This year marks the Otsego Community Foundation’s 10th 100+ Women Who Care event. OCF Executive Director Dana Bensinger wanted to bring a giving circle fundraiser to Otsego County when she took the helm of the OCF in 2011, and her vision became a reality in 2016. The idea of a no-frills, one-hour event that raised money that stayed in the immediate community was the kind of event Dana could get behind.
“I fell in love with this concept that removes some common barriers associated with typical fundraising events. Also, this event allows for local voices to share their love for the community.”—Dana Bensinger, OCF Executive Director
That first 100+ Women Who Care event in 2016 was a success—152 women gathered at the Otsego Grand Event Center for one hour, generating $15,200. The energy in the room was “priceless,” according to Dana.
Since that first event, the OCF 100+ WWC events have raised $141,000 benefitting 22 Otsego County non-profits in 9 hours. Each year, half of the money raised goes to supporting the important work of local non-profit partners, and the other half builds the Community Fund of the OCF, a flexible fund that will help support the most urgent needs of Otsego County in perpetuity.
The concept behind 100+ Women Who Care started in 2006 by Karen Dunigan, who created a new way of giving after attending an executive leadership lunch for the Center of Family Health. During that lunch, Karen discovered that new mothers in her area needed portable cribs so that their babies weren’t sleeping in unsafe conditions. Babies were dying, and Karen wanted to find a solution.
Karen decided to tackle the problem and raise the $10,000 needed to buy cribs, mattresses, and blankets by calling 100 women who she thought would be willing to donate $100 to the cause. Karen set a meeting, the women gathered, and after she explained the immediate need for cribs, women wrote their checks. In one hour, she raised over $12,000 for her cause.
Karen knew she was on to something—a simple, meaningful, powerful, and efficient philanthropic model. She refined and nurtured this concept, founding 100+ Women Who Care, which has grown to 900 chapters nationwide since that fateful lunch meeting in 2006. The rules of this giving circle are simple. Any member who attends an event can nominate a local non-profit that is addressing a need in the community. Any money raised on the night of the event stays in the community. All of this happens in one hour.
Last year, the $5,000 grant was awarded to the Otsego County Food Pantry and $2,000 was awarded to Otsego County United Way.
This year’s 100+ Women Who Care event is on May 13th at Big Buck Brewery. Doors open at 5 pm, come early to mix, mingle, and meet the incredible nonprofits nominated this year. It’s your chance to discover the amazing work happening right here in our community! The event is from 6:00 – 7:00 pm—get ready for inspiring stories, meaningful giving, and the power of collective impact!
Once you register, you can nominate a local nonprofit serving Otsego County. Nominations will be accepted until April 29th.
We hope to see you there! Register today: https://give.otsegofoundation.org/100WWC2025