Frequently Asked Questions

If you would like to become a member, please visit the Join Us section to complete our Membership & Commitment Form. Our chapter has three (3) groups that meet in different areas of the Valley – Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and East Valley.

Membership in 100+ WWC Valley of the Sun includes making an annual, tax-deductible donation of $400 ($100 per quarter) to local charities serving the Phoenix metro area.  We also allow members to join as teams of two (2), three (3), or four (4) women if they would like to split that amount between team members. Members commit to fulfilling that donation amount even if they, or their team, did not vote for the selected charity.  If a member or team is unable to attend a quarterly giving circle, they agree to make their donation, check or online, immediately following the giving circle. Attendance at giving circles is not mandatory but the donation is.

Membership is for a one (1) year period and will renew automatically unless notice is given.

Members may withdraw at any time.

Expect to be greeted by one of our volunteers and asked to sign in at the check-in table. There will be a cash bar and time for mingling with other fabulous, like-minded women.

Generally, our giving circles will go as follows:

5:30 – 6:30 pm – Check-in and social hour

6:30 pm – Giving circle begins

• Opening remarks by Executive Committee.
• The charity that received the funds from the previous giving circle will be asked to say a few words of thanks.  They will tell the group how their donations were/will be used and what the impact their donations made on the organization.
• An explanation of the charity selection and voting process is given.
• The members, whose charities were picked at random from “the hat” at the previous giving circle, will each have five (5) minutes to present their charity to the group. A brief Q&A of up to five (5) minutes will follow each presenter.
• Members will submit their anonymous ballot and the votes are tabulated.
• The charity with the most votes is announced.
• Donations via check or online are made by each member/team to the selected charity.
• Checks are collected and you feel good. You just did something amazing and impactful!
• The next giving circle and venue are announced.
• Three (3) nominated charities will be selected at random from the hat to be presented at the next giving circle.

7:30 pm – Giving circle is adjourned. Stay and mingle more or head home.

We strive to complete our giving circles in one (1) hour. We aim to start promptly at 6:30 pm. If you wish to come earlier or stay later, there will be opportunities to socialize both before and after the formal part of each giving circle.

If you cannot attend a quarterly giving circle, you may submit your donation in one of the following ways:

• Give your $100 blank check to a trusted friend who is attending the giving circle. She can fill in the name of the selected charity and turn it in for you.
• Mail your $100 check before the giving circle or immediately after the giving circle to the designated Executive Committee member. Absent members will receive an email with the pertinent details.
• Submit your donation via the online link provided in the email announcing the charity recipient.

Absent members may not vote by proxy.

Yes!  We are always looking for women who want to GIVE BIG. However, only members are allowed to vote at the giving circle. Your friend can complete the Membership & Commitment Form before voting begins if she would like to become a member and vote. She is, of course, able to donate to the selected charity if she feels moved to do so, with or without becoming a member.

Absolutely not!  If we can make a substantial impact with one hundred women in each group, why not grow each group and make an even BIGGER difference?  The more the merrier we say!

100+ WWC Valley of the Sun collects your personal information (including name, email address, phone number, and mailing address) strictly for the purpose of staying connected with our members.  Our membership database is used for administrative purposes only.

100+ WWC Valley of the Sun will not sell, give, or otherwise share your personal information with any third party.  Ever.  We may occasionally recognize our members via social media and other media.  If you want to remain anonymous, you must let us know at the time of joining or tell the photographer not to photograph you.

The website will always have the most up-to-date information. New members will receive a confirmation/welcome email from us within 24 hours of joining. If you have not received the email, please contact us.

Of course, we will also be regularly updating Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, so be sure to follow us on social media.

Note: Please add info@100wwcvalleyofthesun.org to your email address book. We make every effort to reach you, but sometimes your security settings may prohibit us from doing so. As well, if you change your email address, please let us know. Should you wish to discontinue membership at any time, please contact us indicating your withdrawal from the chapter.

Once you join our chapter, you may nominate a charity. You may have one (1) charity attached to your name at a time.  You may change your charity on record at any time.  For more information, please see our Charities section.

No. Many women like to just show up and give.  While all members have the opportunity to nominate a charity, it is not a requirement of membership.

Please review our Charities section for eligibility requirements.

The most common type of tax-exempt nonprofit organization falls under category 501(c)(3); whereby, a nonprofit organization is exempt from federal income tax if its activities have the following purposes: charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering amateur sports competition, or preventing cruelty to children or animals.  For more information, please visit the IRS website.  Before submitting your nomination, we also recommend that you do some research on GuideStar and Charity Navigator to learn more about the charity.  Our Charity Selection Guide will also guide you in determining if the charity has a solid foundation and is trending in a positive fiscal direction.

*Organizations who meet the 501(c)(3) requirements based on their “religious” purpose will not be eligible for consideration.  501(c)(3) religious organizations include churches, conventions, associations of churches, integrated auxiliaries of churches, nondenominational ministries, interdenominational and ecumenical organizations, and other entities whose principal purpose is the study or advancement of religion.  This also includes schools who are under the umbrella of a religious organization for tax-exempt purposes.

For the purposes of 100+ WWC Valley of the Sun, all charitable organizations up for consideration must be local.  A local project associated with a national charity may be considered if 100% of the donated funds stay in the Phoenix metro community.

A community foundation is a public charity that typically focuses on supporting a geographical area, primarily by facilitating and pooling donations used to address community needs and support local nonprofits. Community foundations offer numerous types of grantmaking programs, frequently including donor-advised funds, endowments, scholarships, field-of-interest funds, giving circles and more. Community foundations are funded by donations from individuals, families, businesses and sometimes government grants.

Yes, 100WWC invites Phoenix metro nonprofits to self-nominate themselves and is accepting submissions via this self-nomination form.  When a charity self-nominates itself, and is approved by the 100WWC Executive Team, it will be added to our charity directory.  This directory can be used by 100WWC members to help them select a charity they want to formally nominate and present to their giving circle.

A charity must be a 501(c)3 for a minimum of three complete financial years to be eligible for consideration.  Visit https://100wwcvalleyofthesun.org/eligibility-criteria/ for a complete list of eligibility criteria.

Submission of the self-nomination form does not guarantee inclusion in the directory.  Inclusion in the directory does not guarantee a 100WWC member will present the nonprofit to their giving circle.  Only 100WWC members are allowed to present a charity at the quarterly meetings.

Charity representatives, i.e. officers, board members, employees, volunteers, etc., are also welcome to become members of 100WWC and nominate their charity.  By doing this, a charity guarantees they will go into the quarterly drawing, if approved.  Members commit to donating $100 per quarter to the charity selected at their group’s quarterly giving circle and there is no guarantee that your charity will be selected.

Yes, by the charity chosen to be the recipient. Your $100 donation is made directly to the charity, NOT to 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun.  Tax receipts will be issued to you directly by the charity. If you have not received your tax receipt within a reasonable amount of time, please contact the charity directly.

Sorry, no. The goal of 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun is to make one significant donation on behalf of each group within our chapter.  To make a substantial impact, we want to give thousands of dollars at the end of each group giving circle. The only way to do that is to make each member’s donation part of the larger donation. This is the power of being a member.  We also need to be able to track your donations, so you get credit for the donation and remain in good standing. Only members in good standing can nominate and vote.

Absolutely zero! 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun is organized and operated entirely by big-hearted women who volunteer their time.  We have no employees. We do not collect any money from our members.  Our operating expenses are offset by generous sponsor donations.  100% of funds donated at a giving circle go directly to the selected charity!

The short answer is no. The commitment you make as a member is to donate $100 per quarter.  However, we do accept teams of two (2), three (3), or four (4) members who agree to split the $100 donation each quarter.  Please keep in mind that teams of two (2), three (3), or four (4) members only get one (1) vote per team.  If you would like to become a member, either as an individual or a team, please visit the Join Us section to complete our Membership & Commitment Form.

If you experience a financial hardship for a period of time, please reach out to us and let us know.  We will work with you and provide a grace period.

Yes! Look at our list of List of Approved Charities for links to each of their websites.  Each charity will have a list of ways you can help them carry out their mission.