Here’s the math: One hour of time. One hundred dollars. One hundred women. A fast $10,000 to donate to one charity.
One hundred women gather (plus or minus because some members can’t come and some bring guests), the event is limited to one hour, and the moderators stick to it!
Representatives from three local charities each give a five-minute presentation with a few more minutes for questions and answers from the audience, then ballots are distributed for the vote. First place winner gets the $10,000 for that charity.
If you’re a woman lacking $100 to donate, you may form a partnership and share a ballot with another woman, but it’s only the one vote per $100.
I’m not telling who I voted for, but I will say deciding was a conundrum indeed, with all of the contestants being admirable causes worthy of our funding.
First Serve New Mexico is the program designed for preteens and teens focused on the two disciplines of academics and tennis, with top-notch mentoring in both after school. Their track record is astonishing: 100 percent of the kids who finish the program graduate from high school, most with some honors courses, and 100 percent then go to credible universities.
Girls on the Run is a similar concept open only to girls in the public school system from 3rd though 8th grades, with academic tutoring, confidence-building, and a focus on running several times a week. It currently serves 250 girls.
Alternatives to Violence is a conflict resolution program in three New Mexico prisons, including the women’s prisons in Grants and Springer, that teaches ways to deal with life’s disappointments and hardships in new, non-violent ways: “Conflict is a part of life, but violence doesn’t have to be.” Inmates have a lower rate of recidivism after the workshops and pass their training on to their families to stop domestic violence. The counselors have been paying for hotel rooms and Xerox copies out of their own pockets, which clearly did not sit well with the 100 Women: The vote was to give Alternatives to Violence the award money.
This event happens four times a year, with three new candidates presenting, pitching, auditioning in their five-minute spot. If there’s more than $10,000, the second-place winner gets a check too, and sometimes even third place gets something!
If you’re tired of the limousine presidents of national charities making seven-figure salaries with tons of perks, 100 Women Who Care says 100 percent of the money they bring in goes directly to the charities! The lovely ladies who run the show do it as volunteers and they’re making a difference here on a local level!
If you are interested in supporting charitable organizations in the most efficient and effective way possible, 100 Women Who Care is an organization worthy of your consideration.
Check out 100WomenWhoCareinSantaFe.com.
Ashley Margetson has a BA in English from UCLA, is a senior real estate broker with Sotheby’s International Realty and has a finger on the pulse of philanthropic activities in Santa Fe. To tell us about an upcoming event, email apm@ashleymargetson.com.
