100+ Women of Effingham 1st 2018 Meeting is Thursday

Since 2016, 100+ Women Who Care Effingham County has contributed more than $75,000 to nonprofit organizations in Effingham County. Steering committee co-chairs, Melissa Willenborg and Karen Etter are confident that the giving circle will continue to grow and have an even greater impact on Effingham County in 2018. “With each new member, our impact grows and we cannot wait to see who receives our contributions in 2018,” explain Melissa and Karen. “We want to encourage all women living and working in Effingham County to experience the giving circle in action by attending a meeting for free to learn how they can make a difference in Effingham County.” The giving circle will continue its philanthropic work at the first meeting of 2018 on April 12 at HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital Auditorium. Registration will begin at 5pm and the meeting will begin at 6pm. Light refreshments will be served throughout the evening.

100+ Women Who Care Effingham County is based on a giving circle model in use throughout the country. A giving circle is a form of philanthropy where a group of individuals donate their own money to a pooled fund, decide together where to give the funds and, in doing so, seek to increase their awareness of and engagement in the issues covered by the charity or community project.

100+ Women Who Care Effingham County will meet three times a year for a one-hour meeting. Members join the organization annually and sign a commitment to donate $400 per year. The first $100 commitment supports the 100+ Women Who Care Effingham County Endowment, a fund of Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation, to address future needs of the community. In addition, every member pledges to donate $100 at each of the meetings for that year (whether they attend or not) to be donated to a selected nonprofit organization in Effingham County. Nonprofits are nominated and presented at each meeting and are voted on by the members.

For more information, contact Karen Etter (217.254.5593) or Melissa Willenborg (217.343.8436).