Hi all,

We are looking forward to our gathering at the Blacksburg Public Library on April 1 at 7:00 p.m.!

There won't be a vote this month as we only had ONE organization put forward this month----which is the Montgomery County Educational Foundation.  

At our meeting we will hear more about this very wonderful organization.  They have raised $65,000 for local grants to schools and teachers since 2012.  Here is one of their success stories:

A school-wide conversation was created at Belview in March 2014 as they celebrated their 2nd Annual One School, One Book, where children at all grade levels (PreK-5th) were afforded the opportunity to read the same book. The Literacy team at Belview selected Charlotte’s Web. Thanks to the MCEF, every student and staff member at Belview received a student received a copy of the book and read it at home throughout the month of March. With the One School, One Book program, BES built a community of readers by having ALL students, parents, teachers, and administrative staff participate. Activities at Belview coordinated, promoted and enriched the shared reading experience. Belview did a variety of things at school to heighten and promote interest in and discussion of the book including school-wide art and writing accomplishments, daily trivia questions on their live morning announcements, a One School, One Book bloghttp://belviewelementary.blogspot.com/, and a school-wide assembly with Farmer Minor and his pig Daisy, where Principal, Tara Grant, kissed the pig!

They have a Benefits Concert coming up on March 28th---all of their funds will go to grants for our schools and teachers.  You can purchase tickets for the concert HERE.

We are proud to extend our donations this quarter to this very important and active local organization headed by some of our own 100+ Women Who Care -NRV women, Sarah Woolsey and Gunin Kiran.  

We also wanted to extend a warm welcome to our new members!  

For all of you who are either members or not yet members, please take a minute to complete this questionnaire.  It will help us determine what direction to move our group and where member interests lie.  You can email (100wwc.nrv@gmail.com) it back or print it and bring it to the meeting.

Thanks!!!


Alexa and Beth
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Please answer the following questions:

1)  Are you currently involved in a women's group in the NRV?

2)  If so, which one(s) are you involved with?

LIST: ___________________________________________________________________

3)  If not, have you thought about joining a women's group?

___  Yes

___  No

___  Possibly

4)  What aspects of a woman's group appeals to you?

___ inspirational speakers/support

___ advocacy

___ business/being an entrepreneur

___ social

___ other ________________________

5) If you are a paying member of 100+ Women Who Care NRV, what do you enjoy about being part of the group?

___  Giving to local charities

___  Hearing more about local charities

___  Working together with women to make a difference

___  How little time it takes to make a difference

___  Other:  ________________________________________________________________

6)  If you are not currently a paid member, what stops you from becoming a paid member of 100+ Women Who Care NRV?

___  Not sure what it is

___  I already donate to charities

___  Don't have the time

___  I have not gotten around to it, but plan to join and pay

___  I haven't really given it much thought

___  I didn't realize you had to pay

___ Other __________________________________________________________________

6) Would you like to learn more about 100+ Women Who Care in the NRV?

___ Yes please

___ No, not really

___ I already understand, but have no plans to participate

___ I already understand and I am a paying member

___ I already understand and I will be joining and paying soon

Alexa and Beth

Alexa Casey & Beth Parker, Co-Founders
100+Women Who Care - NRV
https://www.facebook.com/100womenwhocarenrv
www.100wwcnrv.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/100NRVWomen

I subscribe to some 12 magazines and sometimes I actually find something interesting in them. Reading a recent All You issue, I came across an article on charitable giving I found intriguing.

Are you passionate about something?  Have a hobby or special skill?  Why not turn it into a gift for the less fortunate?

We get ourselves into ruts.  When we decide we want to donate we go on autopilot and either donate time, used articles or money.  However, if you are passionate about knitting, crafting, gardening and more, there are organizations that would be thrilled if you sent your finished product to them.

At Knit-a-Square.com for example, even a beginner can help make blankets, scarves, hats and more for orphans in South Africa.  If you love to garden check out AmpleHarvest.org an organization that connects gardeners with food pantries near them in order to provide more healthy choices to those in need.  Do you have a love of baking?  Why not bake for a child with a life-threatening illness?  icingsmiles.org matches requests from parents with nearby bakers, professionals and amateurs to put a smile on their child's face.

Need more exercise?  Love to walk?  Well then The Charity Miles application (charitymiles.org which is free for Android and Apple users, is for you!  You can earn $.25 for every mile you log.  You select an organization from a list of 30 and the app tracks your distance and donates the money for you.  Personally, I love this idea.  I walk at least 4 miles every Wednesday with a group from a local club I am involved in.  Why not put that walking to more use than just getting caught up with friends and pumping some blood through my veins?!  I've signed on and now feel even better about my efforts.

If you are looking for a cause or way of sharing your talent, go to allforgood.org, a clearinghouse for volunteer projects.

Finally, if you live locally (New River Valley, VA) you can take advantage of some of the giving too!  Virginia Tech's Big Event on April 11, 2015 allows students the opportunity to donate their time and skills.  Give them a hand and find a project around your home for them.  It works both ways!

LISTENING AND TAKING ACTION Together...

We are very good listeners, but even more important we are a powerful group of women who aim to make our community a better place to live.  One organization at a time.

We listened to four very informative  presentations on Wednesday night at the Blacksburg Library from 6- 7 p.m.  We learned about the following organizations:

1) Montgomery County Humane Society

2) Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program

3) Stadium Woods

4) Montgomery County Christmas Store

Although only one organization can receive the funds---it was Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program this time, everyone at the meeting felt great about what we were doing.  Everyone felt like a WINNER!

It's been a joy to be part of these meetings.....so much to learn about and so empowering to come together with other women and very quickly donate over $1000.

We want YOU to be a part of our group too!  Our goal is to provide 10K each quarter (March, June, September and December)  to LOCAL organizations who are in need.

JOIN us today and be a part of a growing movement that makes a difference---quickly and without taking too much time to do so (a definite plus).

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Alexa and Beth
Co-founders of 100+ Women Who Care

Email address:  100wwc.nrv@gmail.com
Blog site:  www.100wwcnrv.blogspot.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/100womenwhocarenrv
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/100NRVWomen

SHAZAM!

Our first quarterly meeting of the 100+ Women Who Care in the NRV resulted in $1000.00 for the Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry.  Lisa Machi, pictured here, is a member of the 100+ Women Who Care who nominated the organization.

The Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry offers basic food supplies, once a month, to low-income Blacksburg residents or those in emergency situations, including homeless individuals and families. 

Currently the Interfaith Food Pantry is able to provide groceries each month valued at approximately $100 to $200 depending on family size and food availability. The Interfaith Food Pantry is currently serving 700 or more individuals each month. Potential recipients are screened for eligibility by New River Community Action in Christiansburg. 

We've given enough to feed about 10 families for a month through the Food Pantry.  Hopefully you feel good about your contribution.  If you aren't currently a member, but are considering it, please join us.  We can make long-lasting changes in our community with your help.

While the majority of the Interfaith Food Pantry’s clients work, minimum wage jobs do not always enable recipients to feed their families.  

We are thrilled to be able to join together as a local group of women--relatively small group currently--in order to provide such a substantial donation to our local charity.  We meet quarterly and pool money together in order to support our local charities.  Your help is much needed and appreciated.

Our next meeting is in a couple weeks, Wednesday December 10th at 6 p.m. at the Blacksburg Library.

The groups for our Second Quarterly meeting include the following:

1)  Montgomery Emergency Assistance Program

2)  Mongomery County Christmas Store

3)  Montgomery County Humane Society

4)  Save Stadium Woods

Please become a donating member and hopefully each quarter we can continue to grow until we reach $10,000 per quarter.  $10,000 is our ultimate goal--Imagine what our local charities can do with $10,000!

We need your support to help us reach this goal.  We also look forward to your input regarding nominations too...so imagine giving to YOUR favorite charities along with 100+ other woman.

Members are able to nominate their favorite charity....what organization would you like to donate over $1000 to in our community?

Join Us!  We can all make a difference!  We aren't stopping until we reach $10,000.00 each quarter.  Many other groups have done it, we can do it too!

We are also putting names into a drawing to win a FREE massage from Patsy Jansons.  Sign up now and become part of our local NRV group!

Please feel free to email us at www.100wwc.nrv@gmail.com if you have any questions or need more information.

In community,
Alexa and Beth

Not too long ago, I was meeting with a prospective member of 100+ Women discussing all things 'charity' and we touched upon unsolicited solicitations and how to protect ourselves from the overwhelming number of them (particularly this time of year!!).

As is my style, I obsessed over what to do and how to help others and came across a great organization called Charity Watchdog (www.charitywatch.com), formerly the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP).  Not only do they have very current information regarding global needs, but they are an independent assessor of all things charity.

They have a great article on seven ways in which you can minimize solicitations.  I have printed them out and am putting them into action.  I suggest you do the same.

It is particularly important because often such solicitations are fraudulent.  We need to protect ourselves as best we can against such scams and protect the elderly as well.  Take a few minutes to read through them.  I am convinced that you will be happy you did!

Their tips include:

1.     Be selective in your giving - when you give your name is added to the organization's mailing list.  Be sure you want to be on it!

2.    Enclose a note with your donation asking the organization not to rent, sell or exchange your name, address, and giving history to others.

3.    Ask the charity to reduce the frequency of their solicitations.  If they do not respond, consider changing who you support.  If you do not want to support an organization, ask to be removed from their list.  Be sure to save mailing labels!  They contain important information that will assist you in getting your name removed.

4.    Often these organizations rent or purchase mailing lists from the Direct Marketing Association.  Contact them online (https://www.dmachoice.org/register.php)  to have your name removed or write to them at:

Mail Preference Service

Direct Marketing Association

PO Box 643

Carmel, NY 10512

5.  Contact the credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, Trans Union) via toll-free #1-888-567-8688 to prevent pre-approved credit offers for up to two years and in writing to ask them not to disclose personal information for promotional purposes.

6.  To reduce unwanted telephone appeals you can complete an online form at: https://www.the-dma.org/cgi/offtelephonedave  or write to: 

Telephone Preference Service

Direct Marketing Association

PO Box 1559

Carmel, NY 10512

7.  Contact your local officials. 13 states in the U.S. are addressing the issue of unwanted mail and telephone solicitations. Check with the consumer protection agencies in your state and county concerning laws or regulations affecting unsolicited mail. Charities are often exempt from restrictions, but there are increasing efforts at the state level to reduce the burden of unwanted mail.

Good luck, be vigilant and continue to give to whom and how you want.

Having opted out of the commercialization and consumerism of the holiday season eight years ago, I was thrilled to learn of this newly created movement.  Our family no longer buys unwanted and unnecessary gifts.  We take turns selecting a charitable organization to contribute to.  Our children determine the amount they wish to give from their personal savings and we match it.  Our extended family is notified of the charity and each contributes what they can to it.  Some of us have taken to creating holiday ornaments that commemorate who chose the charity which charity it was, and the year of giving.  It's a beautiful and growing collection of ornaments.

Then, we spend time together creating memories.  Generally, we travel together.  It's amazing how much more relaxing the holiday season is, how good we feel about it, and how wonderful it is to see our children grow and develop through giving and learning about the world.

 Recently I learned of a relatively new movement, #GivingTuesday.  Its concept mirrors what 100+ Women Who Care - NRV is all about - the desire to harness the energy, caring, and power to give as a group in a single point in time.

"Started by charities in 2012, #GivingTuesday refers to the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It began as a movement to create a national day of giving (it is now global!) to kick off the giving season as a response to the commercialization and consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. #GivingTuesday, has become an annual effort to harness the collective power of a unique blend of partners – charities, families, businesses and individuals – to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season."

We hope you will catch the power and join us at our holiday-themed quarterly giving meeting held on December 10 at the Blacksburg Public Library (6-7p.m.).  Happy holidays and best wishes for a healthy, happy, and fruitful 2015.

Alexa & Beth

On Friday, September 19 the first quarterly meeting of 100+ Women Who Care - NRV chapter was held.  Present at the meeting were representatives of three local charities; NRV Cares, Southwest Virginia Special Olympics NRV area, and Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry. 

Each presenter told us key facts about their organization and their target recipients.  The one thing that was glaringly obvious when they were finished presenting was the pressing need for help (money, time and more) right here in our own backyard.

It got me to thinking about how in my own family when we choose to give it tends to be to those in need not only outside our community, but outside our country!, typically to fight disease or disaster.  I wondered how others behaved by comparison in their giving.  If you are wondering too - here are some statistics.  All data is the property of Giving USA 2014, the Annual Report on Philanthropy.

Giving Statistics

Few people realize how large charities have become, how many vital services they provide, and how much funding flows through them each year. Without charities and non-profits, America would simply not be able to operate. Their operations are so big that during 2013, total giving was more than $335 billion.

How big is the sector?

Total giving to charitable organizations was $335.17 billion in 2013 (about 2% of GDP). This is an increase of 4.4% from 2012. Although this is the fourth straight year that giving has increased, it is still not at the pre-recession level of $349.5 billion seen in 2007.

As in previous years, the majority of that giving came from individuals. Specifically, individuals gave roughly $240.6 billion (72%) representing a 4.2% increase over 2012. And it was the additional $9.69 billion in gifts made by individuals that was the main reason overall giving is up in 2013.

Giving by bequest was $27.73 billion (up 8.7%), foundations gave $48.96 billion (up 5.7%), and corporations donated $17.88 billion (down 1.9%).

Corporate giving accounts for just 5% of the total giving in 2013. And it was down primarily because of the slow growth in corporate pre-tax profits.

Five types of charities have reached or surpassed all-time high giving levels since the recession ended in mid-2009.

- Giving to Education charities was up 8.9% to $52.07 billion.

- Donations to Human Services charities were up 2.2% to $41.51 billion.

- Foundations saw an increase of 15.5% to $35.74 billion.

- Health charities experienced an increase of 6% to $31.86 billion.

- Charities that focus on the Environment / Animals saw an increase of 7.5% to $9.72 billion.

Giving to International charities slowed due to fewer overseas disasters.

Historically, Religious groups have received the largest share of charitable donations. While this was still true in 2013, the percentage dropped by 2% from 2012 making this the fifth year in a row it was down or flat. Even with the 0.2% decrease in donations this year, 31% of all donations ($105.53 billion) went to Religious organizations. Much of these contributions can be attributed to people giving to their local place of worship.

The next largest sector was Education with 16% of all donations.

Consider joining 100+ Women Who Care - NRV to help us reduce the need locally.  Your contribution combined with those of your peers can have a large impact (up to $10k) in any given quarter.  It's not easy for a local organization to raise that amount of money in such a short time-frame.