Frequently Asked Questions
Where did 100+ Women originate?
100+ Women Who Care was originated in November of 2006 by Karen Dunigan of Jackson, Michigan. At their first 1 hour meeting, that group of 100 women raised $10,000 to buy 300 new baby cribs for an organization in their city.
Their membership has now grown to nearly 300 members! Other cities in numerous states have formed groups
and we think the Western Reserve deserves a chapter.
How long has 100 + WWC been in the Western Reserve area?
100+ Women Who Care: Western Reserve is a chapter founded in November 2010 by Ginger Azzolina, Mari Hageman,
Mary Hogan, Laura Mackey and Patty Weingart.
Which organizations are allowed to be sponsored?
In order to be considered at a meeting, the organization must be based in the Western Reserve / Greater Cleveland
area serving Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga and Portage counties. The organization must be a non-profit entity recognized as a 501(c)(3) and must have been previously established (no start-ups). No national or international charities, programs or
organizations will be considered as our purpose is to keep our contributions within the local community.
What is a 501(c)(3)?
A 501(c)(3) is defined as "exemptions that apply to corporations, and any community chest, fund or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, educational purposes, to foster national or international amateur sports competition, promote the arts, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals."
However, for the purposes of 100+ Women Who Care: Western Reserve, all groups up for consideration must be local.
Is my contribution tax deductible?
Yes, your contribution is fully tax deductible if made payable to a 501(c) (3) organization.
Checks are written directly to the local organization, NOT to 100+ Women Who Care.
Please contact your tax adviser or visit the IRS Website for further information.
How is the organization that receives the donation chosen?
A member who has signed the Commitment Form can put the name of a local organization into the fishbowl for a random drawing at the meeting. The organizers of the meeting will collect the names of the organizations from the members as they arrive. At random, three organizations will be selected from the fishbowl. The members who wrote down each name will be asked to come up and give a five minute presentation as to why their chosen organization should receive the donation,
and then there is a five minutes Q & A. We encourage all members to actively participate by submitting the names
of local, worthy, charitable organizations. There are so many worthy groups in our area to be considered.
What if I cannot attend a meeting?
If a member cannot attend a meeting, she can do one of two things. She can send in a blank, signed check with a trusted friend to the meeting (preferred). The friend will write in the name of the charity that is chosen on the check and give it to the organizers on her behalf. However, that friend may not vote on behalf of the absent member. We can only count the votes of members who are present at the meeting. The member may also check the website under Selected Charities/Meeting Minutes for information on where to send her check.
Can I just send the donation to the charity myself?
The goal of the 100+ Women Who Care organization is to make a large donation on behalf of the whole group.
We want to be able to support this endeavor and give $10,000+ dollars at a time to make a large impact in our
community, with each member's donation being part of the larger donation. Therefore, we ask that you submit
your check to 100 WWC and we will present all of the checks at the same time.
How long do the meetings last?
Meetings are intended to be short and efficient, generally lasting approximately 45 minutes but no longer than 60 minutes.
Plan on arriving early to take care of any commitment forms so that we can begin each meeting promptly at 7 P.M.
All charities to be considered must be submitted by 7:10pm.
Can I bring a friend to the meeting?
Of course you can! We welcome any and all observers in the hope that they will see the value in our mission
and join our group. However, in order to vote, a visitor will need to sign a Commitment Form and become a member
before voting at the meeting.
What if I cannot afford the $400 yearly commitment?
You can build a team of up to four women to meet the $400 yearly commitment. Each team will have one vote per quarterly meeting. The team may submit a single charity for consideration. Any member of the team may make a presentation.
