Any member of the community may nominate an organization that serves the Monadnock area including Antrim, Bennington, Dublin, Francestown, Greenfield, Hancock, Harrisville, Jaffrey, Nelson, New Ipswich, Peterborough, Rindge, Sharon, Temple, and Wilton.
The organization must be a non-profit entity with recognized IRS non-profit status . No national or international charities, programs or organizations will be considered unless they serve one of the towns listed above as our goal is for the contributions to stay 100% in the community.
Organizations that have been funded must sit out eleven meetings before being eligible for nomination, and charities that presented at the previous meeting but were not chosen must sit out two meetings. (Charities that won prior to October 2021 are grandfathered and are required to sit out 7 meetings—the old rule—rather than 11.) We encourage nominations from those that have been nominated previously but were not chosen to present. Nominations are accepted directly following a previous event and up until 15 days prior to the next event of eligibility.
Common Questions from our Charities Q: Who can nominate a charity? A: Anyone—including you! You don’t have to be a 100+ WWC member to file a nomination or to make the presentation. Q: What are the eligibility requirements for nominations? A: In order for a nomination to be accepted, the organization must serve one or more of the towns in our service area (Antrim, Bennington, Dublin, Francestown, Greenfield, Hancock, Harrisville, Jaffrey, Nelson, New Ipswich, Peterborough, Rindge, Sharon, and Temple). In most cases, a nominee is a 501(c)(3) charity. Q: Can I nominate a group that is not a 501(c)(3)? A: Yes, as long as you make that status clear in the presentation to the group. Q: If my group has previously been chosen for funding, how long do we have to wait before being nominated again? A: A charity that’s received funding from 100+ WWC has to sit out 7 meetings before presenting again. So if a charity is chosen in January of 2019, it can’t be nominated again until the January 2021 meeting. Q: What if my charity was presented but wasn’t chosen? How long do we have to wait before being nominated again? A: A charity that’s been presented but didn’t receive funding has to skip 2 meetings before being nominated again. So a group that presented in January of 2019 would be eligible again in October of 2019. Q: What’s the nomination process? A: Nominations are submitted, through a form on the Charity Nomination page of this website, https://www/100womenwhocaremonadnock.com/charity-nomination.html up to 15 days prior to each meeting. We then hold a drawing, which is posted on Facebook. In that drawing, a representative of the charity chosen at the previous meeting draws six semifinalists. Representatives of those six charities come to the meeting prepared to present. At the meeting, another drawing narrows things down to 3 finalists. Each of those 3 gives a 5- minute presentation, followed by a 5-minute Q&A. Members vote, and the chosen charity is announced. Q: Why do I have to complete a new nomination form prior to each meeting? A: It’s too easy to say “everything’s the same” without really reviewing the information. Also, the form itself often changes, and we need to be sure all of the needed information has been provided and is current. The completed form will be posted on our website for members’ review, so it’s important for it to contain your best and most current sales pitch in simplicity. Q: If my charity is chosen, when can I expect to receive the checks? A: We’ll deliver the first batch of checks to you roughly 2 weeks after the meeting, and then continue to pass along any additional funds that come in after that. Q: Does a charity reap any benefits by being nominated, even if it’s not ultimately chosen? A: Definitely! Often, several members write additional checks to the charities that present but are not chosen. At the very least, you spread the word about your charity. All nominees are posted on our Facebook page, you have a chance to network before the meeting, and those who present are introducing their charities to women who may never have heard of the work they do. Q: If I nominate a charity and it’s not one of the semifinalists, may I still come to the meeting? A: Yes! We encourage you to come. Attending will give you a chance to see what our audience responds to and will help you tailor your own presentation for a future meeting. Q: May I bring brochures or handouts to a meeting? A: Sorry; no. We were finding that too many brochures were being left behind after each meeting, and a tremendous amount of paper was being wasted. Besides, it typically is the person who sells the group, not the paper. Q: May I do a PowerPoint or video presentation? A: Sorry; no again. We’re pretty low tech. We provide a podium and a microphone, and it’s fine to supplement your presentation with a poster if you like, but we ask you to skip the PowerPoints and videos. Again, it’s your passion for your cause that will win over the audience. Q: Do you ever split donations? A: No, because the goal is to have a strong impact on one local charity. If the balloting results in a tie, we’ll have a second ballot to break the tie. Q: If my charity is chosen, may I add the members’ names to my mailing list? A: No. Several members have stated that they want to support local charities but do not want to be adding to all the solicitations they already receive. It’s very important that you respect this restriction and do not contact 100+ WWC members except to acknowledge their donations. However, a link to your website will be posted on our website; anyone who would like her name added to your list can contact you through that link. And of course there’s no problem with continuing to mail to someone who was already on your list. Q: What towns do you currently serve? A: Antrim, Bennington, Dublin, Francestown, Greenfield, Hancock, Harrisville, Jaffrey, Nelson, New Ipswich, Peterborough, Rindge, Sharon, and Temple. Q: How often do you meet, and where? A: Four times a year—once each in January, April, July, and October. Meeting locations vary within the region, depending on venue availability. Please check the home page of our website for the date and location of our next meeting. Q: How long are the meetings? A: One hour (1.5 hours if you come to socialize before the meeting). We are committed to getting you out on time. Q: How do I find out whether a meeting has been cancelled due to snow or for other reasons? A: Check your email and/or check Facebook. If you’re a member or a semifinalist charity, we’ll make sure you know!