FAQs

Q. How do I become a member?

A. If you would like to become a member please click on “Get Involved” above and complete the Membership & Commitment Form.

Q. How long do the meetings last?
A. Meetings will take no more than one hour.  We aim to start at 7pm and should be all done by 8pm. There are opportunities to socialize both before and after the formal part of each one-hour meeting.

Q. I’m a new member: what should I expect at a meeting?
A. Expect to be greeted by a volunteer, and asked to sign in. Depending on when you arrive there will be networking time, and promptly at 7pm the meeting will start. The meeting should last no longer than an hour.

At some stage, we may ask you if you would like to have your photo taken for our gallery, and/or a short video of why you became a member. This is totally voluntary.

•  6:00 Registration, networking and bar opens
•  7:00 Meeting begins
  
•  Opening remarks
  
•  How voting will take place
  
•  Announce the three Charity finalists
  
•  Each charity presents – 5 minutes each, no PowerPoint or collateral materials
  
•  There is a short question and answer after each presentation
  
•  Voting and tabulation – each member circles 1,2 or 3 on their ballot
  
•  Update presentation from the previous recipient
  
•  Announce the winning recipient (by simple majority)
  
•  Members write their cheques to the recipient charity
  
•  Cheques are collected and presented to the charity
  
•  Announce the next meeting & venue
  
•  8:00 Post-event networking, cheque collection
  

Q. Is my donation tax deductible?
A. Yes, by the charity chosen to be the recipient.  Your $100 cheque is written directly to the charity, NOT to ‘100 Men Who Give a Damn Waterloo Region’ (because we don’t have a bank account or a treasurer!).  Tax receipts will be issued to you directly by the charity. Please don’t contact 100 Men Waterloo Region for your tax receipt – contact the charity direct if you have not received your tax receipt in short order.

Q. What if I cannot attend a meeting?
A. If a member cannot attend a quarterly meeting he should send his regrets to info@100menwhogiveadamn.org and do one of the following before the meeting:-

Place your blank $100 cheque in an envelope marked “100 Men Waterloo Region” and give it to your ‘buddy’ or a fellow member who will be going to the meeting. Members’ names and phone numbers are listed in the Member Directory, which is provided to every member. We also collect via CanadaHelps after the meeting.

Q. Can I just give you four post-dated $100 cheques?
A. Ideally no – because we want to see you at our meetings. But if you’re not a Waterloo Region resident, or you know you’re going to miss all the meetings, contact us and we’ll see if we can help.

Q. I live in Manitoba/Manchester/Manchuria: can I still join? How do I take part from a distance?
A. We’re sorry to hear you don’t live in the Waterloo Region. But that should not prevent you from becoming a member. You just need to hook up with a ‘buddy’ who will be attending our quarterly meetings and get your cheques to him ahead of time.

Q. Can I just send the donation to the charity myself?
A. Sorry, no. Because our goal is to make one BIG donation on behalf of the whole group, the answer has to be No.  To make a BIG impact we want to give $10,000+ dollars at the end of our meeting. The only way to do that is to make each member’s donation part of the larger donation.  This is the power of being a member.

We also need to be able to track your donations so that you get credit for the donation and remain in good standing. Only members in good standing can nominate, attend and vote.

Q. Is membership limited to 100 men?
A. No, that would not be fair to the charities, would it? If we can make a BIG impact with 100 men, why not invite a friend and make an even BIGGER impact? Remember, we’re doing this for the charities and our community, not just for us.

Q. Can I bring a friend to a quarterly meeting?
A. Yes and no. You see, we are always seeking men who give a damn!  For us, giving a damn means making a commitment. So on arrival, your friend would need to make that commitment by becoming a member: he would have to complete the Membership & Commitment Form before being allowed in.  That means you can bring a prospective member to a quarterly meeting, but if they don’t join, they don’t stay.

Q. What do you do with my personal information?
A. 100 Men Who Give A Damn Waterloo Region collects your personal information (including name, email address, phone number) strictly for the purpose of keeping in contact with our members.

We maintain two lists: a membership database and a Member Directory. The membership database is used by the organizers to get in touch with our members. The Member Directory is used by the members so that they can get in touch with each other (to give your cheque to a friend if you cannot attend a meeting).

The membership database contains your name, email address and phone number. The Member Directory contains only your name and phone number.

100 Men Who Give A Damn Waterloo Region will not sell, give or otherwise share your personal information with any third party without your express consent, unless required to do so by law.

We may occasionally recognize our members via social media and other media: if a member wants to remain anonymous they must let us know at the time of joining.

We will never rent out, sell or give away your personal information. Ever.

CHARITY QUESTIONS

Q. How do I nominate a charity?
A. There are two ways to nominate a charity:-

1. When a member joins or renews, they may nominate up to three charities.

2. Members have a second opportunity in the weeks prior to a quarterly meeting. The charity nomination form is sent by email only to members in good standing.

Q. How are the three presenting charities chosen?
A. Members nominate charities on joining or renewal, and again in the weeks before each quarterly meeting. All those nominated charities go into a database, which is then weeded of ineligible organizations (click here for eligibility requirements). The remaining eligible charities are put into a hat and three organizations are drawn at random three weeks before a quarterly meeting. The three organizations are invited to give a short five-minute presentation at the meeting. If a charity declines, or is unable to present, another charity is chosen from the database. The identity of the three presenting charities is not revealed until the meeting is underway.

Q. Which charitable organizations are eligible for consideration by the group?
A. Click here for eligibility requirements. Click here to verify the charitable status of an organization (according to CRA).

Q. Can a charity nominate itself?
A. No, charities may only be nominated by a member. Our members are not just interested in nominating and donating – they want to learn about local causes. They may want to volunteer, sponsor or serve on a board or committee. They may even become a regular donor or benefactor. Our members and supporters will find out about your charity in our social media discussions and posts. So we invite eligible charities to visit our website, join our LinkedIn group,  Like us on Facebook. By getting yourself known to our members, you will get yourself nominated. Then it’s down to the ‘luck of the draw’ which three will present on the night. Good luck.

Q. How much of my donation goes to the administration costs of 100 Men Who Give A Damn Waterloo Region?
A. Absolutely zero! 100 Men Who Give A Damn Waterloo Region is organized and operated entirely by volunteers. We have no treasurer and we have no bank account – because we don’t collect, spend or donate anything. 100% of funds raised at a meeting go directly to the chosen charity! Every last cent/nickel!