About Us

100+ Women Who Care Northern Virginia was founded in May 2012. It is for women who are interested in making a positive impact within their local community, but who also have limited time and resources to give. To put it simply, we are a giving circle focused on making collective gifts to local nonprofits.

We get together four times a year to contribute $100 each to a selected local nonprofit for a combined impactful donation. We walk away with a feeling of genuine camaraderie and a heartfelt giving spirit.

Here is how it works

• 100+ Women Who Care meetings are held 4 times a year on the first Thursday of the months February, May, August, and November.
• Members commit to donating $100 at each quarterly meeting – or $400 per year either by bringing a blank check or donating via credit card to our Donor Advised Fund.
• Members nominate and present the nonprofits that are considered each meeting. (Members presenting are allowed to bring a representative from the nonprofit being presented to help with the overall presentation and answer specific financial questions.)
• Members will vote by ballot on the nominated charities. Since the majority rules, members are responsible for writing their checks to the charity that receives the most votes – even if the charity the member votes for isn’t selected.
• Your donation will be matched 50% up to a total donation of $5,000 every quarter through our relationship with a family foundation by way of 100 Who Care Alliance, therefore your $100 may actually be valued at $150 each quarter!

Membership

Anyone with an interest in supporting nonprofit charities in the Northern Virginia area is welcome to join us! To become a member, please fill out the Registration and Commitment Form online or you can complete the form on  paper and bring with you to our next meeting. There is also offer a team option for women who would like to participate with someone in order to share in the cost of the total donation.

Charity Nominations

Members who wish to submit a charity for consideration should complete and submit a Charity Nomination Form. We encourage our members to nominate organizations in advance of our meeting, as we draw nominations prior to the meeting so you have plenty of time to prepare your presentation.

Nominated charities must be recognized as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code for at least 12 months as of the date of nomination in order for it to be considered for the matching grant. This does not mean members cannot nominate newly formed charities, it just means it will not be eligible for additional matching funds with 100 WWC NoVa’s matching funds partner.

• 3 charities will be chosen by random drawing prior to the meeting and members will be notified via email if they were selected to present. Alternates will be selected if a member cannot attend the following quarter’s meeting.
• Members presenting are allowed to invite and bring a representative from the nonprofit being presented to help with the overall presentation and answer specific financial questions. We ask however that you introduce the nonprofit and speak to why you nominated it and share a story that speaks to their mission.
• Each member who nominates a chosen charity will have 10 minutes to present their case for selecting that charity for the group’s donation. The timing includes Q&A from the membership.
• Presentations should be simple and not overly formal. While you may provide a handout or brochure, absolutely NO powerpoint presentations or other marketing materials allowed.
• You must be a member in good standing (donations up-to-date) to bring forth and present the charity.

Members who nominate a nonprofit should be prepared to speak briefly and answer a few questions from the members, such as:

1. Name, location, and service area of the organization.
2. Who is served by the organization?
3. What do they do? How does this benefit the community?
4. Are they a recognized nonprofit organization/501(c)(3)?
5. How will the funds be used? Will they go towards a specific program or the nonprofit’s general budget?
6. Who is responsible for the program/activity/organization that the funding will benefit?
7. What is the annual budget of the nonprofit? How much goes towards administrative and fundraising?
8. What is the size of the staff?

Charities that do not receive the most votes are eligible for nomination at a future meetings. However, once a donation is made to an organization, it is not eligible for another nomination for two years.

Charities must be brought forth through the formal nomination process as outlined above. We do not allow members to bring forth nominations or “spam” our social media pages in an attempt raise awareness or raise funds outside of our meetings. This will be cause for immediate removal from our chapter.

Donations

Most members have signed up for quarterly donations to be made through Grapevine, the online giving portal. The portal charges your credit card on the month of our quarterly meeting, then sends a collective check to the nonprofit chosen on the same day that we deliver or send checks to the nonprofit. Alterntively, members can write a check, making it out directly to the selected charity at the end of the meeting. When meetings are virtual, members can mail checks to the president who will send or present all checks to the selected charity in approximately 4-6 weeks after the meeting.

If you donate via our Donor Advised Fund, your tax deduction is directly with them, as they are a 501(c)(3). All electronic donations are directed to the nonprofit the same day the checks are delivered.

• 100+ Women Who Care does not administer any of the donations and does not retain any percentage. All proceeds go directly to the selected charity.
• Tax deduction receipts will be sent directly to each member from the selected organization. You can also use your cancelled check as documentation of your contribution.

Meeting Locations

We rotate our meeting locations each quarter to accommodate our members and our large geographic area.  We typically meet in public libraries, as the use of their meeting space is free and there is plenty of parking available.  Past NoVa chapter meetings have been held in Alexandria, the Mosaic District, the City of Fairfax, Annandale, Tysons Corner and Springfield area. Since the pandemic, we have been conducting meetings virtually via Zoom. Since our August 4, 2021, meeting, we have conducted a hybrid meeting, in-person and at a public meeting location for those who want to join us in person.