Step by Step

  1. Join Impact West Seattle: Click here to join IWS by setting up a credit card payment profile with The Giving Group to make your quarterly donation. The Giving Group is a local nonprofit that supports giving circles by making group giving easier.

  2. Submit an organization for consideration, if you are interested in that quarter’s topic.

    Every 3 months members are asked to submit a nonprofit organization (which meets the eligibility requirements) they would like to see funded. All organizations submitted will be reviewed for nonprofit status and eligibility before being put into the proverbial hat. The leadership team will do a random drawing, on FB Live, to select the 3 organizations for members to vote on at our quarterly meeting. Paid staff and board members are not allowed to present on their non-profit to ensure a level playing field for all presenters.

  3. Show up for 1 hour every 3 months.

    Come prepared to learn about 3 amazing organizations submitted by your fellow philanthropists.

    Speaker Guidelines: If your organization is one of the 3 chosen, you will be asked to provide a brief (less than 7 minute) presentation to the membership, followed by a Q&A. The nominator of the organization submitted must be the one to make the presentation - or must find another member to do the “pitch” for you. All members are welcome to research the organizations before the meeting, if they so choose.) Check out the full speaker guidelines here.

  4. Help decide the topics for the following year during the last quarterly meeting of the current year. In order to have the nonprofits all be organized around supporting similar missions, once a year members rank what broad topics to cover. Past topics have included: the Environment, Children, Mental Health, Women, Racial Justice, Immigration & Refugee Support & Homelessness.

  5. Vote.

    Members vote on which nonprofit organization to support. The nonprofit that receives the most votes will be awarded the full donation from that meeting, +/- $18,000. The more members the greater the impact!

Resources for researching nonprofits: