Frequently Asked Questions

How long has 100+ Women Who Care been in the Greater Lansing area?
Greater Lansing 100+ Women Who Care was founded by Rose Zack and Donna Oade in March 2010.  Donna Oade and Barb Dunlap are the current facilitators and organizers of this program.
How is the organization that receives the donation chosen?
Members sign a commitment form at their first meeting, committing to a $100 contribution per quarterly meeting ($400 per year) to the charity/non-profit that is selected at each quarterly meeting. A member of at least one year who has signed the commitment form can put the name of a local charity/non-profit organization into a container for a random drawing at the beginning of each meeting.  We encourage participation! Three organizations are randomly selected. Each member who proposed a selected charity/non-profit gives a 5 minute presentation as to why their chosen organization should receive the donation and what they propose to do with the funds. A question and answer period follows each presentation. After all presentations, a vote is taken. Majority rules. Bring your checkbook; as we are not set up to process credit cards.  Checks are made payable to the charity/non-profit and are collected by 100+ Women Who Care organizers. Any members not present are contacted within 48 hours about the chosen charity/non-profit and instructed where to mail their $100 check made payable to the charity/non-profit. Only when all checks are collected is the total contribution given to the charity. 
What if I voted for another charity?
Majority rules.  It is expected that every member will support the selected charity/non-profit. 
How long do the meetings last?
Meetings are one hour.
Which organizations can be sponsored?
In order to be considered at a meeting, the organization must be in the tri-county area of Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties. No national charities will be considered.  It must be a charity/non-profit organization recognized as a 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 
What is a 501(c)(3)?
A 501(c)(3) is defined as “exemptions 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 Greater Lansing 100+ Women Who Care, all groups up for consideration must be local. 
For more information, please visit the IRS website.
If I cannot attend the meeting, how do I present my check?
This can happen in two ways:
You can send a blank, signed check with a trusted friend to 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.
Or:
Organizers will send an email within 48 hours to all members not present at the meeting.  They will request that your $100 check made payable to the selected charity/non-profit be sent to Donna Oade at 6140 Graebear Trail, East Lansing, MI 48823 within 7 days of the winning announcement email. Checks are presented to the charity only after all checks are received, so timely payment is appreciated. 
Can I just send the donation to the charity myself? Why do you have to send it on my behalf?
The goal of the 100+ Women Who Care organization is to make a large donation on behalf of the whole group. We support the selected charity/non-profit to make a large impact in our community, with each member’s donation being part of the larger donation.
Is my contribution tax deductible? How do I get my tax receipt? 
Yes, your contribution is tax deductible, as all charities/non-profits selected are 501(c)3’s. Checks are written directly to the local organization, NOT to 100+ Women Who Care. Your tax receipt should be sent to you directly from the charity/non-profit that receives your contribution. 
PLEASE NOTE: Any sponsored charity/non-profit is not allowed to create, sell or distribute a list with your contact information. Also, they are not allowed to solicit you for further contributions. If this were to happen, contact the 100+ Women Who Care organization leaders immediately.
How do I know that my contribution was used as presented at the meeting?
Every winning charity/non-profit is expected to return to a subsequent 100+ Women Who Care meeting to report on the use of the donated funds.  
I would like to bring a friend to the meeting who is not signed up…
Of course you can! Visitors may attend one meeting before making their annual commitment.  They are not allowed to vote until they sign a commitment form prior to the start of their first meeting.  Visitors will be asked to sign a Visitor Log.