Lake County >> Whether a mom ushering her kids from school to soccer to ballet or a working professional struggling to find time to sleep, it’s busy being a woman. Which might be why 100 Women Strong in Lake County has been met with such enthusiasm.
The fundraising organization doesn’t require much. Women who join must donate $100 four times a year as well commit to attending an hour-and-a-half meeting once every three months. That’s it.
“The women who are involved are busy, but they still want to contribute to their community,” said the group’s founder, Crystal Martin. “Lake County is unique in that we have so many people like that here.”
The concept is also simple. Every three months the group combines that $100 collected from each member and selects a non-profit to receive a hefty donation. Any member who fills out a commitment form can nominate a non-profit organization in the local community. The nominees are then vetted, ensuring that each is a 501(c)3 in good standing. From there organizers choose three non-profits and invite them to a meeting. The non-profits have five minutes to give a presentation and another five minutes to take questions. At the end of the meeting, the women place their votes.
100 Women Strong in Lake County has only just found its wings. It got off the ground less than a year ago, in September of 2016. And yet, the group presented a $14,000 check to Operation Tango Mike last Thursday.
Martin’s original goal was to bring 75 women on board. She figured it would give them $7,500 as a starting point. That’s what she had braced the first non-profits for. So imagine her surprise when 118 women mailed in commitment forms before even the first meeting. 39 more members signed up at the inagural meeting.
It was entirely unexpected. “That just goes to speak for this community,” Martin said. “That’s what makes Lake County so amazing.”
Although she’s had a great deal of help and credits numerous people with the group’s success, 100+ Women Strong in Lake County began because of Martin. As the county child abuse and sexual assault advocate for the District Attorney’s office, she attends meetings for child advocacy centers. At a meeting in Napa she met a nurse who told her about a 100 Women Strong group in Solano County. That sparked the idea. After witnessing the generosity and outpouring of support in the wake of the fires, Martin figured this was the perfect place for another 100+ Women Strong group.
“I always thought it was amazing how we’re living in an area that’s supposedly poverty ridden and we come together and help our neighbors,” she said.
And it hasn’t just been the women donating. The first 100 Women Strong in Lake County meeting took place at Rancho De La Fuente in Lakeport, where wine was sold for $4 a glass. All that money went back to the non-profits.
When she started this group, Martin was thinking mostly about the impact they could have on the different non-profits receiving a donation every three months. But over the course of the first meeting she realized even the organizations that aren’t chosen benefit from 100+ Women Strong — they gain a good deal of exposure during their presentations.
In only a few short months, the organization has received an overwhelming amount of support. It bodes well for their future. “I just see good, positive things. I see it growing,” Martin said. “The women that are members are thrilled. I think we’ll continue to grow.”
To join 100 Women Strong in Lake County, download a commitment form at www.100womenstronginlakecounty.com and email it to 100womenstronginlakecounty@gmail.com. Contributions are tax deductible.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
