Member FAQ's

The 100 Women Charitable Foundation, Inc. is a group of donors who place their charitable dollars into a pooled fund and decide as a group which nonprofits to support. Think of it as an “investment club with a social conscience”, as we enable you to join with others to pool our resources, explore charitable options, and make giving decisions with like-minded peers. The 100 Women Charitable Foundation is unlike other groups, in that we choose to operate using a very informal structure. Quite simply, we are a small group of women, who care passionately about our community, frequently discuss community issues, are mothers, daughters, friends and sisters, and, without a huge time commitment will meet a few times a year and decide where our donations can do the most good, and make the biggest impact.

100 Women Charitable Foundation, Inc. was founded by Teri Zingale, Connie Viveros, Barbara Dehn and Mary Ann Poulos in the fall of 2006, with a very simple concept: recruit 100 women to give $100 (or more) each and make meaningful contributions in areas that support women, families and educational programs within their community. Teri, along with the others have extensive experience with fundraising events and felt frustrated that so much energy and resources were devoted to raising money. They felt instead, that a dedicated group of women could combine their financial resources, without a significant time commitment, and could make a serious difference in the lives of those in need. By March of 2007, the group had recruited 100 women to join forces, and 100 Women Charitable Foundation was born! 100 Women Charitable Foundation is aimed at the “no nonsense woman with a good heart” whose desire it is to reach beyond the charity fundraiser, with less time commitment and more fun!

One of the 100 Women Charitable Foundation goals is to increase women’s philanthropy in the Bay Area. By involving members in the organization and research process, we hope to raise awareness of the many worthwhile charitable opportunities in our community, and inspire our members to become involved with these charities in a more personal way. By offering women the opportunity to choose where their money is going and to see the positive results their collective efforts have on local needs, we hope they will find a new level of joy and satisfaction in their charitable giving.

The contribution amount from each individual can vary. There are groups that make $100, $500, $1,000, or even $5,000 in individual annual commitments. 100 Women Charitable Foundation has elected to have $100 be our minimum Member donation. Members are required to make a minimum $100 donation each year, but we ask that you consider a higher amount of giving based on your level of personal comfort. We also want to ensure that everyone in the group have an equal voice in decision making.

The advantages of becoming a 100 Women Charitable Foundation Member are many:
• Your membership dollars will become multiplied 400 times or more and invested towards key issues in our community that can have a far greater impact than smaller, individual contributions;
• As a member, our collective "know-how" adds value and impact to charitable investment in our community;
• Your contribution helps women and families in need in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties;
• 100 WCF creates a deeper level of involvement with the non-profits we serve, and the opportunity to make a difference within the local community is multiplied;
• You become part of a fun, active and dynamic group of women!

Members who make a donation each year may choose to pay their annual Member obligation and do nothing more until the Annual Meeting, when we vote on the grant candidates. Or, members can choose to be involved in the one of various Committees responsible for the growth and organization of the foundation. We encourage donors to volunteer their time and expertise to enhance the work of Foundation by becoming involved in one of our Grant Evaluation Committees, which select the non-profit finalists we vote on each year, however, this is not a prerequisite to join.

100 Women Charitable Foundation, Inc. sees the importance of a working closely with the community non-profits. We would like to provide other assistance to non-profits as we learn more about them and their work within our community. Because we value that partnership, when possible and appropriate, 100 Women Charitable Foundation will initiate group activities to strengthen our network and community involvement with the non-profits we support. These are strictly volunteer opportunities and any member is welcome to participate, but there will be no requirement to participate.

Grant applications from local Bay Area non-profits are accepted from May through August and evaluated from September through December of each year. The annual grants will be announced in March of the following year, after our Annual Membership Dinner and Grant Vote Banquet. Each year, all 100 Women Charitable Foundation voting members have the option to attend an Annual Member Meeting (held in March of each year), where a pre-screened group of grant finalists will briefly present their nominated projects. After grant finalist presentations, all 100 WCF members in attendance then vote for the organizations they deem most worthy of support, and the organization(s) with the highest number of votes is awarded our high impact grants.

Grant Evaluation Committees are made up of foundation members who select and evaluate proposals from non-profit agencies. 100 Women Charitable Foundation, Inc. has identified three “focus areas” for giving as pertinent to our goals, and appoints committees to review grant applications in these categories. Grant applicants select one of the three focus areas for their proposal review. Our Grant Evaluation Committees then research, conduct site visits, and other necessary due diligence, and narrow their choice to a few deserving agencies.

Our three focus areas for grant applications are:
Education: Initiatives that further the educational process or improve access to education for children and/or adults.
Family: Initiatives that strengthen and enhance the lives of children and families.
Health and Wellness: Initiatives that improve the mental and/or physical well-being of people.

100 Women Charitable Foundation will accept proposals for funding from organizations recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Organizations with provisional status or using another 501(c)3 as fiscal agent are not eligible to apply. Applicant organizations must be based in San Mateo or Santa Clara counties, or may be the recognized local chapter of a state or national charity serving this region. The proposed project or program must be implemented in and serve residents of these counties, and all monies must be expended in these counties. The project may be a new program, an expansion of an existing program, or may be a collaborative effort of several agencies. An organization may submit only one application each year.

Being a “Corporation” we are defined as a Public Charity Foundation, and set up as a "nonstock, nonprofit" corporation. Our Articles of Incorporation are filed with the California Secretary of State and the State Attorney General. Our Federal Tax Identification is: 20. The 100 Women Charitable Foundation Corporation, in general, operates like a "nonprofit" corporation, with the exception that all our monies are distributed to other qualified nonprofit organizations. Our Foundation's board of directors elects officers to carry out the foundation's activities, and records its deliberations, as per the legal statutes and obligations as outlined by the IRS and the State government.

Our actual annual grant amounts are not determined as they are subject to member contributions through the end of each calendar year. Therefore, grant applications should reflect funding needs rather than a specific grant amount. For reference our 2009 grant awards were made in the amount of $31,500 each to three local area non-profits. In addition we award the three runner's up grant candidates with Appreciation Grants in the amount not less than $2,000 each.

Members who are serving on the board or a committee of 100 WCF will be required to disclose potential conflicts of interest. However, 100 WCF expects all members to act in an objective and fair manner. In particular, members are expected to refrain from any attempt to gain an unfair advantage for any particular grant applicant by, among other things, disclosing confidential information and/or attempting to persuade other members of 100 Women Charitable Foundation to vote for such grant applicant.

The San Francisco Bay Area is a wonderful place to live--safe neighborhoods, stunning foliage, scenic mountains, accessible government, a real sense of community, and considerable private wealth. Indeed, we currently enjoy the sixth highest per capita income in the nation. And yet, there are challenges, problems and opportunities that call out for our collective attention. Too many of the Bay Area children live in poverty. The incidence of unwanted pregnancy in teens is growing. One in three Bay Area high school students report binge drinking. The number of homeless children attending school has more than doubled in the past six years. Economic downturns have left some families reeling and hundreds without health coverage.

Charitable giving helps make our community stronger, healthier and happier. Like many people, we have chosen to focus on our local community because we wish to:
• Invest in things we all care passionately about
• Help those who have been less fortunate
• Give back to our community and society
• Become leaders in service to the community
• Give our wealth more meaning
• and, experience the satisfaction of making a real difference

One of the primary goals of 100 Women Charitable Foundation is to have 100% of each Member’s donation pass-through directly to the charities we support. In order to achieve this goal, we graciously accept donations from individuals and local businesses to underwrite the organization’s overhead expenses, either monetarily or in-kind. We acknowledge those who provide this type of underwritten support with the title of “Friend of 100 Women.” Just as with the Members’ donations, 100% of all Friends contributions are also tax-deductible. In appreciation of our contributions to our Friend Account, we are willing to cross promote with vendors or services who provide us with support. We also list 'Friends' on our website, at the annual meeting, as well as verbally at many of our meetings and recruitment events.