The coronavirus pandemic is having far reaching affects across our region and area non-profits have been greatly impacted. Unable to hold fundraising events due to restrictions limiting crowds, and with donor dollars dwindling, these non-profits are in dire need of funds to continue their worthwhile endeavors.

Despite the pandemic, the non-profit funding organization, 101 Women Sandpoint is equipped to help these local non-profits and has opened its latest grant cycle to award a $10,000 grant this fall.

101 Women Sandpoint is a membership group made up of 101 Bonner County women.

The group leverages 101 smaller donations to create sizable grants that are awarded to two local non-profits each year.

In the groups’ current fall grant cycle, non-profit organizations that offer art, education, recreational or environmental programs and are located and operate in Bonner County are eligible to apply for a grant. Eligible organizations are encouraged to submit a simple online application by the October 1 deadline.

Three applicants will be chosen from those that apply by the group’s grant committee through a weighted and judged system. These top three applicants will then be asked to present their organization’s purpose and need for funding in a short, pre-recorded presentation. The presentation will be viewed online by 101 Women Sandpoint’s members between November 16th and November 22nd. After viewing the digital presentations, the members will then cast their votes to choose the winning organization to receive the $10,000 grant award.

Normally, the 101 Women Sandpoint membership meet in person to hear live presentations from the organizations at the group’s bi-annual meetings. The new, online “meetings” will remove any possibility of contributing to the spread of coronavirus while giving the organizations a chance to explain the important services they provide the community.

Interested non-profit organizations can find more information about the grant cycles, eligibility and the application, online at www.101womensandpoint.com or by emailing 101womensandpoint@gmail.com.

101 Women Sandpoint is continually seeking and accepting new members to register for future giving opportunities. Each member is required to donate $200 annually towards the grant awards and pay the yearly registration fee of $25 to help cover the group’s modest operating expenses.

Member information and registration is available at the group’s website: www.101womensandpoint.com or by emailing 101womensandpoint@gmail.com.

To date, 101 Women Sandpoint has presented $80,000 in grant awards among the following local organizations:

• Bonner Partners in Care Clinic

• Sandpoint Area Seniors

• Food for our Children

• Sandpoint Book Trust

• Cancer Care Services

• Court Appointed Special Advocates

• North Idaho Aerospace Program

• Sandpoint Community Resource Center