Big night for nonprofits
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 14 years, 2 months AGO
Every Kootenai County nonprofit needs money.
Well, here's some good news: The Women's Gift Alliance happens to have some to give away.
The alliance is a noble yet low-profile band of philanthropists. They march to the beat of this mission statement:
The mission of the Women's Gift Alliance (WGA) is to pool the talents and resources of women in Kootenai County to provide meaningful financial support to a broad range of charitable, cultural and educational projects within our community.
The WGA mission has already made a big difference. Since its inception in 2004, WGA has contributed more than $600,000 to Kootenai County nonprofits. About half that amount has been doled out in the form of large grants ranging from $18,000 to $26,000. And they're preparing to start writing checks again.
On Oct. 12, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the Coeur d'Alene library, representatives from charitable, cultural and educational organizations in Kootenai County are invited to attend WGA's Grantees' Forum. The objective is to guide people from nonprofits on the path to acquiring WGA grants.
WGA directs grants to projects that "can make a significant impact on the community," said President Janet Robnett. She said that impact should take one or more of the following forms:
• Creates a bold new venture
• Addresses a significant community need
• Fosters collaboration and partnerships
• Enriches the fabric of our community
Funny, but all four of those criteria combined describe Women's Gift Alliance itself. Members commit to an annual donation for three consecutive years, with half of that money pooled and distributed through the grant application process that will be explained next Wednesday. The other half goes to designated gifts and an endowment fund.
We heartily applaud this fine organization for enriching the community, and we encourage nonprofits to take full advantage of the alliance's benevolence. The sparkling result is constant improvement of an already outstanding community.