Women Who Care funds not-for-profits

‘This is the idea of the century.’ In its purpose, its execution, its outcome. It’s in a bona fide “feel good” organization that engenders good feelings in not only its members but also its recipients.

The concept: brilliant.
In its purpose, its execution, its outcome. It’s in a bona fide “feel good” organization that engenders good feelings in not only its members but also its recipients.

Meet Tri-Cities Women Who Care. The Grand Haven/Spring Lake/Ferrysburg association exists to financially support local not-for-profits. Its 260 members meet four times a year. Each meeting lasts one hour, tops.

At the end of each meeting, each member gives $100 to the chosen not-for-profit. Total donation from the group: $26,000.

The idea was born in 2006 when Karen Dunigan of Jackson, Michigan, was asked to raise funds for yet another needy cause. She had just finished a grueling fundraiser and was exhausted. But the need was important. So on Nov. 15 – opening day of deer season – she met with more than 100 local women to explain her plan. She told them that if each of them gave $100, the need would be filled.

Every one of the 117 women wrote a check, raising $11,700 for The Center for Family Health. It was more than enough to buy all the baby cribs that were needed.

The needy recipient organization felt good. And so did each of the benefactors – for not only being able to help but also for being able to help so easily, with direct financial donations rather than a fundraising project. The women wanted to do it again, so Jackson’s organization was created. It was named 100+ Women Who Care.

Cindy Anderson of Grand Haven calls it “the idea of the century.”
She and Wendy Creason co-founded a Tri-Cities chapter in 2010. They shared the idea with 14 women friends, asking them to share the idea with their friends. They hoped they’d get 100 women to attend their first meeting.

That September, 230 women showed up. Every one wrote a check. And just like that, $23,000 was presented to the first recipient, Tri Cities Ministries.

The 100+ moniker didn’t quite fit. So 100 or More Women Who Care was born. Eventually it became Tri-Cities Women Who Care. The chapter is volunteer-based and has no overhead – even their meeting space is free, at the Spring Lake Country Club – so all funds raised go directly to local charities.

“We have gone well above anything we thought would happen,” Anderson said. Every quarterly donation has been greater than the initial one. The Tri-Cities chapter was the first worldwide to donate $1 million. To date, more than $1.7 million. Anderson expects the group to surpass $2 million by 2026.

“It has been joyful,” Anderson said. “It’s brought a lot of wonderful women into my life.”
She said the act of writing the donation check makes members feel empowered. “Many individuals feel like ‘I just wrote a $25,000 check.’”

Group membership is fluid. New members are welcome at every meeting.
Local teens have been interested in forming a spin-off group. So, too, have local men.
The premise of membership is simple. When a woman joins, she commits to support quarterly meetings for one year; that is, four meetings at $100 each, totaling $400 per year.
At each quarterly meeting, three not-for-profits are introduced by WWC members; each presents a five-minute plea for her chosen organization.

All members then vote, by secret ballot, to choose one of the three not-for-profits to be the evening’s recipient. Each member gives $100 to that recipient.
Anderson said some members write checks for more than $100. Some also write checks for the two not-for-profits that weren’t chosen.

The most recent recipient, in November, was Mosaic Counseling. The other 2024 recipients were Love in Action, Homeless Prevention Partners, and Tri-Cities Children’s Museum.
Women Who Care now has more than 700 chapters worldwide. Other local chapters are in Holland and Muskegon.

The Tri-Cities chapter’s next meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at Spring Lake Country Club, 17496 N. Fruitport Road, Spring Lake. Women are invited to join at the meeting.
Details are available at
tricitieswomenwhocaremi.org.