Member/Charity Info
Meeting Information
• To vote for a charity at a meeting, you must be a member before the meeting. To become a member register on the Join page of our website prior to attending a meeting.
• At the beginning of the meeting, three charities will be chosen from our "Charity Basket" which is filled with Charity Nominations from our members.
• The member who nominated the selected charity will be asked to give a five-minute presentation on why they nominated the charity.
• If you, the nominating member, are are not comfortable with personally speaking about your nominated charity, you can give someone on the 100 + Women Who Care Comox Valley organizing committee your talking points and one of us will make the presentation for you.
• Only members of 100 + Women Who Care Comox Valley are permitted to speak on behalf of the nominated charity.
• After the three presentations, members will cast a secret ballot for one of the three charities.
• While committee members are tabulating the results, the charity that was awarded funds at our previous meeting will share how our contribution helped their organization.
• Committee members will announce the Awarded Charity.
• Members will send an e-Transfer or write a cheque for $100.
• Members are encouraged to come early or stay late to network and support our venue sponsors.
• If you cannot make a meeting, please send us your donation of $100 before, or no later than 10 days after the meeting.
Charity Choice Criteria
We ask that the charities adhere to a few guidelines in order to be considered:
• It must be a registered Charity (the 15-digit registration number will be required in the nomination form)
• The Charity must be willing to issue a charitable donation receipt to every member in a timely manner
• The Charity must agree that they will not use the membership list to solicit further funds
• The Charity must have a local presence in the Comox Valley community
• The Charity must spend a substantial portion of the received funds within the community
• The chosen Charity must be able to come back to the following meeting to share with us what the funds were used for and how 100+ Women Who Care Comox Valley was able to help by donating these funds.
We will not accept Charity nominations falling under these categories:
• Political parties or affiliated activities
• Religious activities
• Programs or initiatives outside Comox Valley market areas
• Controversial issues
• Organizations that have not submitted satisfactory final reports from previously received funding.
Nominating Charities
To nominate a charity please complete the following:
• Ensure your charity meets the requirements of a Qualified Charity.
• Fill out a Charity Nomination Form two weeks before the next members' meeting.
• Create a five-minute presentation that you will give if your charity is chosen at an upcoming meeting.
• Provide 100 + Women Who Care Comox Valley Organizing Committee with a copy of your presentation if you do not want to speak in public or if you will be away. A member of the 100 + Women Who Care Comox Valley Organizing Committee will present on your behalf.
Charity Basket
• To qualify members must nominate charities by the Friday prior to the actual meeting date.
• If more than one member nominates a charity, it will receive more than one nomination in the basket.
• Each member may have only one nomination in the charity basket at any time. She can withdraw a nomination and replace it with another at any time by contacting us.
• Once a charity has been awarded funds, it will not be eligible for nomination for three years.
Presentation Tips
You want your nominated charity to receive a donation of $10,000 or more, so make sure you develop a 5-minute presentation that is compelling. Be personal, be passionate and let the members of 100+ Women Who Care Comox Valley know why you support your chosen charity. Are you one of their volunteers? Do you sit on their board? Do you work for them? Has the charity affected you or someone you know in a personal way? Or do you just feel strongly about the work they do? Whatever your reason for supporting your chosen charity, make sure that if your Charity Nomination Form is selected, you give your charity the best chance to win. Your 5-minute presentation is key, and although it will be low-tech (sorry, we don't have time for PowerPoint presentations), you can easily develop a presentation that resonates with 100+ Women Who Care Comox Valley members.
1) INTRODUCTION: KNOW THE FACTS
In the first minute of your presentation, introduce your chosen charity. Tell our members about the charity: who they are, what they do, how they do it, the people they serve, and the impact they have.
2) SPEAK FROM THE HEART
Tell the audience why you're passionate about your chosen charity and the work they do. Let members know how the organization makes a difference and demonstrate how they have made an impact by telling a personal story or the story of someone else. Testimonials and real-life events will help your audience make an emotional connection with the charity, and leave members with a better understanding of the organization's value.
3) SHOW THEM THE MONEY
If your chosen charity receives a donation where will the money go? Members want to make a wise choice about the charity they select, so you need to be informed. Will the money be applied to the general operating budget to help your chosen charity grow? Will funds be used to purchase supplies, materials or technology? Will the donation be used to expand a program or service? You don't need to memorize financial statements or go into detail, but be informed and take the time to find out how a 100+ Women Who Care - Comox Valley donation will be used.
4) PRACTICE
Make sure you practice your presentation. Being familiar with your material will give you confidence, help the flow of your presentation and ensure that you keep it to five minutes.
Use your presentation time to inform and inspire. Even if your chosen charity doesn't receive a donation, just educating the audience about your chosen charity is beneficial. As a result of your presentation, some of our members may access the charities' services, talk to others about the charity, make a donation, become a volunteer or get on the charity's board. Whatever happens, your presentation will have a positive impact, so use your time wisely. And remember, you are among a group of committed and supportive women who want you and your nominated charity to succeed. Speak from the heart.
You never know when something will come up and keep you from a meeting. Prepare for unexpected events by giving a copy of your presentation to another 100+ Women Who Care Comox Valley member, or send it to 100womencomoxvalley.charity@gmail.com and one of our committee members will present on your behalf.
Thanks for the presentation tips, 100+Women Who Care Oceanside and Mid Island which adapted 100+ Women Who Care Victoria, BC website, which was adapted from the 100 Women Who Care Chicago website.