Since September 2017, 100womensouthgeorgiantriangle.com has raised over $200,000 for 13 different local charities.
The group is now in their fourth year (currently with virtual meetings), and from a starting group of six members there are now around 170 active participants. Each participant donates $100 four times a year to four different registered local charities. This means 170 times $100 ($17,000) is raised in one hour. These charities service local needs from Meaford to Creemore to Wasaga, the Georgian Triangle.
Each meeting lasts just one hour, and no expenses are involved as all monies go directly to the selected charity. When in-person meetings resume, they are held at the Legion in Collingwood, where the space is donated at no cost.
This past September, Beaver Valley Outreach in Thornbury was selected and received $17,200 towards their Christmas Hamper program. At the most recent meeting on November 25, Home Horizon was chosen, which has a SAFE project offering shelter to homeless youth.
How it works:
- Participants are asked to commit to four $100 donations a year.
- As a member, one can nominate any local registered charity in the South Georgian Triangle.
- Nominations go into a bag and 3 names are drawn for each meeting.
- The selected nominees make a ten-minute verbal presentation about their charity.
- Members vote and the chosen charity receives $100 from each member by cheque or through Canada Helps.
- Each member receives a charitable donation receipt after each meeting.
- The two nominees who are not selected go back into the draw for the next meeting. The chosen charity may be renominated after three years.
- If members cannot attend a meeting, they will receive an email with news of who has been chosen, making it simple to donate via the Canada Helps site.
- Currently 24 different charities have been nominated since 2017 by some 40 of the 170 members. A charity can be nominated by more than one member increasing the chances for the draw.
- The group learns about the community and connects across the region.
The organization is always seeking more to join.
“Imagine: with 200 members we could raise $20,000 in one hour. There is also a local 100 Men Who Care chapter, which recently donated to Live Events, another local group,” said organizers.
The next meeting is March 24, 7 to 8 p.m., Zoom meeting
For more information:
https://www.100womensouthgeorgiantriangle.com
Registrar: 100wwcsgt@gmail.com
