We are a group of women from Montrose CO and the surrounding area who wish to make an impact in our local community by providing a venue for local non-profits to publicize their activities and compete for our quarterly donation.
Inspired by the Grand Junction Giving Club, the idea for the Montrose Giving Club was first hatched in December 2016. The steering committee then set to work recruiting members for our first meeting in February 2017.
It feels great to help worthy organizations. The Giving Club of Montrose collectively makes a difference by turning $100 from each member into a significant group donation to make a large impact to a local non-profit in need.
Between 2017 and 2023 we've collectively raised and awarded $300,000 to local non-profits! This money comes with out the restrictions and administrative burden of many other grants, although we do ask non-profit representatives to come and let the membership know how their donation has impacted their work.
The Giving Club utilizes a simple nominating process to consider three organizations for receipt of donations, with the full attending membership voting to determine one agency to receive all contributions. Club members pledge to make four-$100 contributions annually. With each person’s contribution added together, $100 turns into thousands, and this collective gift can make a real impact.
At the start of each quarterly meeting members have the opportunity to complete a small nomination ticket for a non-profit they'd like to have the chance to win.
Each ticket includes the name of the non-profit and the name of the nominator.
Nominators must be paid up members of the club and they must be willing to talk about the non-profit they have nominated.
To be eligible non-profits must be local, i.e. Habitat for Humanity of the San Juans rather than the International Red Cross.
Once a non-profit has "won" they are not eligible again for three years.
Three non-profits are randomly pulled from a hat.
Each of the three eligible non-profits pulled from the hat are then given five minutes to talk to the present members.
The nominator on the ticket pulled for each non-profit must be willing to talk about that non-profit for a maximum of five minutes, although they may ask others in the room to help them highlight the non-profit's work and mission for a small amount of that allotted time.
The most successful presentations tend to focus on the compelling reasons the non-profit needs the money and what they will do with it.
Once all three non-profits have had their five minutes the membership votes.
Votes can only be cast in person.
Each present member gets one vote each.
All votes are anonymous.
Votes are then counted.
The winning non-profit is the organization with the most votes.
Winners are announced at the end of the meeting.
Although a base donation amount is announced during the meeting, the final donation amount is often higher than the amount announced at the meeting because absent members are permitted to send in their checks by mail.
Checks are cut around a month after the meeting to give any outstanding checks a chance to arrive in the mail.
The Organizing Committee will reach out to the non-profit to arrange a time to award the check and take photos.
We ask that winning non-profits plan to attend a future meeting to let the membership know how the money was spent.
All women are welcome.
All members must contribute a quarterly donation of $100 and a venue fee of $10. The $100 donation is pooled and given by the group to the winning non-profit each quarter and the $10 venue fee helps us pay for our meeting venue and light refreshments.
We have members from many different walks of life with a variety of interests. Members include those private individuals who pay for their membership out of their own pocket, as well as those sponsored by a business, non-profit or another individual such as a mentor.
Meetings are held on the first or second Thursday in February, April/May, August and November at the Bridges in Montrose.
To receive notifications and reminders about meeting dates sign up for our emails or follow up on social media. Even if members cannot attend every meeting we ask that they contribute every quarter, as this maintains the integrity of the club.
Members must be in attendance to nominate and vote for non profits.
2025 Meeting Dates:
Thursday February 13th
Thursday April 24th
Thursday August 7th
Thursday November 6th
To join you can attend our next meeting in person, we will have membership forms available for you to complete. You will also need to bring a check or cash for the quarterly donation and venue fee. If you'd like to complete the membership form ahead of time, you can access is here and bring a hard copy with you.
If you cannot attend in person you can still join by completing the membership form and sending it with your check to the PO box below. Just remember you cannot vote or select non-profits if absent from the quarterly meeting. Your donation will still help make an impact for that quarter's winning non-profit.
Know someone who would like to participate but who can't afford the quarterly donation and venue fee? You can sponsor them to attend. With your support they can attend like any other member.
Let others know about an organization/project you're passionate about.
Get the chance to talk about your organization/project's mission and activities.
Highlight upcoming fundraising and volunteer opportunities among community members who tend to get involved and participate in other fundraising activities in Montrose.
Professional and personal networking.
Professional and personal development.
Meetings are short and sweet.
Companionship and socializing with like minded community members.
Find out about things going on in Montrose.
Find out about other organizations you could partner with.