Whistler men looking to give back to the Sea to Sky can now join a 100 Men Who Care chapter.
The chapter is part of the 100 Who Care Alliance, a giving circle that aims to make immediate local impact through financial contributions to various non-profits. Chris Patrick is spearheading the new circle and was inspired after learning about chapters in West Vancouver and Whistler.
“I looked into it, thought it was an incredible program, and it got me very excited,” Patrick said.
It works like this: 100 members each donate $100 during one meeting, raising $10,000 for a local charity of the group’s choosing. The local women’s chapter has raised more than $250,000 since its inception in 2019.
Patrick said he admired the number of women he sees getting involved in fundraising and thought men should be more actively involved, too. So, he started his own chapter.
He has learned from Ashlie Girvan, the founder of 100 Women Whistler, about ensuring there’s no cost incurred to members through sponsorship.
“Ashley has been great and having zero costs for the program, and that's my goal as well,” he said.
Patrick is an experienced fundraiser, working with non-profits in Vancouver for 25 years organizing special fundraising events.
Despite a career in fundraising, he hadn’t heard of the 100 Who Care Alliance until recently.
The men’s chapter is off to a good start, with more than 50 members so far, but they’re still looking for sponsorship for a website, a venue, and administration costs.
The venue would need to accommodate 100 people and have appropriate seating and beverages, and be available every four months for a meeting.
Administrative duties include charitable receipt production and processing credit card fees, which is about $2,500.
Anyone interested in joining the men’s chapter or sponsoring them can email Patrick at [email protected] or call him at 604-202-6104.
