100 Women Who Care awards $10,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Elkhart
(Elkhart, Indiana) Dawn Fisher had been wanting 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County to give to one of her beloved causes since the group started in 2014.
She was not alone and at its quarterly meeting on Oct. 10, the social philanthropy group selected the Boys & Girls Club of Elkhart to receive the $10,000.
The timing is particularly good for the donation. A new club building at Beardsley Elementary School is nearly done and will open for students and staff to use in November. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County has locations in Goshen, Middlebury, Nappanee and Elkhart, but this is the first location that is part of a school building. The collaboration took years of planning and the resulting shared structure is nearly ready for use.
“It feels fabulous any time you can help the club in this way,” said Fisher, who was joined by Karen Oakley, Cathi Auger and Janet Ferro in suggesting the Boys & Girls Club receive the money. She told a success story from the club to the women gathered, who then picked the non-profit.
Fisher was one of several women who nominated the Boys & Girls Club for the quarterly award. “Together we can give so much more than any one of us on our own,” said Jami Stamm, another who suggested the donation.
The women active in the community gather and hear from others passionate about ways to give. Fisher is a board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Elkhart and has been involved in planning the new location the last four years.
Kevin Deary, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County, praised her for delivering a strong so that others understood the mission and wanted to give to the club . “Dawn and others on our board have really stepped up to help the kids of Elkhart. This donation is just one more example of how hard they’ve worked to promote the Boys & Girls clubs,” Deary said.
The Selection Process: Efficient and Impactful
100 Women Who Care Elkhart County gathers four times a year for an hour-long meeting. Each woman or team of women will write a check for $100 and write down a local charity. Each charity will be put into a pool for consideration. Three will be drawn, presentations will be made and the attendees will vote on which of the top three they think should receive that meeting’s funds.
How to Join
New members are always welcome! To become a member of 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County, a membership form can be completed online at www.100WomenWhoCareElkhart.com or at the next meeting on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. (5:30 p.m. fellowship time).
About 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County
In the summer of 2014, Jenny Welch and Sheila Terlep organized the 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County chapter, a gathering of local women who care deeply about Elkhart County and give generously to see their communities thrive. Throughout the last three years more than 200 women have given to the Elkhart County chapter to support local causes. The group has awarded more than $160,000 to local organizations serving Elkhart County residents, including: Church Community Services, Crossing Educational Center, Bashor Children’s Home, CAPS (toward CASA Program), Elkhart County Suicide Prevention Coalition, Ryan’s Place, Guidance Ministries, Elkhart County Clubhouse, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Wellfield Botanic Gardens, Humane Society of Elkhart County, Ronald McDonald House Charities Michiana, the Women’s Care Center, the Samaritan Health and Living Center (The Julie Fund), YWCA (Elkhart County Safe Haven), and most recently, Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County (Elkhart location).
The 100 Women Who Care is a component fund of the Community Foundation of Elkhart County. The Community Foundation partners with donors to leverage their philanthropy in ways that transform lives. Since 1989, Community Foundation has connected the generosity of donors with community needs by providing scholarship opportunities to local students and making grants to nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life in Elkhart County.
100 Women Who Care Elkhart County, www.100WomenWhoCareElkhart.com
Community Foundation of Elkhart County, www.InspiringGood.org
Check Presentation: On Tuesday, Oct. 17, members of the 100 Women Who Care Elkhart County presented a $10,000 check to staff at the Boys & Girls Club of Elkhart. From left, in front, are: Sheila Terlep, Jenny Welch, Patty Brotherson, Dawn Fisher, Kevin Deary, Carrie Colborn, and Jodi Spataro. From left, in back, are: Peggy Lingberg, Jami Stamm, Mary Nommay-Keil, Elizabeth Bond, and Rubin Nieto.