Guidelines
The charities that Women Giving Back Illinois selects are chosen during our meetings. Here is the process for deciding the charity that we will support.
1. Nominating a charity
Anyone who has attended one meeting and donated to a charity is welcome to nominate a charity. This is done by sending a message through the Contact Us page AT LEAST five (5) days prior to a meeting.
Requirements for the nominated charity:
1. Must be a 501c3 corporation.
2. Cannot be connected with a crowdfunding organization like GoFundMe.
3. Cannot be affiliated with a religious or political organization.
4. Preferably a small to medium size organization that primarily services Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
You will be contacted by Sandy with more information.
2. Selecting a charity
The names of all nominated charities are placed in a hat and three are selected randomly. Any charities still in the hat will be eligible to be selected at the next meeting.
3. Presenting a nominated charity
When a charity is selected, the member who has nominated the organization is given five minutes to talk about the charity. You can bring handouts, a prepared digital presentation (you need to provide a computer and projector), or bring someone from the organization to talk about the charity. The most successful presentations have focused on a personal connection or a compelling story. Remember, your task is to convince the attendees to vote for your charity.
The next charity is drawn from the hat and again, the member who nominated it is given five minutes to present. The third charity is selected and another presentation is made.
4. Voting for a charity
After all the presentations are made, members are given a slip of paper and asked to vote for one of the charities. The secret votes are tabulated and the charity that receives the most votes is chosen.
5. Making a donation
All attending members are asked to write a check to support the selected charity, even if it isn't the charity they voted for. At each meeting, three very worthy charities are nominated and the decision is always difficult and close.
A donation of $100 is suggested, with the check made out to the charity. Some members generously write an additional check to one or both of the other charities. This is optional.
Members who are not in attendance are contacted via email and asked to contribute to the selected charity. Even if you aren't able to attend the meeting, it is important that all members maintain the commitment to donate to these worthwhile charities.