FAQs

FAQ

 

How long has 100+ WWC been in the Southern Maine area?

100+ Women Who Care Southern Maine Founder, Deb Bergeron

100+ Women Who Care Southern Maine Founder, Deb Bergeron

100+ Women Who Care Southern Maine is an organization founded in October 2014 by Deb Bergeron with the help and inspiration of other established chapters.

Deb is a certified personal and professional coach, and founder of Ocean of Possibilities. She is passionate about giving back to the community in which she grew up and raised her family, and volunteers for numerous organizations in the greater Portland area including Make-A-Wish of Maine and the executive council of ICFNE/Maine chapter of coaches.

 

Which organizations are allowed to be nominated?

In order to be considered at a meeting, the organization must benefit Southern Maine communities. The organization must be a non-profit entity recognized as a 501(c)(3) for at least a year. No national or international charities, programs or organizations will be considered unless they have a location in the Southern Maine area, as the purpose is for the contributions to stay 100% in the community.

** Only members who have signed a COMMITMENT FORM and are current on their contributions may submit a charity for consideration. **

 

What is a 501(c)(3)?

A 501(c)(3) is defined as “exemptions that apply to corporations, and any community chest, fund or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, educational purposes, to foster national or international amateur sports competition, promote the arts, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.” However, for the purposes of 100+ Women Who Care Southern Maine, all groups up for consideration must be local.

 

Is my contribution tax deductible?

Yes, your contribution is tax deductible if made payable to a 501(c)(3) organization. Checks are written directly to the local organization, NOT to 100+ Women Who Care. Please contact your tax advisor or visit the IRS Website for further information.

 

How does the meeting work?
How is the organization that receives the donation chosen?

A member who has signed the Commitment Form and completed a Charitable Organization Fact Sheet prior to the meeting can put the name of a local organization into the hat for a random drawing at the meeting. At random, three organizations will be selected from the hat. The members who wrote down each name will be asked to come up and give a short 5 minute presentation (please, no PowerPoint presentations or videos) as to why their chosen organization should receive the donation and then spend 5 minutes for Q & A. Presentations can include posters and flyers, but no computer/electronics equipment may be used. We encourage members to participate by submitting the names of local, needy, charitable organizations prior to each meeting! After the three presentations, all members present at the meeting and current in their contributions vote for the charity to be supported.

 

How do I donate if I can’t attend a meeting?

If you cannot attend a meeting you can donate in a few ways:

  1. Send a blank, signed check with a trusted friend who is attending the meeting. They will write in the name of the charity that is chosen and give it to the organizers on your behalf. They do not vote on your behalf. We can only count the votes of members who are present.
  2. After a meeting is over, check the website or call Deb Bergeron to find out which charity was selected. You can then write your check, made out to directly the charity, and mail it to Deb and she will send it to the charity on your behalf.
  3. Join Grapevine to donate using a credit card (see below for details):
    1. Create a Subscription to donate the amount you select (can be $50, can be more!) each quarter.
    2. Make a One Time donation.

 

How do I donate using a credit card?

  1. Open our page on Grapevine and log in. If you are not already a Member, click “Join this Grapevine”. Membership requests are usually approved within a day.
  2. Find the current donation cycle (at the top-right of the page content, just below the photo).
  3. Under “How much?” select the amount you’d like to donate.
  4. Under “How often?” select Quarterly to create a subscription (this will automatically charge your credit card each quarter and direct it to the selected non-profit), or select One Time to donate only for that cycle.
  5. Click the blue Donate button.
  6. Complete the “Make a Donation” form and click “Complete donation”.

Only members who are current in their contributions are eligible to vote. We can only count the votes of members who are present.

 

Can I just send the donation to the charity myself?

No, the goal of the 100+ Women Who Care organization is to make a large donation on behalf of the whole group. We want to be able to support this endeavor and give $5,000+ dollars at a time to make a large impact in our community, with each member’s donation being part of the larger donation. 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.

 

How long do the meetings last?

Meetings are intended to be very short, generally lasting approximately 1 hour.  However, you may come to the meeting early in order to spend some time socializing and getting to know other members.

 

Can I bring a friend to the meeting?

Of course you can! However, in order to vote she will need to sign a Commitment Form and become a member before voting at the meeting.

 

What happens to charities not selected at the meeting?

Charities which are presented at a meeting, but are not selected, are eligible to be re-nominated again after two years.

 

When are supported charities able to be nominated again?

Charities which are chosen to receive donations from 100+ Women Who Care Southern Maine are eligible to be re-nominated again after five years.

 
How many times can a charities be presented?

Charities may be presented a maximum of two times at 100+ Women Who Care Southern Maine meetings.

 

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If you have questions about our group, contact founder Deb Bergeron, 207-232-0488 or email deb100Women@gmail.com.
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