Cause Selection Process

Selection Committee

The Causes will be selected by a Selection Committee which will consist of at least two (2) Advisory Board members, 2 current Executive Board members, and two (2) members in good standing. The Selections Committee shall not consist of more than ten (10) members; in addition, the Selection Committee shall not have any Cause Champions as members.

Selection of Causes – The Annual Grant Cycle

a) October 1: Grant application window opens.
b) November 1 (Midnight): Deadline for grant application submissions.
c) December: Formal announcement of selected Causes at the End of Year Connect meeting.
d) Allocation of proceeds: shall be determined within 90 days of event conclusion and submitted for Board approval. Awards will be formally presented to the non-profit organizations at a subsequent Connect meeting, subject to the recipient’s availability to attend.

Cause Guidelines & Requirements

To be considered for a BWFC Grant, organizations must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Status & Location: Must be a registered 501(c)(3) headquartered in Fayette or Coweta County, GA.
• BWFC “Cause Champion”: Every applicant must have a dedicated Champion who is a BWFC member in good standing. This member acts as the primary liaison and is required to serve on the Fundraising Event Committee for the grant year.
• Documentation: Applications must include a current State Solicitation form, the most recent IRS Form 990, and a detailed project/operations budget.
• Financial Sustainability: Applicants must provide a breakdown of expected income sources and other funds contributing to the project to demonstrate how the mission will be sustained regardless of grant totals.

Recipient Responsibilities

Selected organizations are active partners in our fundraising success. Recipients are expected to:

1. Event Support: Provide active volunteers and a representative presence at the specific event benefiting your organization.
2. Marketing: Actively promote the fundraiser to your own network via email and social media.
3. Impact Reporting: Submit a report detailing how funds were utilized within 6 months of expenditure.

2027 BWFC Cause Grant Application Checklist

Click HERE for the downloadable PDF

Fundraising Event Leadership

• The Executive Board appoints a Fundraising Event Committee Chairs annually in November. If the positions are unfilled, leadership responsibilities are assumed by the Board.
• Committee Selections: Each Event Chair (or acting Board leadership) selects a committee annually to execute the event’s fundraising goals.
• Mandatory Participation: All Cause Champions are required to serve on this committee to ensure the success of their specific event.

Questions

If you have any questions about the process, or the requirements of the nonprofit and cause champion, feel free to reach out to us at BWFCVP@gmail.com.

The mission of the Business Women of Fayette and Coweta is Giving Back for a Better Community. Since our founding in 2009, we have selected causes to support through fundraising efforts each year. Below are our previous cause grant recipients:

• Coweta Community Foundation
• Healing Bridge Clinic
• I-58 Mission
• Pathway Home for Women
• Two Sparrows
• Bloom Our Youth
• Southside Support
• TEAM Alliance
• Wo Ye Bra
• Coweta Domestic Violence Resource Center (formerly Community Welcome House)
• Piedmont Fayette Cancer Wellness Center
• American Cancer Society

Through 2023, the BWFC has raised over $650,000 for these charities. We achieved this through the support of generous sponsors, donors, and dedicated volunteers. Our goal is to continue to expand our reach and improve the lives of those in our community.

If you would like to support our fundraising efforts for 2024 or would like more information, please feel free to contact our Spring Swing Chair.