Why Start an Asheville chapter of 100+ Women Who Care?
After growing up in beautiful Asheville, and then living in several parts of the US, my husband and I returned to live in our hometown in the fall of 2019. After several decades of working in the finance world, and serving on a number of not-for-profit boards, I wanted to learn more about the organizations in Asheville, where I might lend financial and volunteer support.
During the time when we lived in Mooresville, NC, (north of Charlotte on Lake Norman), one of my friends founded a chapter of 100 Women Who Care, and I participated in the group for several years. The quarterly meetings were organized, interesting and uplifting, and I always left knowing more about three NFPs in the area, or hearing feedback about the impact of an earlier gift. It was such a great feeling to participate in giving a charity $10,000 in one hour, and knowing that by giving collectively, we could support people in our own community in a more substantial way than an individual gift. That chapter has already given away $280,000 in less than 6 years, showing the power of this concept.
The Asheville area has over 600 not-for-profits, and through member nominations, we hope to find the right ones in our community for women in this chapter to support.
I’m very grateful to the members of the Steering Committee that have helped with the startup of our chapter:
Kerry Keihn (Co-Founder), Earth Equity Advisors, Philanthropist
Susan Childress McCracken, Warren Wilson College (retired), Philanthropist
Kristen Wohlford, HCA/Mission Health, Philanthropist
Becky Hartley Brown, Philanthropist
Angie Ledford Cannnady, Philanthropist
Carole Spainhour, ElderLaw Carolina, Philanthropist
Janet Whitworth, Sotheby’s, Philanthropist
Mary Davis, Artist, Philanthropist
Please join us as we support Asheville/WNC charities.
Leesa Childress Sluder, Co-Founder of 100+ Women Who Care Asheville
Earth Equity Advisors, Philanthropist