FAQs about WIG

FAQs about Women Impacting Greensboro (WIG)

(Updated5/7/14)

Where can I get more information about WIG?

We have a Facebook page  at www.facebook.com/greensborowomengiving, you can send an email to womenimpactinggreensboro@gmail.com, or contact an Ambassador.

If I become a WIG member, what's in it for me? 

Great question--a lot, actually! You will be able to:    

•  Meet and get to know other cool women who want to contribute to—and get connected within—our community.
•  Learn about several different local non-profits/initiatives.
•  Experience satisfaction of being a philanthropist and making a bigger financial impact with a non-profit/project than you might be able to make on your own.
•  Participate in something that's high impact, low effort, and inspiring to others.
• Understand how your dollars were used by the selected non-profit/project.

What's required of me? 

All members sign a commitment form stating that they will participate for the remainder of the year (a one-year commitment). This helps garner commitment from everyone in the group and also ensures that we can meet the goal of delivering a large gift to the selected non-profit/project. Commitment forms will be available at every Gathering and by request.

How will each Gathering work? 

Here's an overview of the evening.

• Registration, mingling, food and drinks
• Welcome and overview
• Organization receiving prior Gathering’s grant invited to share how dollars were used
• Selection (out of a wig) of the 3 non-profits/projects that will be presented that evening
• Five-minute presentation for each non-profit/project (total of 15 minutes)
• Five-minute Q&A from audience
• Participants vote
• Non-profit/project receiving award is announced to membership
• Checks collected, more networking, laughter and general merriment

When and where will Gatherings be held? 

Gatherings will be the second Thursday in February, May, August and November. They will be held in locations that are available at no or low cost. We will look at all options and communicate the location prior to the event.

Can I ask others to join?

Please do! We have a “the more the merrier” view of the world, so please invite any women you think would enjoy this unique opportunity.

Who's in charge? 

We operate using a shared leadership model--every member has a voice, a vote, and an equal opportunity to present. A group of founding members will continue to help shape the group as needed, but we anticipate little if any ongoing administrative work.

What if I can’t make the $100 gift? Can I still participate? 

Yes! We encourage you to find a partner (or two or three) who can commit to participating with you. (For example, you and a partner can chip in $50 apiece per Gathering.) We are asking for commitment and $100 can be a stretch, especially when financial situations change. Our goal is to be flexible, but to deliver a large gift after each Gathering to the selected organization.

What types of non-profits/projects be considered?

Women Impacting Greensboro funds projects and organizations that focus on empowering and serving women and children in Greensboro.

How will we select non-profits/projects to be presented?

Selection will be member-led. Have a non-profit or project that you’d like Women Impacting Greensboro to consider? Take these steps:

• Before a Gathering, prepare a five-minute presentation that answers some basic questions about the organization. (Presentation guidelines will be available at each Gathering and by request.)
• During the registration period at the Gathering, simply write down your name and the name of the organization you’d like to present, and put it in the hat (or wig, if that suits us better). Three names/organizations will be drawn.
• If your name is drawn, you’ll have five minutes to talk about the non-profit to a very appreciative audience.
• After all three presentations, there will be a 5-minute Q&A from participants.
• Each “team” will have the opportunity to vote for the nonprofit she would like to support by writing the name of the nonprofit on a piece of scrap paper.
• Votes will be counted, and the results will be announced at the Gathering.

What if my name/organization isn’t selected?

If your name isn’t pulled from the hat, you can enter it again at future Gatherings. If you present and the organization isn’t selected, you can also continue to enter it into the drawing again in the future.

Why are you considering "projects" instead of just non-profit organizations? 

Some great funding opportunities may exist that are not associated with non-profit organizations, so we want to have the flexibility to consider these options as well. However, if the organization does not have 501(3)(c) status, this must be disclosed to Gathering participants during the presentation since it has tax implications, i.e. contributions are not tax-deductible.

Will non-profits be required to use the dollars awarded for a particular purpose? 

A cornerstone of this initiative is focused on building trust -- among members, with the non-profits/projects we support, etc. To that end, we will ask the organizations/projects to use the donations where there's the greatest organizational need. The exception is if the group votes on a particular effort the organization provides (for example, a scholarship program run by a non-profit organization).

How will we know how the grant was used by the non-profit/project?

A representative from the non-profit/project will be invited to speak at a future Gathering to share more about how the money was used and the impact it had.

What if I can't make it to a Gathering? Do I still need to contribute? 

We’re asking for some level of commitment to WIG so we can determine how many dollars we can deliver at each Gathering. If you commit to participating for the year (by signing a pledge form), we’ll ask you write a check as soon as possible (typically 48 hours) after a Gathering so we can deliver the dollars to the organization/project awarded the grant.

What if I don't like the non-profit selected? Do I still need to write a check? 

To be blunt...yes! Since this is member driven, we hope this won't be a problem. Since we trust one another, we also believe that collective wisdom rules the day. If the group chooses to fund a project that wasn't your first choice, there will be other opportunities for the unselected non-profit/project to be presented again. However, if you have a significant moral issue with the organization selected, you can write a check to the organization selected at the prior Gathering. It will be your responsibility to deliver that contribution.

Will non-profits/projects know the group is considering them for a grant award? 

If you’re passionate about an organization and want help developing the short, informal presentation, you may want to get in touch with the organization to get details. However, since the three presenters for a Gathering are selected randomly and the selection us up to the group, there’s no way of knowing which organizations will be awarded the grant at a particular Gathering.

How will we ensure transparency within the group? 

Information will be shared on our Facebook page as we prepare for—and hold—Gatherings. Three women who are not presenters at the Gathering will count ballots and confirm results. Checks will be written directly to the non-profit or project. A group will deliver all checks within three business days of the Gathering--and there will be a photographer on hand to capture it all.

What are the guiding principles of Women Impacting Greensboro?

• Keep it simple.
• We are inclusive-, multi-generational and multi-cultural. We have a "the more the merrier" approach and will not limit membership as long as physical space allows.
• We are about building trust and our actions demonstrate that. We trust that people will do the right thing--members, the nonprofits/projects we entrust our gifts to, etc.
• We are asking for a commitment. Members are expected to write a check for $100 at each Gathering. They can raise those funds in lots of different ways (i.e. partner with someone else, etc.)
• We operate through shared leadership. 
• Everyone has an equal opportunity to present.
• At each Gathering, our gift of $10,000 will fund one project focused on underserved women and children--the project that the majority selects.
• Presentations about nonprofits/projects will be member led. Staff of nonprofits will not be represented at the Gathering unless they are members of the group.
• Organizations awarded a grant will be invited back to a future meeting to speak about how they used the money--and the impact made.
• We will keep our costs close to $0 so we can focus on funding projects.
• We will remain flexible and make changes along the way as needed.
• We're in this for the long haul and will work together to make it so!