How It Works
The Basics
It's a simple, but POWERFUL, process. At each meeting we have the power to generate a $10,000 (or larger!) donation for one local non-profit!
Membership Obligations & Rights
Non-profits
Voting Process
Donation Process
- Each member commits to a $100 biannual contribution
- Members can nominate charitable organizations that benefit the Annapolis area
- Members attend a 1 hour biannual meeting where three charities are randomly drawn from all submitted, and one is selected by member votes
- Each member writes a $100 check directly out to the selected charity that evening
It's a simple, but POWERFUL, process. At each meeting we have the power to generate a $10,000 (or larger!) donation for one local non-profit!
Membership Obligations & Rights
- Each member, or member team, commits to $100 per meeting ($200 annually)
- All members must have a completed and signed Membership Form on file and stay current on their contributions to maintain their right to nominate and vote on non-profits, even if they cannot attend a meeting
- Any member in good standing can nominate a non-profit to be considered for the donation
Non-profits
- To be considered, non-profits must have 501(c)(3) status and be based in the Annapolis area
- Non-profits receiving our donations will agree to refrain from creating, selling, or distributing a list with our members' contact information
Voting Process
- Members wishing to nominate non-profits will write their name and the name of the non-profit on a ballot and put it into the fish bowl upon arrival at the meeting
- At the beginning of each meeting, 3 non-profits will be randomly drawn from the fish bowl
- The 3 nominating members will each make a 5 minute presentation about their non-profit
- A brief question and answer period will follow the presentations
- Voting ballots will be distributed and all eligible members and teams in attendance will submit their votes
- The non-profit receiving the most votes will be awarded the donations collected at that meeting
- A vote resulting in a tie will be subject to revote between the tied non-profits. A tie during a revote will be decided by choosing one of the tied non-profits at random from the fish bowl
- Any non-profit not chosen to receive the donations is eligible for nomination at the next meeting. The non-profit that won the vote will not be eligible to be nominated again for a period of two years.
Donation Process
- Once the selected charity is announced, all members in attendance will write a check directly to the selected non-profit and turn it in before leaving the meeting
- All donations must be submitted by check
- For members that are not able to attend the meeting, instructions on how to submit their checks by mail will be provided