Frequently Asked Questions
What if I cannot attend a meeting?
If you cannot attend a meeting you can do one of three things:
1) You can send in a blank, signed cheque with a trusted friend to the meeting (preferred). Your friend will write in the name of the charity that is chosen on the cheque and give it to the organizers on your behalf. Your friend may not vote on your behalf. We can only count the votes of members who are present at the meeting;
– OR –
2) You can submit your donation online, through our 100 WWCRW Fundraising Page with our online donation partner CanadaHelps.
Select the charity, make a $104 donation (the extra $4 covers processing fees so the charity receives the full benefit of your $100 donation), and fill out the required information.
You will instantly receive a tax receipt via email from Canada Helps. (Note: Please use the link from our website when making your donation. This ensures the funds go to the specific project being funded by 100 WWCRW.)
– OR–
3) If your aren’t able to send your donation with a friend and aren’t comfortable making your donation online after the meeting, you will receive an email announcing the chosen charity and a mailing address to which you should send your cheque. you can use this information to complete your cheque with the charity’s name and send it to the address provided. (Note: never send a blank signed cheque in the mail.)
Please send your outstanding cheques to us promptly, to guarantee that we can make the group’s donation in a timely fashion.
Who can nominate a charity?
Any member of 100 WWCRW can nominate a charity. However, she must complete our online Charity Nomination Form at least two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting. Alternatively, an email can be sent to contact@100wwcrw.com. If chosen by random draw, the nominating member then makes a simple presentation on behalf of the charity.
Who presents on behalf of the charity?
The member who made the nomination will be informed a week before the meeting that their charity has been chosen for consideration. This allows plenty of time to fine tune your presentation to the group. Here are tips on how to present your selected charity at a meeting.
I want to nominate, but I’m nervous about speaking in public. What should I do?
Most people don’t enjoy public speaking. However, you are amongst friends and th passion that you feel about your charity will sway the voters much more than your public speaking skills. Here are tips on how to present your selected charity at a meeting.
If you really don’t want to speak in public, please speak with another member about nominating and presenting for your charity of choice. For consistency’s sake, our “the nominator presents” rule stands.
Do I have to nominate a charity?
No, members do not have to nominate a charity, but are welcome to using the process above.
How do charities get in the running?
Each member of 100 WWCRW is able to nominate local charities of their choosing. The charity must serve the populations of Rural Wellington and surrounding area, and must be a registered charity to be eligible for consideration.
The member must submit her completed nomination form at least two weeks prior to the event in order to have it vetted as eligible and added to the “hat” from which we randomly draw three names. If your charity is chosen by the group, you are then free to nominate another charity. Non-winning charities go back into the hat for another chance.
Helpful tip: A charity CAN be nominated by multiple members. This increases their chances of being drawn for consideration. We must always have three different charities for our members to consider voting for, but multiple nominations for one charity does tip the hat in that charity’s favour to be drawn as one of the three. Please note: the member’s name on the ticket drawn is the person who comes up to speak for the charity, i.e. every member that nominates a charity must themselves be willing and able to get up and speak about why our group should vote for that charity and be able to answer questions from the group.
We know from other jurisdictions that there is a benefit to all three charities considered at each meeting, because of the exposure each one gains from this opportunity. These charities may expect to gain some volunteers and/or donations from people who simply did not know about them before! Remember, many of our members are joining so that they can learn more about our local charities. This is a great way to do it!
The charity that is selected to receive our group’s donation will be invited to the next meeting to give a five minute speech on how our donation was spent and the impact that was made.
Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes, as only registered charities will be sponsored by the group. Cheques are written directly to the charitable organization and NOT to 100WWCRW. Tax receipts will be issued directly by the charitable organization.
How is the organization that receives the group donation chosen?
A random draw will After the opening remarks, three charities will be chosen out of the hat, and the nominating member will be asked to make a short, simple presentation in favour of their charity. The membership in attendance then vote for the chosen charity, and the charity with the most votes wins. If your charity is chosen, you are then free to nominate another one, otherwise you will follow the same procedure at the next meeting for another chance.
We encourage members to participate by submitting the names of local, needy, charitable organizations!
Can I just send the donation to the charity myself?
Because the goal of 100 WWCRW is to make a large donation on behalf of the whole group, the answer is no. We want to be able to support this endeavour and give $10,000+ dollars at a time to make a large impact in our communities with each member’s donation being part of the larger donation. This is the power of joining forces!
How long do the meetings last?
Meetings are intended to be very short and no longer than 60 minutes. There will be a networking opportunity from 6:30 to 7:00 PM. The meetings will start at 7 PM sharp and be finished by 8 PM. Please bring your own beverage and stack your chair at the end of the meeting.
Are you capping the membership at 100 women?
Absolutely not! 100 is a nice round number, but it’s only the beginning. We’d be very excited to make an even bigger impact in our communities so keep spreading the word and encouraging all the great women you know to sign up too.
Can I bring a friend to the meeting?
Of course you can! We are always seeking women who care! However, in order to vote she will need to sign a Commitment Form and become a member. Otherwise she is free to observe and contribute a donation if she likes.
Does any of my donation go to administration costs of 100 Women Who Care Rural Wellington?
100 WWCRW is organized and operated entirely by volunteers. 100% of the money raised at our meetings goes directly to the selected organizations!
What do you do with my personal information?
100 WWCRW collects your personal information (including name, address, email address, phone number) strictly for the purpose of maintaining our membership list, and contacting you about important chapter events. Your name and address are supplied to the chosen charity for the purposes of issuing a tax receipt only. The chosen charity agrees to not use your information for further solicitation, and to not share any of your information with any third party, except for tax purposes. 100 WWCRW will not sell, give or otherwise share your personal information without your express consent, unless required by law.
How long does my membership last?
When you sign a Commitment Form, we ask for an original commitment of one year. At the end of that year, we continue to list you as a member until you inform us otherwise. If at any time you wish to withdraw from 100 WWCRW, just fill out the Resign Your Membership form under the Membership tab and we will remove you from our contact list.
What about national and international causes?
We care deeply about many national and international causes, but our focus is here in Rural Wellington and surrounding area. IF we were to consider supporting a National organization, it would only be under the agreement that our funds would stay here in Rural Wellington and surrounding area.
Didn’t find an answer to your question?
Get in touch through our Contact page. We’d love to hear from you!