Welcome Members!
On this page you will find answers to frequently asked questions from members about how our group works. Please don’t hesitate to contact our leadership team with any questions or for help getting started.
Our Cycle of Good
Santa Rosa Women for Good runs on a quarterly grant cycle. This cycle guides us through the process of discovering nonprofits, nominating and voting, and celebrating the impact of our giving.
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During the Gather phase, we open the nomination process to members. This is a time to explore and learn about nonprofits in our community and share the organizations that inspire you. Members submit nominations through Grapevine, helping us identify the nonprofits we might support next.
December, March, June, September
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In the Grant phase, members dive deeper into the nominated organizations. A one-page overview and additional resources (links, videos, etc.) are shared to help you learn about each nonprofit’s work. Members then cast their vote for the organization they feel should receive the grant.
January, April, July, October
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During the Celebrate phase, we honor the most recently awarded nonprofit. They are invited to a social event to share more about their mission and the impact our grant will have on their work. This phase is all about recognizing achievements, connecting with our community, and celebrating the power of collective giving.
November, February, May, August
Giving
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You never have to donate to be a part of our community. However, our donating Impact Members are able to nominate and vote for our quarterly grants. We have a suggested donation of $100 per quarter, however it is important that our group remains accessible and inclusive. If you aren’t able to give $100 per quarter we ask that you give what you are able.
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Beginning with our Summer 2026 grant cycle, Santa Rosa Women for Good awards a total of $7,000 in grants each quarter through our Grow the Good Grant Program.
Each quarter includes:
One $5,000 Grow the Good Impact Grant
Two $1,000 Grow the Good Seed Grants
This structure allows us to support multiple nonprofit organizations each cycle while continuing to grow the overall impact of our collective giving. As our circle grows and more members contribute, the grant amount will increase, allowing us to support nonprofits with even greater impact.
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If donations exceed the total awarded in our quarterly grant cycle, any additional funds are held in reserve to strengthen and support future grant cycles.
These reserved funds allow us to build a stronger grant pool over time and increase the total amount we are able to award each quarter as our membership and collective giving grow.
As our community expands, our goal is to continue increasing the value and impact of our quarterly grants so even more local nonprofits can be supported.
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100% of your donated dollars are granted to selected nonprofits. Grapevine does not collect any fees from donors and there are no dues, fees or admin costs that come out of your donation.
If you wish to help support the administrative costs of the group with a separate donation you can learn more here.
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Yes! We suggest a $100 per quarter donation but members can give as generously as they want to help support and grow the impact we are having. Every dollar donated helps us Grow the Good!
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All donations are managed within the Grapevine platform. Once you have logged in, click on your photo in the top left hand corner to access your account settings. Under “Your Donations” you’ll see your upcoming donations and an option to “Manage Donation” - here you can update the amount or payment method.
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Yes! You can always make a one time donation or increase your donation for a single grant cycle.
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Yes. If you need to pause or skip a donation you can go in to your Grapevine account and choose Manage Donation to skip the next giving cycle.
Getting Involved
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Santa Rosa Women for Good hosts a monthly social mixer every 2nd Wednesday at 5:30 PM, a monthly Saturday morning Coffee Meetup, and various community volunteering opportunities.
Members are also welcome to share events that matter to them and invite fellow women in the group to join, helping support the causes we care about together.
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Each month we hold a happy hour on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 5:30. We also have a monthly coffee meetup one Saturday per month. The venue changes and all details are shared in Grapevine and on our Event Calendar.
These events are open to members and non-members so they are a great chance to invite someone to check out Santa Rosa Women for Good.
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You can find all official group events on the right-hand side of the Grapevine page, and each event is announced by email. Your RSVP helps us plan and create meaningful gatherings. Plus, members are encouraged to post their own community events to invite fellow members to participate!
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The more members we have donating, the bigger our impact in the community! You can help by inviting friends and family, encouraging women you know to attend a social mixer, or sharing the group online. Every connection helps us grow and strengthen our collective giving.
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We’re always looking for passionate women to join our volunteer leadership team! If you’d like to get more involved and contribute your skills to support the group, please reach out to the leadership team -we’d love to hear from you.
Nominating
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Each quarter, the leadership team will open the nomination cycle on our Grapevine forum. Members will receive an email letting them know nominations are open, typically for 1–2 weeks. Nominations take place in December, March, June, and September, so keep an eye on your inbox for those announcements!
Nominating a nonprofit is as simple as telling us why you think they would be a worthy cause for one of the grants.
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Any donating Impact Member of Santa Rosa Women for Good is eligible to nominate and vote to award our grants.
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After the nomination window closes, a poll is shared with members to help narrow the field through a ranked-choice vote. The top three organizations then move on to the final round of voting. In this final round, the organization receiving the most votes is awarded our Impact Grant, and the other two finalists each receive a Seed Grant.
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Any nonprofit that’s based in Sonoma County or actively supports our local community is eligible for nomination. To qualify, the organization must be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
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Once nominations close, a ranked poll is posted on Grapevine and announced by email. All donating members may participate. The results of this poll determine the top three nonprofits that advance to the final round of voting.
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Yes! There’s no limit to how many times a nonprofit can be nominated, and we encourage members to renominate organizations that haven’t yet been selected.
Once an organization receives an Impact Grant they are ineligible for 24 months, however they remain eligible for Seed Grants.
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Yes! We are excited to have many passionate women who run or work for nonprofits in our group and are excited to be able to showcase and support their work.
Voting
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Every donating Impact Member of Santa Rosa Women for Good has an equal voice in our decision-making process. Each vote matters and helps shape the collective impact of our giving circle.
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At the end of each grant cycle, the leadership team will open the voting window on our Grapevine forum. Members will receive an email notification when voting begins. The voting period is open for about two weeks, and members can cast their vote directly on the forum.
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Each quarter’s nominated nonprofits are highlighted at our monthly happy hour, where members can learn more about their missions.
Ahead of voting, you’ll receive a one-page overview of each finalist, along with links, videos, and additional materials when available so you can understand their work and impact.
After the happy hour, all information is also shared in the Grapevine forum, where members can review materials at their own pace. The voting window then opens, allowing you to cast an informed vote for the organization you feel should receive the Impact Grant, with the other two finalists receiving Seed Grants.
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If there’s a tie at the close of voting, the leadership team will notify all members and extend the voting window by three days to allow for additional votes. If the tie remains after that period, the quarterly grant will be evenly split between the tied organizations.
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Every Impact Member’s vote is counted equally and Grapevine automatically tallies the winners.
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If a finalist organization has received an Impact Grant within the past 24 months, they are not eligible to receive another Impact Grant during the current cycle. However, they remain eligible to receive a Seed Grant.
In these cases, it will be clearly noted during the voting process that the organization is ineligible for the Impact Grant but will automatically receive a Seed Grant if they are among the final three.
The Impact Grant vote will then be determined between the two remaining eligible finalist organizations.
Grapevine
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Grapevine is the online giving platform that hosts our donations and helps us manage our grant process. All nominations and voting take place through Grapevine. The platform itself is a registered 501(c)(3) organization, which ensures our giving is secure and tax-deductible.
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The Grapevine page is where you can RSVP for upcoming events, submit nominations and vote for our grants. This is also the platform that will handle your donation and where you can update your donation information and amounts.
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Every member can post and share on the Grapevine page, and new posts are emailed to the group. If you’re unsure how to post or whether your content fits, the leadership team is always available to assist.
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Members are encouraged to share community events, fundraisers, and opportunities for networking or connection. If you’re unsure whether your post fits, the leadership team is happy to provide guidance.
More questions?
Please email us at srwomenforgood@gmail.com with any questions, comments or suggestions on how to make our group even better. You can also always reach out to any member of our leadership team with any questions you might have.