100 Men of Kawartha Lakes has donated a total of $17,291.59 to two local charities and a new permanent investment fund following its latest quarterly meeting.
The collective philanthropy group met September 3 at the Flato Academy Theatre in Lindsay, where members voted to award $12,291.59 to Camp Kirk and $2,500 to the Community Fund of Fenelon Falls.
A further $2,500 was directed to the group’s new Forever Fund, bringing the total distributed following the meeting to $17,291.59.
At each quarterly meeting, members donate $102 ($100 plus an administration fee) and three nominated registered charities are drawn at random. Representatives from the selected organizations are invited to make brief presentations about their work and how they would use a donation, after which members vote on which charity will receive the largest contribution.
At the September meeting, only two of the three selected charities — Camp Kirk and the Community Fund of Fenelon Falls — were able to attend, with members voting to provide Camp Kirk with the largest donation of $12,291.59. The Community Fund of Fenelon Falls received $2,500.
Located in Kirkfield, Camp Kirk is a non-profit charitable organization offering recreational programs for neurodivergent children and youth, including those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, learning disabilities, and other exceptionalities.
With the third selected charity unable to attend, another $2,500 was directed to the new Forever Fund, a permanent investment fund being established by 100 Men of Kawartha Lakes through the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes.
According to a media release, a recent member survey found a large majority supported creating the fund.
Regular quarterly charitable giving will remain separate, with a working group now developing details about how the permanent fund will operate.
The September meeting also brought the group’s membership to 173.
“This group brings together a diverse group of men from across the Kawartha Lakes — men who don’t always have the time to give back to their community, but can give $100 knowing it goes directly back to local registered charities,” said 100 Men Kawartha Lakes member Brad Campkin. “The simplicity of it is what makes it work.”
The group is now hoping to attract another 27 members to reach its goal of 200 and is inviting prospective members to its next quarterly meeting at 7 p.m. on Friday, December 4 at the Fenelon Falls Legion.
If membership reaches 200, the group plans to vote on whether to continue operating as a single Kawartha Lakes-wide organization or divide into local chapters serving Fenelon Falls, Lindsay, and Bobcaygeon.
Founded in 2018, 100 Men of Kawartha Lakes meets four times a year to pool members’ donations for registered charities serving the Kawartha Lakes region.
The group has donated more than $364,000 to local charities since its founding.
