100 Women Who Care Established in Jasper County

Jasper County has a rich history of philanthropic work and charitable giving within its community. To carry on this tradition, Amanda Lessley and Karla Koebele have established 100 Women Who Care Jasper County, a giving circle that invites women throughout the county to engage in local philanthropy. A giving circle is a form of philanthropy where a group of individuals donate their own money to a pooled fund, decide together where to give the funds and, in doing so, seek to increase their awareness of and engagement in the issues covered by the charity or community project.

100 Women Who Care Jasper County organizers, Amanda Lessley and Karla Koebele, are members of the Jasper County Community Foundation advisory board who sought a way to encourage donors to engage in philanthropy for the immediate and long-term benefit of Jasper County.

Members of 100 Women Who Care Jasper County will meet three times a year and commit to donating $400 each year (A reduced cost membership is available to members age 40 and under.). The first $100 commitment supports the Jasper County Community Foundation Endowment Fund, managed by the Jasper County Community Foundation advisory board, to address future needs of the community. In addition, every member pledges to donate $100 at each of the meetings for that year (whether they attend or not) to be given to a selected Jasper County non-profit organization. At each meeting, members have the opportunity to nominate a non-profit organization in Jasper County to receive the accumulated funds. Three non-profits are nominated and presented at each meeting and are voted on by the members.

“Our goal is to engage a minimum of 100 women in our community, but the larger the group grows, the greater of an impact we can make,” explains Lessley, chair of the steering committee for 100 Women Who Care Jasper County. “If 100 women join the giving circle and donate $100, the recipient would receive $10,000, making a huge impact on our community!”

Lessley encourages interested individuals to learn more or download membership packets on our website, www.enrichingourcommunity.org/100WomenJasper. Membership packets can also be obtained by request from Audra Clodfelter (aclodfelter@enrichingourcommunity.org or 217-342-4988).