How 100 Calgary women collected nearly $1M for local charities

It was at a downtown Calgary hotel in the fall of 2013 when 53 women came together, carrying chequebooks and a desire to boost the fortunes of local charities and non-profit organizations. Their focus was on helping Calgarians struggling with poverty, hunger, disabilities, sexual abuse and exploitation, teen pregnancies and mental health problems.

The goal was to get at least 100 women to chip in $100 each, raising $10,000 at meetings held every three months. Non-profit organizations would enter a draw at those meetings where three would be chosen to make a pitch for the money. The entire group would then vote to determine which one would get the windfall.

"It was a brand new concept. It was hard work, just getting our friends and asking them to invite their friends, and so on and so forth," said Alison Lapczuk, one of the co-founders of 100 Women Who Care Calgary.

Fast forward to 2022 and the group is closing in on $1 million raised and 30 charities funded. 

"So this simple concept is having a powerful impact," said Christy McMurray, the other co-founder, who recently spoke at a meeting where another non-profit group was voted on to receive at least $10,000. Occasionally, the group swells beyond 100 women and the windfall grows.

Safe place for victims of sexual exploitation, trafficking

The RESET Society of Calgary was recently chosen and received more than $19,000 from 100 Women. The organization helps rescue women and girls 16 years of age and older from sexual exploitation and trafficking.

Theresa Jenkins, the executive director, says the money will help cover the operating costs for the emergency shelter beds. Jenkins, who has been with the organization for more than a decade, says clients have experienced trauma and violence.

"It's sexual assault, they have all been beaten. We've had girls come that have been thrown off a bridge, shot, broken arms, come from hospital. The things that happened to them … it's undescribable."

About 75 victims of abuse, exploitation and trafficking entered the safe house in the past year.

"This was a very large donation for us … it'll make a huge impact," said Jenkins.

Highbanks Society was the final charity chosen in 2022. The non-profit organization supports young mothers between the ages of 16 and 24 who are leaving situations of violence, poverty and homelessness. 

"$10,000, at a minimum, is a huge amount of money," said Krista Flint, the society's CEO.

"It has such an impact on our ability to interrupt that intergenerational cycle of violence and trauma that has such an impact in the lives of the young families we support," she said.

Flint says the money will help support at least six families over the next year.

"We are overrun with applications and we can only support as many as we can. So this gift will help us support even more families over the next year."

Women supporting women

McMurray describes the work that's gone into 100 Women over that past nine years as a labour of love that has changed her view of how women support each other, even when they're competing against each other for donations.

"They're all willing to give collectively to the one so that we can make the biggest difference possible," she said.

She says many of the agencies don't receive any government funding and were unable to host fundraising events during the pandemic.

"Major sources of revenue for these organizations completely dried up. They laid off staff, all at a time when the needs in our city actually grew for people needing social assistance," said McMurray.

"And so that perfect storm happened. And we knew that even though we couldn't come together in person, we still had to keep doing this because our city needs us."

Next year will mark the organization's 10th year. Its goal is to reach $1 million by the end of 2023.

"We have $125,000 left to go. We know that we can do this because we believe in this concept and the women that are behind it."

Bryan Labby is an enterprise reporter with CBC Calgary. If you have a good story idea or tip, you can reach him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @CBCBryan.