About Us

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We meet for one hour, four times a year. Here's how we spend that hour: 

• 5:30 pm: Social hour (optional). Check in, get your name tag, put your nomination in the hat. 
• 6:30 pm: Meeting begins promptly.  
• 6:35 pm: The charity that was awarded the funds from the previous quarter updates the membership on how the donation was used and the impact it is making. 
• 6:40 pm: Three members who have nominated their favorite local charity/nonprofit will be called to speak for 5 minutes each. These 3 members names were drawn at the end of the previous quarter's meeting. They've had 3  months to prepare their 5 minute pitch on why their charity/nonprofit should be awarded the $10K at this meeting.
• Every member is eligible to nominate their favorite local charity/non-profit.  We will create a slip of paper for each charity nominated and they will go into a hat for a drawing at the end of the meeting. When you check in, let us know that you have nominated a charity, and you will put the name in the hat yourself. You must be a 100+ Women Who Care member in good standing to nominate a charity. 
• 7:00 pm: After our three members speak on behalf of their favorite local charity for 5 minutes, we open up the floor for a Q&A which usually lasts about 10 minutes. 
• 7:10 pm: We vote using ballots. While we are collecting the ballots, we have an open mic. Members are encouraged to make announcements about their upcoming events that support their favorite local charities/nonprofits. 
• 7:20 pm: Awarded charity is announced. Checks are written on the spot & collected. Or, donations are made online.
• 7:25 pm: 4 charity names are drawn from the hat...we draw an extra name as a backup. It will become the #1 name in the event that we do not require an alternate at our next meeting. 
• 7:30 pm: We announce next meeting date so we can do it all again. Many members stay and have dinner together. 

Karen Dunigan always found it interesting that one of her greatest ideas was born from something as simple and basic as baby cribs. It was during lunch one day in 2006 in Jackson, Michigan with executive leadership from the Center for Family Health, where other fundraising matters were being discussed, that the Center’s CEO mentioned a need she learned about at a staff meeting earlier that morning regarding new mothers and portable cribs. Karen’s ears perked and she told the CEO that would be something she would like to know more about and another lunch was scheduled to specifically discuss the need.

During the follow up lunch, details were shared on how new mothers were bringing their babies home and placing the sleeping infants in boxes, dresser drawers or on their own beds because they could not afford a proper crib. Some of these babies didn’t survive the night. Karen was presented with a list of how many cribs were needed, the cost of mattresses, blankets and beds. In all, a total of $10,000 was needed.

As Karen began thinking about Center for Family Health’s need, she knew there had to be a way to quickly and easily meet the financial request that was presented. With all of her involvement in the community, Karen knew she could call ten people and ask them to write $1,000 checks, but she also figured she knew 100 women who would each give $100. She began making phone calls and scheduled a meeting. At that first meeting, in one hour, a group of Karen’s friends heard the story and each wrote checks to the Center for Family Health, resulting in a $12,800 donation, more than requested, to supply new mothers with the simplest need: a crib.

Karen recognized that she was on to something special and that it too was in its own infancy and needed to be nurtured to grow. She founded the first 100+ Women Who Care and scheduled quarterly meetings. The rules were simple, any member could present a need in the community, the need had to be immediate and the money had to remain local. The idea was that a worthy cause benefits many in the community.

Karen’s legacy lives on through the expansion of 100+ Chapters throughout the world. There are now more than 850 chapters either fully operational (600) or under development (more than 250) and they include women, men, people, kids, and teens chapters. Karen saw people for their strengths and realized that when 100 or more people come together in a room, each person becomes a powerful force for doing good work while lifting up your community. We are each strong in our own right, but together we are stronger. Karen knew this, applauded it and was so very proud of 100+ Women Who Care.

 We are part of #thePOWERof100. 

To find more chapters, visit the 100 Who Care Alliance.

• Q4 2020- Al's Angels- NOMINATED by Amy Gillis
• Q3 2020- Burroughs Community Center - NOMINATED by Darryl Manning 
• Q2 2020: FCCF- Covid Relief Fund
• Q1 2020 : ConnectUS - NOMINATED by Tracy Rosen 
• Q4 2019 : CT Institute for Refugees & Immigrants- $4700 NOMINATED  by Claudia Connor
• Q3 2019: Mercy Learning Center -$5430 NOMINATED BY Nathalie Fonteyne Gavrilovic
• Q2 2019: Circle of Care $7350 NOMINATED by Liz Salguero
• Q1 2019: The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling & Education- $5250 NOMINATED by Gayle Weinstein
• Q4 2018: The Center for Elder Abuse & Prevention- $5500 NOMINATED by Miri Citron
• Q23 2018: Norwalk Grassroots Tennis & Education Association- $6200 NOMINATED by Caron Palder 
• Q2 2018: The Tiny Miracles Foundation - $7100 NOMINATED by Marisela Esposito
• Q1 2018 :​Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders - $7190 NOMINATED  BY Katie Augustyn​
• Q4 2017: ​Malta House- $7400 NOMINATED BY Lucy Freeman​
• Q3 2017: Fairfield County Hospice House- $8100 NOMINATED BY Tracy Rosen
• Q2 2017: Women's Mentoring Network- $7300 NOMINATED BY Lana Gifas 
• Q1 2017:  CT Association for the Gifted - $7000 NOMINATED BY Katie Augustyn
• Q4 2016: Burroughs Community Center- $7700 NOMINATED BY Darryl  Manning 
• Q3 2016: Hearts of Hope- $7050 NOMINATED BY Lauren Soloff 
• Q2 2016: The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education- $7450 NOMINATED BY Gayle Weinstein
• Q1 2016: New Reach- $7250 NOMINATED BY Kelly Day
• Q4 2015: Junior Achievement of Western Connecticut- $7850 NOMINATED BY Rachell Mitchell
• Q3 2015: Bridgeport Public Education Fund- $7750 NOMINATED BY Eileen Ward
• Q2 2015:  Project Return- $8000 NOMINATED BY Kimberly Lake
• Q1 2015: ​Caroline House- $7200 NOMINATED BY  Diane Johnson