Meet the 100 Women of Lake Highlands

Some nonprofit organizations require long volunteer hours, significant time commitments, and lengthy membership processes.

100 Women of Lake Highlands does things a little differently.

The non-profit neighborhood organization, founded in 2016 by Crispin Deneault, aims to make philanthropy accessible.

“Crispin started the initiative because she thought, ‘We have so much need in Lake Highlands, so let’s find a way to get people involved.’ Everybody’s working, they’ve got kids, they’re busy,” says Stacie Bon, a local and current 100WLH board member. “So how do you keep it simple and still be able to give back? So that’s the whole idea: keep it simple.”

Eight years later, the organization has donated more than half a million dollars.

The principle is simple. The women of the neighborhood meet three times a year to listen to local associations, choose one, then each member writes a check for $100 to the selected organization. That’s it. An annual total of $300 is the only requirement for members.

“I think moms and women in general are pulled in very different directions, and it’s hard to prioritize what a woman wants to do,” says Amy Timmerman, former president of 100WLH and current board member.

Technically, you don’t even need to attend the meetings.

“It’s best if you attend the meetings, but I would say we want anyone who wants to make a positive impact in Lake Highlands to join us,” Timmerman says.

For each meeting, 10 area nonprofits are invited to enter their organization’s name in a raffle cup, with three selected to explain to the group why they deserve a donation.

“These beneficiaries will know that they’re on deck,” says Beth Rider, current president of 100WLH. “We’ll call everyone in the order they come in, and each one will be allowed to speak for five minutes at a time. We have a timer, it’s very strict. And once they’re done, they’ll all come up and we’ll open it up for questions for 10 minutes.”

Rider and Timmerman The approximately 186 members of 100WLH aren’t afraid to ask tough questions during Q&A sessions. After each group is introduced, the women vote for a beneficiary via a QR code on their phone.

Typically, the group looks for smaller nonprofits that may not have the development resources that larger national organizations have. “If they look like they can do it on their own, they don’t really need our money,” Bon says.

Past recipients have included local families in need, nonprofits fighting food insecurity and parent-teacher associations.

“They really rely on people in our community to support them,” Timmerman says.

They recall a few memorable contributions, but for Rider and Timmerman, one donation stood out above the rest. When 8-year-old Julian Kampfschulte passed away after a battle with the neurodegenerative disease ALD, news of the family’s misfortune spread at a 100WLH reunion.

“All the nonprofits that had applied for this reunion withdrew so that the Kampfshulte family could receive the funds, and it was a very emotional experience,” Timmerman says.

The family will then use the funds, approximately $22,000, to establish a scholarship in Julian’s name for a graduating Lake Highlands High School student who attended White Rock Elementary School.

“For me, Snuggle Julian has been a wonderful gift in return,” Rider says, “and then Forerunner. What they’re doing is just incredible.”

Forerunner Mentoring is a local nonprofit that provides faith-based mentoring to fatherless youth in grades K-12 in Lake Highlands. The group has received several donations from 100WLH, including the group’s first donation in 2016, and a recent one that will help fund Forerunner’s after-school Thrive program for LHHS students.

“Oh, believe me, it changes lives. We don’t get a lot of grants,” says Steve Giddens, Forerunner’s chief development officer. “We’re mostly supported by private donations, but we’re always grateful for the grants that we do get. They kind of allow us to do the things that help us grow.”

Giddens says 100WLH’s donation of nearly $18,000 will allow Forerunner to further expand its program and offer more excursions like college tours and camping trips.

Timmerman and Rider believe that the small town of Lake Highlands’ sense of community plays a big role in 100WLH’s fortunes.

“I think what’s most interesting about Lake Highlands is how tight-knit it is and how easy it is to rally the troops,” Timmerman says.

“I can honestly say that the women of Lake Highlands have very big hearts and they love to give back, so I think this organization will continue very well.”