NOTE: As of the March 2025 Giving Circle, we are changing to a hybrid format meeting using ZOOM instead of Facebook LIVE for the online portion of the meeting.
Three times a year, in March, June, and November, 100 Women Who Care Mississauga, holds Giving Circles with the goal of donating at least $10,000 to a local charity with an immediate need that could be solved with a large collective donation.
Our Members are eligible to nominate charities, which are vetted against our Chapter guidelines, and then three of the charities are chosen at random to present their need at a Giving Circle. At the Giving Circle, our members then vote for the charity whose presentation resonated with them. The charity with the most votes receives the group’s entire collective donation.
We are extremely grateful for the high attendance numbers at our Giving Circles, currently held at the Irish Club of Mississauga, but for those who can’t attend a meeting in person, we will be hosting a hybrid meeting Via ZOOM. You must complete the meeting registration form to attend the ZOOM meeting and receive the registration link. This ZOOM meeting will be moderated by a Steering Team member and will be interactive. You will be able to ask questions using the ZOOM Chat function, and they will be answered by the moderator, as well as have the opportunity to ask questions of the charities during the Q&A portion of the presentations. You will even have the opportunity to vote for the Charity of your choice in real time!
How Can I Vote If I’m Not at the Giving Circle
It is your right as a member to vote on the outcome of a Giving Circle, whether you can attend in person or not. But how can you vote if you aren’t there? The answer is simple: Vote by Proxy!
How Does Proxy Voting Work?
Proxy voting involves you, as a member, either voting in absentia using a Google Form link or assigning another member to vote on your behalf. There are several ways you can vote by Proxy for a Giving Circle:
1. Vote in Advance Using Google Form Link:
When you register to attend a Giving Circle via ZOOM, you will receive an email with a link to a Google Form that has the three presenting charities listed. In the week leading up to the Giving Circle, there are many social media posts introducing the three presenting charities with links to their websites, so you can research the charities and make an informed decision. You can use this form to vote in advance of the Giving Circle if you already know which charity you would like to vote for. Because you are voting in advance, you won’t feel the impact of the presentations on the night of the Giving Circle, but it is the easiest way to ensure your vote is counted. Google Form proxy votes will be counted and included in the voting tally up until voting closes after the charity presentations.
2. Email Proxy Vote:
You can email your vote in advance to info@100womenwhocaremississauga.com, naming which of the three presenting charities you wish to vote for. In the week leading up to the Giving Circle, there are many social media posts introducing the three presenting charities with links to their websites, so you can research the charities and make an informed decision. Because you are voting in advance, you won’t feel the impact of the presentations on the night of the Giving Circle, but it is one of the easiest way to ensure your vote is counted. Email proxy votes must be received by 4:00pm on the day of the Giving Circle to be included in the voting tally.
3. Pre-Selected On-Site Proxy Vote
You can ask a member who will be attending the meeting to be your Proxy on-site and ask her to vote on your behalf for a charity you have pre-selected. When checking in for a Giving Circle, members are asked if they are acting as a proxy for another member. Members who are acting as a proxy are then given an extra voting ballot to use on behalf of the member they are proxying for. This ballot will be handed in when ballots are collected after the presentations are over and voting begins.
4. On-Site Proxy With Voting Choice
You can ask a member who will be attending the meeting to be your Proxy on-site and ask her to submit your Proxy vote for her personal choice based on the charity presentations. As with Pre-selected Proxy votes, members who are acting as a proxy are given an extra voting ballot to use on behalf of the member they are proxying for. This ballot will be handed in when ballots are collected after the presentations are over and voting begins.
5. Vote Online in Real Time Using Google Form:
Watch the charity presentations on the ZOOM meeting, then complete the Google Form, selecting the charity of your choice. You will have received the link to the Google Form in advance via email, so you can use that, but the link will also be shared in the ZOOM Chat box. This gives you the opportunity to participate in the selection based on real-time information, just as if you were at the meeting in person.
Remember, only members can vote for their favourite charity at the Giving Circle. Votes received using the Google Form will be cross-checked against our current member list, and any votes received from non-members will be eliminated from the voting tally. If you would like to be eligible to vote at a Giving Circle but you’re not yet a member, please visit our Membership page to complete the Member Registration and Commitment Form for an Individual or as a 2-Person or 4-Person Team today!
Image credit: Katrina Sutton Photography
Don’t Miss Out!
Missing the Giving Circle does not have to mean missing out! If you don’t know a member who is attending the meeting, feel free to reach out to a member of the Steering Team at info@100womenwhocaremississauga.com to act as your on-site proxy. We always want to make the Giving Circle experience the best it can be for all our members.
Register today for the upcoming Giving Circle, and let us know if you are attending in-person or online. And, watch our social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) for the latest updates and information.
