How Do I Nominate a Charity?
Members can only nominate charities through their online member profile. If you have not set up your profile or are having difficulty logging in, please contact us at 100womenhalifax@gmail.com. If you would like to BECOME a member so you can support the wonderful and inspiring work done by local charities and non-profit organizations, please click on “Join Us” in the menu above.
How do charities, and grassroots non-profit organizations in the HRM get involved?
Charities must be nominated by a member of 100 Women Who Care Halifax to be considered. We invite organizations to join our LinkedIn group, follow us on Twitter, share with us on Pinterest and like us on Facebook. Here organizations can educate 100 Women Who Care Halifax members and those following us about their projects. Many members are looking for a charitable cause to nominate and find info within our socail media discussions and posts. If charities follow along on social media the night of the event they will get an idea of the excitement and what is happening as it takes place.
Which charitable organizations are eligible for consideration by the group?
In order to be considered at a meeting, the organization/charity must be based in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). It must be a registered not-for-profit or charitable organization eligible to provide tax receipts for donations. It must be previously established for at least 1 year (no start-ups). No national or international charities, programs or organizations will be considered at this time as the current focus is on contributing to our local community. An organization that is selected for the group donation may not be considered again. The exception is a specific program within a large organization (for example a specific department or program within a hospital), which may be considered again after one year for a different program or department. Members nominate a charitable organization for consideration upon registering to join our Halifax Chapter. Nominations are entered into a draw and 3 are selected and vetted prior to the event. Representatives are asked to make a 5 minute presentation at the meeting and members vote. The organization with the greatest number of votes is the recipient of the funds and is removed from the selection process in the future.
How Does 100 Women Who Care Halifax Define a “Grass Roots Organization?”
In the initial planning stages of getting 100 Women Who Care Halifax up-and-running, Colette Robicheau and Dr. Jennifer Salib Huber wanted to provide a platform for smaller grassroots organizations and efforts. They understand that many smaller organizations are so busy providing to others that they don’t have the time, experience or dedicated personnel to look for funding.
100 Women Who Care Halifax is meant to even the playing field. No PowerPoint presentations, no brochures – just five minutes to tell members why an organization deserves our donation. We felt strongly that we could provide both a forum for funding, and a way to better educate the HRM on many of the many charitable organizations that exist here. We’re told by members, recipients and presenters alike that they have learned about organizations and good work done locally that they knew nothing about.
It has become obvious to us during conversations with organizations and members that there are several definitions and ideas of what “grassroots” actually means. After much deliberation we made the decision to expand on our initial definition of “grassroots”. And after looking over various definitions, have come to accept grassroots as “driven by a community on a local level” – and ultimately it is our members’ votes that decide where our funds should go.
In order to be eligible to present to our membership, nominated charities must meet the following criteria:
1) Must be a registered non-profit or charitable organization that’s eligible to provide a tax receipt for donations.
2) Must be established for at least one year (NO start-ups).
3) If a national or international charity, 100% of the money they would receive from us MUST go back into the HRM. It can be used to start a new initiative, but no funds are to be spent outside of the Halifax Regional Municipality. Organizations will be asked if this is possible when vetted, and if it is not, they will be removed from the nomination pool.
How is the organization that receives the group donation chosen?
When a member registers she can nominate a name of a local organization into the hat for a random drawing prior to the meeting. The organizers of the meeting will collect the names of the organizations and three organizations will be selected at random one week before the event. Members of the three organizations will be contacted and asked to give a short five minute presentation at the meeting as to why thier organization should receive the donation. We encourage members to participate by submitting the names of local, needy, charitable organizations!
What Should I Expect at a Meeting?
You are greeted by a volunteer and asked to sign in at the registration desk. We like to keep track of our member’s attendance as you enter so we can reconcile donations more quickly at the end of the evening. There will be a cash bar and some munchies. We may ask you if you would like to have your photo taken and/ or a short video of why you became a member. This is totally voluntary.
Order of Events
5:00 Registration, networking and bar opens
5:45 We move to the meeting room
6:00 Presentation begins
– Opening remarks
– How evening and voting will happen
– Announce our 3 Charitable organization finalists
– Charitable organization Presentations – 5 minutes each, no PowerPoint or collateral materials
– Voting and tabulation – each member receives a ballot and they circle 1,2 or 3
– Update presentation from last meeting’s recipient
– Announce the selected recipient (most votes)
– Announce the next venue
7:00 Post event reception- cash bar and check collection/drop off
What if I Can’t Attend a Meeting?
If you can’t make it to our next meeting, please take a moment to let us know! You can do that by visiting our Meeting Regrets page. Click here to let us know how you’ll be honouring your donation commitment.
Ways to honour your donation commitment:
- Drop your cheque off to either Colette Robicheau (5860 Livingstone St, Halifax) or mail it/drop it off to Pillars of Health (#1-10 Portland St, Dartmouth) before the meeting.
- Send a blank cheque and a self-addressed unsealed envelop with another member.
- NEVER put 100 Women in the “to” section – leave it blank and we will fill in the selected charity for you!
Check our website and your membership newsletter after the meeting for the online donation link
Can I bring a friend to the meeting?
Our meetings and receptions are members only. We are always seeking additional women who care! So if you bring a friend along who wants to join we will have her sign a Commitment Form at registration when she arrives. She can also register ahead of time right here on the website.
Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes, as only registered not-for-profit and charitable organizations will be sponsored by the group. Cheques are written directly to the charitable organization and NOT to 100 Women Who Care Halifax. Tax receipts will be issued directly by the charitable organization.
Can I just send the donation to the charity myself?
Because the goal of 100 Women Who Care Halifax is to make a large donation on behalf of the whole group, the answer is no. 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. This is the power of joining forces! We also need to be able to track your donations so that you get credit for the donation and remain eligible for submitting charities and voting at meetings.
Does any of my donations go to administration costs of 100 Women Who Care Halifax?
Absolutely not! 100 Women Who Care Halifax is organized and operated entirely by volunteers. 100% of the money raised at our meetings goes directly to the selected organizations!
How does 100 Women Who Care communicate with members?
The website will have the most up to date info at all times. New members will receive a confirmation from 100womenhalifax@gmail.com within a week of joining. If you have not received it please contact us. We also update Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin . We make every effort to reach you but sometimes your security settings prohibit us from getting things to you. If you change your email address please let us know.
Should you wish to discontinue membership at any time, please send an e-mail to 100womenhalifax@gmail.com indicating your withdrawal.
How long has 100 Women Who Care Halifax been in existence?
Jennifer Salib Huber and Colette Robicheau were immediately drawn to the idea after hearing about 100 Women Who Care. The planning for the Halifax chapter started in November 2012 with the first meeting taking place on March 3, 2013. We are thrilled that the idea has caught on and so many chapters have formed across the Maritime provinces and Ontario.
What do you do with my personal information?
100 Women Who Care Halifax collects your personal information (including name, address, email address, phone number) strictly for the purpose of maintaining our membership list. 100 Women Who Care Halifax will not sell, give or otherwise share your personal information without your express consent, unless required by law. We do like to recognize our members via social media and other venues. If a member would like to remain anonymous they must let us know at the time of joining.