100 Women Who Care continuing on

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

In 2017, 100 women in the Caledon community came together to support local charities and non-profit organizations. 

The 100 Women Who Care original chapter was formed in Jackson, Michigan, where one woman made the commitment to help those charities in need and invite women to be involved. In 2012, the first Canadian group was founded in Toronto. There are over 400 different chapters across the globe. 

“We meet four times per year and members are able to nominate local charities that they would like to see receive our donation. Three charities are randomly selected at each meeting and are given the opportunity to address the group and tell us about who they are and what programs their charity provides to the community,” explained Karen McDonald, Chair, and also one of the founding members of the Caledon chapter.

Each one of the women who attend the four annual meetings, donates $100, and each meeting only takes up about an hour. 

Three organizations or charities are chosen randomly, and each get an opportunity to present to the group of women on who they are and answer any questions.

“The group then votes and the charity that receives the most votes receives our donation for that meeting. Members can join as an individual or as a team of up to four women. Each member or team commits to making a $100 donation to the charity that is chosen,” said McDonald. “As a result, the chosen charity receives a donation of thousands of dollars.”

The last in-person meeting took place in February, where the Meaghan Zaremba Music Room was a recipient of a generous donation of $6,000. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the group's ability to get together and raise the funds for the community. But they have made it work virtually. 

“We decided to cancel the May meeting. Instead, we asked our members to make a voluntary donation to the charity of their choice,” said McDonald. “We ended up raising $4,000, which was split between Caledon Meals on Wheels, Caledon Community Services, William Osler Foundation and Headwaters Health Care Foundation.”

To date, the group has raised approximately $85,000 for the Caledon community, with a goal of $100,000 by the end of 2020. 

The group is hosting their next meeting on Sept. 24, which will be a virtual meeting.

“Instead of a one hour, in-person meeting, we will provide nominated charities with an opportunity to submit a written outline of what their charity does in the community. We will give members a week to read the three submissions and vote via email or by phone,” explained McDonald. “We will announce the recipient of our donation on September 25. In addition to this, we have joined Canada Helps, which will make electronic donations easier for our members who would prefer to donate electronically.”

The group are always looking for new members and new donations to help contribute to the community. 

“We are always happy to welcome new members. The more members we have, the bigger the impact we can have on local charities. Many charities have had to alter how they fundraise, and many are not able to raise the money they need to keep local programs running,” said McDonald.

She added, “A donation from 100 Women Who Care Caledon can make all the difference for a charity that is struggling to find ways to raise money.”