FAQs About Women Who Care
Q. What is Women Who Care of Branch County, MI?
A. It is an alliance of busy women who want to make a difference and can commit to a small amount of time and money four times per year to streamline fundraising for local agencies, organizations, and charities.
Q. How does it work?
A. Each member commits to four meetings per year, one per quarter, and commits to writing a $100 check to a worthy cause at each meeting. Each member agrees to write a check to the elected charity even if they are not particularly fond of the charity.
Q: How long are the meetings?
A: Sign-in begins at 5 pm. The meeting begins promptly at 5:30 pm and ends no later than 6:30 pm.
Q. How do the charities get selected?
A. When members sign in, they may enter their charity by filling out a nomination slip and placing it in the nomination box. At the beginning of the meeting, three slips will be pulled from the box and the three members that nominated the charities will each get five minutes to tell the members why they should vote to give the money to that charity. The presenter will also have five minutes for the group to ask questions.
Q: If I become a member, do I have to present a charity?
A: No. As a member, you can simply hear about the charities, ask any questions, and then cast your vote. You can nominate a charity at any meeting, and if your nomination is drawn, you must be the one to present to the group.
Q: What happens if I can’t attend a meeting?
A: You still write a check to the chosen charity and send it to Marie Wilber at Nichols Accounting, 50 S. Division St., Coldwater, MI 49036. An email will be sent the day after the meeting letting you know what charity was selected. You may also vote by proxy by sending your check with another member to the meeting. That member will receive two ballots only if they have your check with them or a note/message indicating that they are your proxy.
Q. How is the winning charity chosen?
A. Once all three members have presented, the group will be asked to vote by filling out a ballot with the charity's name; they will be counted, and the majority wins. The winner will be announced and everyone writes a check payable to the organization right then an there. Checks will be collected and presented directly to the charity after the meeting by a representative of the group.
Q: Can any charity qualify for the money?
A: The charity, organization, or agency must be an IRS qualified non-profit, a 501(c)3
Q. Is there any way that I can nominate a really worthy cause that is not a registered 501(c)3?
A. Yes. If the worthy cause can be taken under the umbrella of a qualified 501(c)3 as one of their projects, the program can be nominated an checks would be written to the representing 501(c)3 for the benefit of the program.
Q: Can women join at any time?
A: Yes. This is an on-going group.
Q. When a charity is elected, does the actual charity present?
A. No. The nominations and presentations are done by the members only.
Q: If I nominate a charity, how will I know what to present?
A. There is a talking points handout that you can use to interview the charity before a meeting. It provides key points that you might ask to be better informed when you present. Don't feel pressure to make a "perfect" presentation. It is best to give the information an speak from the heart.
Q: Why can’t a CEO or Executive Director of the organization nominate and present for their own charity?
A: The CEO and Executive Director are most likely well-informed and eloquent speakers. We want to keep the playing field even, in that all presenters are on the same level. Members may be intimidated about speaking if they feel they are being compare to leaders who are knowledgeable about their organization. Other employees, board members, or volunteers of the charity may nominate and present. Using the talking points with the CEO or Executive Director before the meeting will help members present on behalf of the organization.
Q. Can someone else present for me if my nomination is drawn?
A. No. The nominating member MUST present and MUST be the one to answer the questions to the best of their knowledge during the Q&A portion.
Q: During the Q&A part of the presentation, can members make commentary about an organization?
A: No. Members must form a question for the presenter to answer.
Q. How does the member get a tax deduction?
A. The charity must agree to send a thank you note an receipt to each member after the donation is made. The charity must also sign an agreement that they WILL NOT use any of the information from the checks to solicit further donations in the future.
Q: Does this group compete with service clubs in the area?
A: No. This group does not do the work or participate in projects. Our only goal is to facilitate the fund-raising for other charities, agencies, and organizations. Service clubs are eligible to be the recipients of our funds.
Q. How often can a charity be presented?
A. As often as their nominations are pulled from the nomination box until they are the recipient of the money, and then they will have a two year waiting period before they are eligible again.
Q. Is any of the money retained by the Women Who Care group?
A. No. We do not handle the money. Checks are written directly to the organizations.
Q. Does all the money stay in Branch County?
A. Yes. This is one of the requirements. The recipients must be residents of Branch County.
Q. How will the group be informed about how our donations have been used by the selected charity?
A. After a charity receives the money, a representative will come to our next meeting and tell us how our contributions have impacted their charity, and how lives have been changed.
Q. Is there a limit on the number of members allowed?
A. No. The more members there are, the more money we will be able to provide to worthy charities.
Q. How was this group formed?
A. This group took its lead from the Women Who Care of Kalamazoo. Diana Butler ran into one of the co-founders of the Kalamazoo group at a business function and brought the idea back to Marie Wilber and Sherry Haylett who immediately said, "Let's do it, I'm in!" They recruited other women who also said they were in to launch the first meeting in February of 2014.
More FAQs can be found on the Women Who Care Facebook page.
A. It is an alliance of busy women who want to make a difference and can commit to a small amount of time and money four times per year to streamline fundraising for local agencies, organizations, and charities.
Q. How does it work?
A. Each member commits to four meetings per year, one per quarter, and commits to writing a $100 check to a worthy cause at each meeting. Each member agrees to write a check to the elected charity even if they are not particularly fond of the charity.
Q: How long are the meetings?
A: Sign-in begins at 5 pm. The meeting begins promptly at 5:30 pm and ends no later than 6:30 pm.
Q. How do the charities get selected?
A. When members sign in, they may enter their charity by filling out a nomination slip and placing it in the nomination box. At the beginning of the meeting, three slips will be pulled from the box and the three members that nominated the charities will each get five minutes to tell the members why they should vote to give the money to that charity. The presenter will also have five minutes for the group to ask questions.
Q: If I become a member, do I have to present a charity?
A: No. As a member, you can simply hear about the charities, ask any questions, and then cast your vote. You can nominate a charity at any meeting, and if your nomination is drawn, you must be the one to present to the group.
Q: What happens if I can’t attend a meeting?
A: You still write a check to the chosen charity and send it to Marie Wilber at Nichols Accounting, 50 S. Division St., Coldwater, MI 49036. An email will be sent the day after the meeting letting you know what charity was selected. You may also vote by proxy by sending your check with another member to the meeting. That member will receive two ballots only if they have your check with them or a note/message indicating that they are your proxy.
Q. How is the winning charity chosen?
A. Once all three members have presented, the group will be asked to vote by filling out a ballot with the charity's name; they will be counted, and the majority wins. The winner will be announced and everyone writes a check payable to the organization right then an there. Checks will be collected and presented directly to the charity after the meeting by a representative of the group.
Q: Can any charity qualify for the money?
A: The charity, organization, or agency must be an IRS qualified non-profit, a 501(c)3
Q. Is there any way that I can nominate a really worthy cause that is not a registered 501(c)3?
A. Yes. If the worthy cause can be taken under the umbrella of a qualified 501(c)3 as one of their projects, the program can be nominated an checks would be written to the representing 501(c)3 for the benefit of the program.
Q: Can women join at any time?
A: Yes. This is an on-going group.
Q. When a charity is elected, does the actual charity present?
A. No. The nominations and presentations are done by the members only.
Q: If I nominate a charity, how will I know what to present?
A. There is a talking points handout that you can use to interview the charity before a meeting. It provides key points that you might ask to be better informed when you present. Don't feel pressure to make a "perfect" presentation. It is best to give the information an speak from the heart.
Q: Why can’t a CEO or Executive Director of the organization nominate and present for their own charity?
A: The CEO and Executive Director are most likely well-informed and eloquent speakers. We want to keep the playing field even, in that all presenters are on the same level. Members may be intimidated about speaking if they feel they are being compare to leaders who are knowledgeable about their organization. Other employees, board members, or volunteers of the charity may nominate and present. Using the talking points with the CEO or Executive Director before the meeting will help members present on behalf of the organization.
Q. Can someone else present for me if my nomination is drawn?
A. No. The nominating member MUST present and MUST be the one to answer the questions to the best of their knowledge during the Q&A portion.
Q: During the Q&A part of the presentation, can members make commentary about an organization?
A: No. Members must form a question for the presenter to answer.
Q. How does the member get a tax deduction?
A. The charity must agree to send a thank you note an receipt to each member after the donation is made. The charity must also sign an agreement that they WILL NOT use any of the information from the checks to solicit further donations in the future.
Q: Does this group compete with service clubs in the area?
A: No. This group does not do the work or participate in projects. Our only goal is to facilitate the fund-raising for other charities, agencies, and organizations. Service clubs are eligible to be the recipients of our funds.
Q. How often can a charity be presented?
A. As often as their nominations are pulled from the nomination box until they are the recipient of the money, and then they will have a two year waiting period before they are eligible again.
Q. Is any of the money retained by the Women Who Care group?
A. No. We do not handle the money. Checks are written directly to the organizations.
Q. Does all the money stay in Branch County?
A. Yes. This is one of the requirements. The recipients must be residents of Branch County.
Q. How will the group be informed about how our donations have been used by the selected charity?
A. After a charity receives the money, a representative will come to our next meeting and tell us how our contributions have impacted their charity, and how lives have been changed.
Q. Is there a limit on the number of members allowed?
A. No. The more members there are, the more money we will be able to provide to worthy charities.
Q. How was this group formed?
A. This group took its lead from the Women Who Care of Kalamazoo. Diana Butler ran into one of the co-founders of the Kalamazoo group at a business function and brought the idea back to Marie Wilber and Sherry Haylett who immediately said, "Let's do it, I'm in!" They recruited other women who also said they were in to launch the first meeting in February of 2014.
More FAQs can be found on the Women Who Care Facebook page.
