Erin Scott and Kelly Lebel consider growing up in the Midcoast to be among things they are grateful for — the rocky coast, fresh seafood and fragrant pine forests. Looking for a way to give back while juggling work and family, the two sisters stumbled on the Southern Maine chapter of 100+ Women Who Care when a friend who runs Madeline’s Mission received a donation. 

Attending a meeting to learn more, they recalled being overwhelmed by the many women piling through the door, smiling faces and checkbooks in hand. 

Erin Scott (left) and Kelly Lebel, founders of the new 100+ Women Who Care Midcoast chapter, outlined the club’s goals at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick. Laura Sitterly / The Times Record

Each session opens with a chance to network and mingle. Then, women listen to five-minute presentations from three fellow members about different area nonprofits. Afterward, everyone votes and writes a check — the donation is handed to the organization with the most contributions. 

Similar to speed dating but bound by the belief that if you take a $50 check and add another, another and another, soon you’ll have a sizeable chunk of change in your hands. In under a decade, the Southern Maine chapter has raised over $600,000 in donations to bolster 82 local charities. 

The tradition has caught on in Maine, with groups in Knox and Androscoggin counties joining the one in Southern Maine. There are 186 chapters in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. 

“We stepped in to fill a gap,” Scott said. “In doing so, we’ve gotten support from women from Harpswell to Wiscasset.”

While figuring out the logistics of getting a Midcoast chapter off the ground, Scott kept hearing the same lament: Women in the area wanted to feel a greater sense of community and make an impact without “breaking the bank.” This new group, she said, is geared toward women whose time and money are limited but whose hearts are invested. 

Before each meeting, nonprofits are vetted through a pre-eligibility form to ensure community betterment is part of their driving mission. The funds must stay local, even if a group has branches that extend statewide or nationwide, and donor solicitation is prohibited. 

Besides that, the outcome is unpredictable. 

Lebel explained that although Mid Coast Hunger Prevention and Bath Food Bank are popular, “the selection depends on the women who cast their votes — how they feel that particular day and what they are passionate about.”

Club organizers attributed the success of affiliate groups to the ability to bring together like-minded women and the use of technology like Grapevine, which automatically deducts $50 from one’s bank account four times a year, eliminating the need to write a check.

“I grew up here and have never heard of some of these nonprofits,” Lebel said. “It’s great, whether they win or not, because of the exposure — people find out about their mission and often follow up to get involved.” 

Hundreds have already signed up for the new chapter. As membership expands, the club plans to increase the diversification of funds — once a nonprofit receives a donation, it can’t apply again for two years. For women on the go, those with mobility constraints or seasonal Mainers, Zoom participation will soon become an option.

“It’s a tight-knit community,” said Scott, noting that businesses like the American Legion and the Bath Printing Company have already chipped in. “We take care of each other. Our generation was raised to give back, and our children will learn to do the same by example.”

Cindy Marsh raised her daughters, Lebel and Scott, in Woolwich. She feels fortunate knowing her grandchildren will have a bright future underpinned by a “thriving nonprofit community that works for the betterment of residents.”

The founders meeting on Sept. 9 will be held at the American Legion, 200 Congress Ave. in Bath. Registration opens at 5:15 p.m. and the event will follow from 6-7 p.m. To sign up as a nonprofit organization or a member, visit the website at 100womenwhocaremidcoastmaine.com.