Groups of women joining forces to make an impact on their communities is not a new idea. The earliest Women’s Club in Yankton dates to the origination of the Yankton Woman’s Club in 1895, becoming federated in 1912. The women of our community have kept philanthropy and service close to their hearts over the years. In 2018, a group of local women caught wind of other communities that joined forces twice per year to pool their funds and support a local organization. They saw an opportunity to bring that to our community and 100 Women of Yankton was formed. By requesting participation from members at only two meetings per year, this was an easy sell to gain support. Since 2018, 100 Women of Yankton has held 14 meetings and have distributed over $211,175 to Yankton organizations.
Requirements to be a member of this impactful group are simple and straightforward: donate $100 at the two distribution events (typically in the Spring and Fall months) and try to attend each meeting to listen to the presenting agencies and cast their vote on which agency will receive the donations.
As with any group, there is much work to be done behind the scenes! Requesting and receiving nominations, organizing the meetings, collecting payments, counting payments, and other necessary tasks. Four committee members have consistently stepped up to the plate to ensure these duties are completed, all while holding full-time jobs, being mothers, wives, and volunteering in other areas of our community.
For these reasons, United Way was thrilled to present November’s Volunteer of the Month Award to the 100 Women of Yankton Steering Committee! Thank you, Amanda Adamson, Whitney Devine, Lindsay Hovden, and Kristi Tacke, and a special thanks to all who provide support to local area agencies through 100 Women of Yankton.
We asked the steering committee to share more about how volunteerism impacts their organization:
Please describe your organization and its mission or purpose:
100 Women of Yankton is a group of 100 (or more) women who care deeply about their community and want to make a local impact. 100 Women of Yankton believes women collectively coming together with small donations can be more powerful and make a bigger impact than individually. The mission and hope of 100 Women of Yankton is to provide for those in greatest need in the Yankton community.
Please describe the impact your organization makes on the community, share some stats!
Our organization meets 2 times per year to distribute funds to a selected organization. We’ve held 14 meetings and have distributed over $211,175 to Yankton organizations. Once our 14th meeting is wrapped we hope that number is over $225,000.
What value do volunteers bring to your organization?
The steering committee for 100 Women of Yankton is 100% volunteer run. These roles include event planning, legal advice and bylaw consistency, membership communication, member organization, social media coordination, and public relations, in addition to running the 2 yearly meetings as well.
Please provide any pertinent statistics that show how volunteers impact on your organization.
An approximate number of hours per year for the 100 Women of Yankton volunteers would be 100 hours. That number is for 4 volunteers, 2 meetings and the coordination and preparation prior to each. Without the volunteers the organization would not exist. Because of the collective work, the organization has been successful for 7 years and will be nearing the $225,000 giving mark following the wrap up of the 14th meeting.
Do you have a recruiting message you would like to communicate to encourage others to support your organization through volunteerism?
Volunteerism for our organization doesn’t just exist in the facilitation of the group. Every member is needed to recruit new members and spread the mission of 100 Women of Yankton. More members mean more nominations of worthy organizations and education to the group. More members means more impact to our Yankton community.
We are inspired by their dedication and commitment to serving others and the Greater Yankton community through their volunteerism and generosity. They embody the value that UNITED we can accomplish more than we can alone.
To learn more about local volunteer opportunities or to nominate someone for United Way’s Volunteer of the Month Award, please visit www.yanktonunitedway.org/volunteer, email info@yanktonunitedway.org, or call United Way of Greater Yankton at (605) 665-6766.
