Through 100 Women Who Care, Twee Brown, left, and Susan Nickle have funded dozens of local charities in London, Ont.PETER POWER/The Globe and Mail
The donors: Susan Nickle and Twee Brown
The gift: Helping to raise $260,000 and climbing
The cause: Various charities in London, Ont.
When Susan Nickle attended a meeting of the Toronto chapter of 100 Women Who Care a couple of years ago, she didn't know much about the organization but she became enthralled with its effectiveness.
100 Women Who Care started in the United States in 2006 as a way to raise money for local charities. Each chapter has at least 100 members who meet four times a year to pick a charity to support. Members then donate $100 each to the selected cause.
Ms. Nickle was surprised that the Toronto chapter was the only one in Canada and she decided to start a group in her hometown of London, Ont., where she's a lawyer for the London Health Sciences Centre. Together with businesswoman Twee Brown, she launched 100 Women Who Care London in 2012 and the group now has 300 members.
The two women also helped create 100 Men Who Care and 100 Kids Who Care, where children donate $10. So far, the London groups have raised roughly $260,000 and funded dozens of local charities, ranging from women's shelters to arts programs, sports groups and health care initiatives.
Ms. Nickle's and Ms. Brown's success in London has inspired the creation of more than a dozen chapters across Canada and a couple in Australia.
"It has been this really interesting effect, where people have heard how well it has done and have reached out to try and start these," Ms. Nickle said. She added that the best part of 100 Women Who Care is how it brings together people from different backgrounds.
"It's a great equalizer," she said, pointing out that the London chapters include university students and chief executive officers. "We all have the same investment in the result. It's this really rare opportunity to be on an equal playing field."
Paul Waldie