ABOUT US:
Herstory:
100 Women Who Care Foothills is a collective of community-minded women committed to supporting local charities through pooled giving. Written Terms of Reference outline the purpose, governance structure, and responsibilities of the Leadership Team (i.e. Board of Directors) and Members, to ensure consistency, transparency, and effectiveness in the organization’s operations.
The idea that grew into global giving circles
100 Women Who Care was founded by Karen Dunigan of Jackson, Michigan in 2006. At the time, she was tasked by a local charity to raise $10,000 to enable the purchase of cribs and bedding for babies in their care. She hosted a women's luncheon and invited attendees to donate a minimum of $100 each. She raised more than $12,000 at that inaugural event and the concept of a ‘giving circle’ was born! Today, there are 700+ 100 Who Care giving circles around the world, for women, men, teens and businesses. And 100 Women Who Care Foothills is proud to be one of them.
Our Mission:
As part of the 100 Who Care Global Alliance of giving circles, 100 Women Who Care Foothills’ mission is to provide $40,000+ of unrestricted funding annually, to support charities in Foothills County, Alberta.
Purpose & Objectives
● Unite women to make a meaningful impact in Foothills County.
● Raise significant funds for local charities through quarterly meetings.
● Provide members with a simple, effective giving model.
● Encourage community awareness and engagement.
100 Women Foothills - Our History
The Foothills giving circle was founded in 2015 by Karen Love. Karen was inspired to start a group in Okotoks after a charity that she was working for at the time received a donation from 100 Women Who Care Calgary.
We were initially called ‘100 Women Who Care Okotoks’. The name was changed to ‘Foothills’ in August 2015, to reflect the larger geographic region that local charities serve.
Since our very first meeting in November, 2015, 100 Women Foothills has made 42 donations to 29 charities in Foothills County, for a total donation amount of $305,800.
Leadership History — Thank you to the following individuals (all of whom are/were volunteers) for guiding our giving circle through our first 10 years of giving .
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Chair: Karen Love — Nov. 2015 to Nov. 2019
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Chair: Julie Boake — Nov. 2019 to Feb. 2023
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Chair: Julie Hodge — Feb. 23 to Feb. 24
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Co-Chairs: Cindy Dorais & Kayla Christensen — Feb. 24 to June 2025
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Interim Chair: Terri Perrin — June 2025 to Sept. 2025
LEADERSHIP TEAM: Sept. 2025 to present:
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Terri Perrin, Chair
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Cindy Dorais, Treasurer
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Chelsea Vogel, Communications
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Shanon Maksymich, Membership
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Tori Peterson, Nominations
Our Geographic Region
100 Women Foothills serves all communities within the geographic borders defined by Foothills Country in Southern Alberta, Canada. (Not the Foothills Electoral District.)
Covering approximately 3,600 square kilometres in area, this region has about 124,000 residents and includes those living in Okotoks, High River, Diamond Valley, Longview, and Eden Valley Reserve, as well as the hamlets of Aldersyde, Blackie, Cayley, Dewinton, Hartell, Heritage Pointe, Millarville, Naphtha, Priddis and Priddis Greens.
Our Leadership Team.
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The 100 Women Who Care Foothills giving circle is governed by a 100% volunteer-based Leadership Team consisting of at least three individuals in any of the following roles:
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Chair
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Vice Chair
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Treasurer
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Recording Secretary
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Nominations Lead
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Communications Lead
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Membership Lead
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Events Lead
Other committees/support as needed (do not attend leadership meetings)
100 Women Foothills is a 'verified giving circle' with the 100 Who Care Alliance.
The 100 Who Care Alliance was started by four chapter heads who wanted to share ideas and best practices among the 700+ chapters worldwide. They recognized that geographical distance made it hard for chapter leaders to connect, so the Alliance was formed to bridge this gap.
The Alliance aims to connect chapter leaders, share accomplishments, and inspire new chapter growth. They compile an up-to-date master chapter list, saving individual chapters time and effort. This list also helps potential members find and contact operational chapters.
As a member, 100 Women Foothills can connect with other chapters globally through a Facebook forum and conferences. The Alliance operates on a simple, impactful model, allowing chapters to maintain their independence while benefiting from shared knowledge and resources.
