Tricia Nabors had five minutes to explain her nonprofit. If she did it well enough, she’d walk out with $15,000. If not, another nonprofit presenting at the 100 Women Who Care Lancaster meeting would. The funds would make a serious difference at New Choices Career Development Program, where Nabors is Director. Talk about pressure.
But Nabors didn’t want to think of it as competing with the other organizations, which she says also do great work. Neither did she want to feel discouraged if she didn’t get the money. So she decided to consider it a win-win, either way. “I’m in this room with how many women who have no idea who we are,” she says, “and I have the honor of telling our story. There’s no way they can walk out of there not knowing what we do.”
Lancaster’s 100 Women Who Care brings together women who want to better their communities. The format is simple:
How it works
• A one-hour meeting • Three meetings per year • One hundred or more women (the “+” means they’re over 100) • Three five-minute presentations • One quick vote • A $100 check from each member that will go to a local nonprofit
Every check, that is 100 percent of the money, goes to the recipient, with no administrative portion deducted. Multiply that $100 by 250 (the number of attendees in the Lancaster chapter at last count), times three meetings a year, and we’re talking significant moolah. As in $75,000.
The Lancaster chapter is its own thing, run by its own people, in its own particular way. But similar chapters are springing up across the country. With 350 chapters, including groups in Singapore, the Caymans, Canada, and Mexico, women are discovering the power they have when they gather for a common cause.
Greater than Its Parts
“It’s good to be part of something that’s beyond my means,” says Connie Buchwalter. “I’m sure none of us could write a check for $20,000 individually. There are times when it’s a bit of a stretch to write that $100 check. But I realize it’s not about me; it’s about something bigger than me. Each one of us, regardless of our circumstances, can take an equal amount of pride in something fabulous. If you have to give up a lunch here or there, it’s easy enough to make small sacrifices.”
Buchwalter was invited through Facebook. She, in turn, has “recruited” some of her friends. “Anyone who has come has left feeling wonderful and wants to come again,” she says. “It’s blossoming as each person tells someone else, and it’s taking on a life of its own.”
Kate Zimmerman has been a part of 100+ Women Who Care Lancaster since its beginning, which was just last fall: “I heard one member say she hopes someday we’ll be filling Clipper Magazine stadium. We didn’t dream that big when we started, but it’s one of the things we’re talking about now.”
Lancaster’s chapter began when Sarah Yohe, originally from Canada, heard her mother talking about the chapter she belongs to there. Around the same time, Kate Kooker attended a meeting in Chester County. Soon a small group of women were forming a chapter in the Susquehanna Valley.
Each member gets to nominate a 501(c)3 organization for consideration, and three are chosen to present at the next meeting. After the five-minute talks, a vote is held to see who takes home all those $100 checks. There’s no shortage of nonprofits to nominate.
Zimmerman says, “It can be overwhelming how many are out there. This is a great way to hear straight from the organizations; you don’t have to seek them out to learn about them. It narrows the field for the women, and there’s that immediacy. If they want to continue the relationship, they can.”
Connecting Women
As the women forge relationships with nonprofits, they’re also building them with each other. That’s one more reason Buchwalter likes attending the meetings: “It’s a nice way to see people I don’t get to see on a regular basis and also to meet new people.”
Members come from diverse backgrounds but share a common zeal. “When you have people coming together for the greater good of the community, that speaks volumes,” says Nabors, whose organization won the vote.
New Choices Career Development Program helps women in transition. Basically, they provide a transforming experience, education and support for women who are displaced homemakers, single moms, widows, newly divorced, or in similar situations. The donation from 100+ Women Who Care Lancaster helped New Choices literally keep their doors open until other funds came in. Meanwhile, they offered an immersion course that helps women regain confidence, prepare for the job market, and move forward.
Nabors calls 100+ Women Who Care Lancaster the best kept secret in Lancaster County. "Unfortunately nonprofit money is so hard to come by, and usually I’m trying to convince people to support our program," she says. But at the Lancaster meeting, Nabors was “overwhelmed by the energy in the room. The women were really interested in what we do; they were coming over to our table and asking for information. It was too good to be true.”
The Best Form of Flattery
It’s so good, in fact, that a group of men in Lancaster have taken up the banner. 100 Men Who Care Lancaster just switched its name to 100+, with 130 members before their second meeting. One of its founders, Jeff Guindon, states, “It’s powerful to come together with like-minded men to make an impact.”
Although the women are ahead of the men numbers-wise, it’s clear they’re not competing. Guindon says he’s appreciated the mentoring they provide. “When we have questions, I reach out to them, and they have been a great resource. It’s inspiring to see how quickly they’re growing.”
Now there’s even a Kids Who Care movement. Who can say how large these groups will get? The answer lies in the movement’s hashtag, #thePOWERof100. Because $100 really adds up when there are at least 100 women, men, or kids who care.
