Giving from the heart soars beyond cupid’s seasonally slung arrows into the whole year for Prescott Area Women Who Care (PAWWC).
The new group’s community-minded women have committed to meeting once every three months to decide which local 501(c)(3) will receive their targeted quarterly donation of $10,000 or more.
PAWWC “is perfect for any local woman who desires to make a difference in her community in an efficient and highly impactful way,” said Nicole Kennedy, the area group’s founder. “It is also a fantastic way to meet other like-minded women and learn about the amazing achievements of our area non-profits.”
Here is how it works. A pool of prospects to receive the funds is determined by the members, who put forth the charities’ names for vetting prior to the quarterly meeting. Each member is permitted to champion one charity.
Following an hour-long networking session on the appointed evening, the names of three eligible charities are pulled from a proverbial hat. When multiple members advocate the same charity, that non-profit’s odds of being chosen are bolstered accordingly. The three members whose recommendations are drawn from the hat each deliver a five-minute pitch about their preferred non-profit and why it deserves the group nod.
A tally then is taken and the charity with the most votes is awarded the funds. Each member writes a check for $100 to that non-profit at the meeting. Members unable to attend deliver their checks post-meeting. The member who introduced the charity garnering the most votes is invited to an official handover ceremony to be arranged with the non-profit.
The chosen charity can be re-nominated one year after receiving a donation, while the names of the other two non-profits remain in the hat for upcoming meetings. All charities receiving funds pledge to keep individual donor names private and free from solicitation lists.
The PAWWC platform can enhance donor participation, the bottom line of non-profits and charities’ fund development. Non-profits benefit from the additional exposure provided by publicity and clarification of their organizations’ purpose and projects.
Lori Deutch, interim executive director for Prescott Area Shelter Services (PASS), participated in a January PAWWC orientation and became a member because “this seemed like an excellent project where women are directly helping women. Our local non-profits often do so much with so little. This potential funding will truly make a difference in their operations and will once again demonstrate community support.”
Since state and federal funding is not available for emergency shelter services, Deutsch shared that she is always seeking new and interesting ways to explain the PASS mission and garner support. PAWWC’s platform is one more such opportunity for Deutsch and other non-profit attendees, such as Kristen Kerns, development director for Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona.
“It’s a great opportunity [for the public] to learn about what non-profits in our community are doing and how their good work impacts the community we live in,” said Kerns. “There are many opportunities to learn about non-profits that members don’t know exist.”
The Prescott area startup joins more than 400 active chapters of 100 Men Who Care, 100 Women Who Care, 100 People Who Care, and 100 Kids Who Care around the globe. These groups have been formed under the umbrella of the 100 Who Care Alliance launched in Jackson, Michigan. According to Kennedy, that first group raised $12,800 in under an hour in 2006 to help provide cribs to new mothers in Michigan.
Currently, the alliance’s national website shows multiple chapters in Arizona, including the one in Prescott, another in Flagstaff, and others in Phoenix and Tucson. A number of women attending the Prescott area orientation were volunteers, board members, staff or in some other way affiliated with non-profits. Local sponsors include Residence Inn Marriott (location for the meetings), Blushing Cactus Photography and Grand Canyon Financial Group.
“[PAWWC] is a good way to introduce up to 100 or more women in the community to our organization’s mission, needs, impact and other factors,” Kerns shared, regarding Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona. “It is a time-saver for fund development teams because we don’t have to try and set up 100 different meetings. Having everyone meet in one place allows development staff the time and resources to increase support for our organizations.”
The group’s opportunity to network, Kerns added, “not only expands the outreach of a non-profit’s mission, but provides the opportunity to develop personal relationships with others you might otherwise not meet.”
Kennedy said she “would love to see a men’s group start up simultaneously. If any local men are interested in starting their own group, I would be thrilled to meet with them and share what I have learned.
“The Prescott area is filled with so many generous people who want to give back to our beautiful community. I really [want] to provide an opportunity to these women [and men] to be a part of something greater than themselves.” QCBN
By Sue Marceau, QCBN
For more information about PAWWC and the next meeting, contact Kennedy via prcwomenwhocare.com.
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Photo caption
Nicole Kennedy (left), founder of Prescott Area Women Who Care (PAWWC), compares notes with attendee Lori Deutsch at the PAWWC orientation Jan. 27 at the Residence Inn Marriott. Deutsch is interim executive director for Prescott Area Shelter Services. Photo by Sue Marceau.
Photo by Sue Marceau
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