A room full of charity-minded women, a few five-minute presentations, and a simple promise to give — that’s the formula for 100 Women Who Care Lake Country (100WWCLC), a Greensboro-based group that continues to make a significant impact for local nonprofits.
Four times per year, alternating between The Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton and Greene County's Lake Oconee Church, approximately 100 women meet to vote on, then collectively support, one local charity per meeting. Each member writes a check directly to the selected organization, creating a sizable donation with no administrative costs.
Each meeting begins with a short social period, followed by presentations from three nominated nonprofits and a silent vote.
The process is intentionally member-driven. Any member can nominate a nonprofit that holds 501(c)(3) status and serves the Lake Country area. From those nominations, three are randomly selected to present.
“Each of those nominations gets five minutes — basically give us their best sales pitch of 'why you should choose our organization,'” 100WWCLC founder and director Rebecca Prance said. “Then everybody votes.”
The most recent recipient of a $10,000 100WWCLC donation is the Putnam County Veterans Wall of Honor, nominated and presented for by Nikki Barker. She actually had to make her case multiple times before the downtown Eatonton veterans' memorial park was selected.
“I kept coming back because I believe in what we do and I believe in this group,” Barker said. “Even when we weren’t chosen, the women were still very encouraging. They’d say, ‘Keep trying. Your time will come.’”
Prance said Barker’s persistence stood out.
“Nikki was so passionate and so positive every single time,” she said. “People really wanted to see this win. It pulled at everybody’s heartstrings.”
For Barker, the experience of finally being selected felt overwhelming.
“When they called our name, I was just stunned,” she said. “You look around the room and realize how many people just chose to stand behind your mission. That’s incredibly powerful.”
She said the value of the group extends even beyond financial support.
“Standing up in front of that many women and telling your story is huge, especially for smaller organizations like this,” she said. “Even if you don’t win that night, people come up afterward, ask questions, offer help, and even write individual checks.”
She added that the model creates significant, meaningful connections.
“This isn’t corporate giving or distant philanthropy,” Barker said. “These are women who live here, who care about what’s happening in their own community. It's personal.”
Unlike many charitable organizations, 100 Women Who Care Lake Country does not hold or distribute funds.
“We’re not a 501(c)(3),” Prance explained. “We’re just the liaison. We don’t handle anyone’s money. It’s all done with checks written directly to the charity.”
That transparency is part of the appeal for both members and recipients.
“There’s no guessing where the money goes; it goes straight to the organization,” Prance added.
For Barker, the 100WWCLC group represents the best of local giving.
“When you see how quickly a roomful of people can change the future of a nonprofit, it reminds you how much good can happen right here,” she said. “This group proves that small commitments, multiplied, really do add up to something big.”
Women interested in joining 100 Women Who Care Lake Country can find more information online at 100wwclc.com.