DETROIT – What happens when you put more than 100 women in a single room? You get a brilliantly simple way to raise money for local charities.
"We were busy working moms and we wanted to try giving back to the community, and how could we do that easily and involve a lot of people," Molly Williams said.
So Nancy Sullivan, Karen Rashid-Balow and Williams started 100+ Women Who Care Motown, a group, 185 strong now, that meets four times a year to review local charities that are in need of funding.
"Just having it pulled out the of the bowl doesn't ensure that they get it," Mitch Albom said. "You then have to make the case for it."
"You have to make the case and you get lots of questions," Williams said. "Our members are tough. They want to know where the money is going. So we encourage our members to learn as much as they can about local charities that need funding, because we want to make sure we have good charities to look at that night."
After a group vote, the winning local charity is announced, the members each write a $100 check and within an hour it's done.
"We average about $15,000 per meeting and our meetings last 45 minutes," Sullivan said. "Short time, a lot of giving women and we can get it done quickly."
The group of dedicated women is redefining what it means to fundraise.
"Dream big, surround yourself with good people, stay focused and be organized and diligent," Rashid-Balow said.
"I say it is like 'Field of Dreams.' I said to Karen, 'If you build it, they will come,' and they come pouring out," Williams said. "It's amazing. The feeling is so amazing."
As individuals, they make a small impact, but as a group, 100+ Women Who Care Motown is major force in the heart of Detroit.