Third time proved lucky for the Thompson Humane Society, which was chosen as the latest recipient of a donation from 100 Women Who Care Thompson at their December meeting.
The society had twice pitched unsuccessfully to the group before being chosen as their recipient this time around.
Meeting attendees also heard from a pair of previous recipients. The Thompson Public Library informed the members that their donation was funding renovations in the children’s area. The Manitoba Games host society said the $6,250 donation it received has been spent on an accelerator board for the gymnastics club, specialized hacks for the Burntwood Curling Club, new net poles for the badminton club and R.D. Parker Collegiate, a wood chipper for Mystery Mountain Winter Park and bleachers in the Bill Comaskey Wellness Centre at the Thompson Regional Community Centre. All the equipment purchased will remain in Thompson after the Manitoba Games in early March.
100 Women Who Care Thompson, which has given away more than $40,000 since its first donation meeting in March 2016, is modelled after similar organizations in other communities in Canada. Up to 100 women meet for an hour or less once every three months to select a worthy local charity or cause to which each of them donates $100. Combined, this means that up to $10,000 goes to a worthy cause once every quarter; over a year, the total donation could be as much as $40,000.
Thompson’s 100 Women Who Care group was founded by April Saunders, who heard about the organization from a colleague in Waterloo, Ontario. That colleague put Saunders in touch with other chapters who provided her information on how to get a Thompson chapter started.
Members of the organization are eligible to nominate charities or projects of their choice to receive the quarterly donations, which must be directed towards specific initiatives and not general administration and revenue. An initial round of voting pares the list of candidates down to three finalists, who make pitches at the quarterly meetings. The organization that receives the most votes gets the donation. Those who receive donations attend future meetings to report on the status of the project and how the money was used. Recipients of the grants are not eligible to receive another for two years afterwards.
