How long has 100 Women Who Care Greater of Greater Saint John been in existence?
Debbie Rathwell and Kelly Patterson began planning for the Greater Saint John chapter early in March 2013. The three existing chapters in Ontario and the most recently launched chapters in Halifax and St. John’s, NL have been well received and very successful! We hope the idea expands to other Canadian cities!
Which charitable organizations are eligible for consideration by the group?
In order to be considered at a meeting, the organization must be based in the communities of Greater Saint John and must be a registered not-for-profit or charitable organization eligible to provide tax receipts for donations. The money donated must stay local in the communities of Greater Saint John. The organization must be 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.
A big thank you to Christine Evans for constructing the list of local charities in Greater Saint John. Please click here. Please reach out to Shannon or Brittany if there is an eligible charity that is missing from this list and we will add it on right away.
An organization that is selected for the group donation may be considered again after a 3-year period. 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 for each meeting. Nominations are created as a draw and 3 nominees are drawn at random one week prior to the event. Representatives of the selected charities are asked to make a 5-minute presentation at the meeting and then the members vote. The organization with the greatest number of votes is the recipient of the funds.
How do charities and grassroots non-profit organizations in Greater Saint John get involved?
Charities must be nominated by a member of 100 Women Who Care of Greater Saint John to be considered.
We invite organizations to follow, like us on Facebook.
Here, charities/ can educate 100 Women Who Care of Greater Saint John members, and those following us, about their projects. Many members are looking for a charitable cause to nominate and find info within our social media discussions and posts.
Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes!
How is the organization that receives the group donation chosen?
When a member registers she can nominate a local organization, whose name will go 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 5-minute presentation at the meeting as to why their organization should receive the donation. We encourage members to participate by submitting the names of local, needy, charitable organizations!
What if I cannot attend a meeting?
If a member cannot attend a meeting she can do one of two things:
- She can send in a blank, signed with a trusted friend to the meeting (preferred). The friend will write in the name of the charity that is chosen on the cheque and give it to the organizers on her behalf. The friend may not vote on behalf of the absent member. We can only count the votes of members who are present at the meeting;
- The member can drop their cheque at one of the designated drop off locations prior to the meeting. You will find the names of the drop off locations in the email invitation you will receive two weeks prior to each meeting.
How long do the meetings last?
Meetings are 1 hour, however the venue and the bar will be open half an hour prior to the meeting. The meeting starts at 5:45 pm sharp.
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.
Does any of my donation go to administration costs of 100 Women Who Care of Greater Saint John?
Absolutely not. 100 Women Who Care of Greater Saint John is organized and operated entirely by volunteers. The group sincerely thanks Margaret Totten for donating her time to set up and manage the website and to Karen Wagg who broadcasts us “live” through social media at each meeting and to Eleanor Austin who continues to raise our profile on LinkedIn. We also thank Debbie Blakney and Lisa Cybulski at Kwik Kopy for kindly producing our event materials.
100% of the money raised at our meetings goes directly to the selected organizations!
What do you do with my personal information?
100 Women Who Care of Greater Saint John collects your personal information (including name, address, email address, phone number) strictly for the purpose of maintaining our membership list. 100 Women Who Care of Greater Saint John will not sell, give or otherwise share your personal information without your express unless required by law. We do like to recognize our members via social media and other avenues. If a member would like to remain anonymous they must let us know at the time of joining.
How can I pay?
E-transfer payments to: info@sjfoundation.ca with a second email indicating ‘100 Women Who Care Payment’ and your email address for income tax receipt.
Cheques written to GSJ Community Foundation with ‘100 Women Who Care’ on memo line and mailed to: The Community Foundation PO Box 20061 Brunswick Square Saint John, NB E2L 5B2
What is the Community Foundation’s involvement?
100 Women who Care of Greater Saint John has recently partnered with the Greater Saint John Community Foundation to streamline our giving and receipting process and take the receipting onus off of the chosen charities.
The Greater Saint John Community Foundation is a registered charity (Charity #: 11925 7756 RR0001) and a public foundation. The GSJ Community Foundation is one of 201 community foundations nationally and one of six in New Brunswick. We have served as a trustee of gifts since 1976 and now hold over 30 million in endowed assets.