelsea, Dexter, Grass Lake, and Stockbridge are invited to join giving circle
submitted by April Gasbarre, 100 Women Who Care-Chelsea Area
100 Women Who Care-Chelsea Area is seeking members interested in supporting charitable efforts in Manchester, Chelsea, Dexter, Grass Lake, Stockbridge and adjacent townships. With the minimal time commitment of only three hours a year, members can make a major impact in their community by participating in this giving circle.
The group’s first-ever Impact Award meeting was held via Zoom on October 6, 2020. Of the six charities nominated by members, three were chosen at random. Each of the three charities had seven minutes to make the best case for their mission to the membership, giving all in attendance valuable insight into their vital contributions to the community. After all the presentations were finished, the members were invited to cast their ballots and Faith in Action, who received the majority, was the recipient of the evening’s $5,660 Impact Award.
The next meeting is scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, February 2, 2021 when the membership will again hear from three charities selected at random from the five charities that are still eligible, along with others nominated by the membership in the next few weeks.
In the meantime, there are high hopes that membership, which stands at 70, will grow to the 100 members suggested by its name, allowing the giving circle to make $10,000 awards to deserving local charities. Women interested in joining can find all the details at www.100wwcchelsea.org along with the list of nominated charities and information on how a member can nominate a charity of their own choosing.
There are also high hopes that members will nominate non-profit organizations from Manchester, Chelsea, Dexter, Grass Lake, Stockbridge, and adjacent townships. Eligible charities currently include: Chelsea Depot Foundation, Chelsea Education Foundation, Chelsea Senior Center, St. Louis Center for Exceptional Children and Adults, and Washtenaw Literacy.
About 100 Women Who Care-Chelsea Area
100 Women Who Care-Chelsea Area is based on the simple concept of bringing local women together to make maximum impact in a minimal amount of time. Meetings in February, June, and October are only one hour each, and in that one hour, members select a local charity and thousands of dollars are raised for that non-profit organization. There’s no volunteering, no telemarketing, no event planning, no silent auction item donations to solicit – just the joy of giving back to our own community.
Women may join as individuals who commit to a year of meetings, donating $100 at each meeting to the chosen charity. They may also form teams that share the $100 donation as well as a single vote at each meeting. Only members may nominate a charity, which must be a 501(c)3 organization (or formally sponsored by one) that serves Manchester, Chelsea, Dexter, Grass Lake, Stockbridge or adjacent townships. Nominations must be submitted at least fourteen days in advance of the next meeting.
One week prior to a meeting, three charities are chosen at random from the published list of eligible charities. Then on the night of the meeting, a representative of each of those three charities must make a time-limited “elevator speech” to persuade members to vote for their charity. After the three presentations, everyone votes, and the majority determines that night’s recipient. Members then write checks directly to the winning charity. At the following meeting, the membership will hear back from the previous award recipient on how the Impact Award was put to use.
Membership is open to any woman who is interested in making a difference. The more members, the more money for local charities.
To learn more, become a member, and nominate a charity for consideration, go to www.100WWCChelsea.org, search for 100 Women Who Care-Chelsea on Facebook, or email info@100WWCChelsea.org.
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