Details – Bloom

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Q

How does Bloom work?

At its core, Bloom is a giving circle. We are a group of women pooling our financial resources and our time to give larger charitable gifts as a group than we would be able to individually. Each year we will select one nonprofit organization in the Atlanta area that serves women and children to support with our collective financial gift and our volunteer efforts.

Q

How will my donation help our community?

By making a gift to Bloom’s donor-advised fund at the North Georgia Community Foundation (see below) you join the other Bloom members in creating a collective financial resource to be distributed annually to a single, mutually agreed upon non profit organization in the Atlanta community.

Q

How do I make my gift and is it tax deductible?

Your gift will go to Bloom’s own donor-advised fund at the North Georgia Community Foundation (NGCF). (What is a Donor-Advised Fund, you ask? Great question!). All member gifts are pooled in this single account, and annual distributions will be made from the account directly to our selected partner organization. For efficiency’s sake, Elizabeth is the sole advisor of our NGCF Fund.

NGCF is a public charity. As such, in nearly every instance your gift will be tax-deductible. You can make your gift by check or by paypal. Of course if you have any questions please consult an attorney or accountant.

Q

What are the criteria for nonprofit organizations to be considered for support from Bloom?

Our members will vote each year on one local nonprofit organization to receive our collective grant. Only those members who have made a financial gift to Bloom’s collective giving fund will be eligible to vote. The organization must meet the following criteria to be considered:

Must serve women and children in the greater Atlanta metro area.
Be locally-based, or the local chapter of a national/regional nonprofit.
Be in existence for at least three years and have at least one full time staff member.
Must have an active Board of Directors with at least four members.
Must be a registered 501(c)(3) tax exempt entity (Check Charity Navigator or Guidestar to confirm).
Nominating Bloom members must not be employed by or serve on the organization’s board, nor can any member of their household.

Q

Who can join Bloom?

We welcome women of all ages and walks of life to join our community (sorry guys, ladies only). Our only ask is that members commit to supporting Bloom both through a financial contribution and by participating in our Gatherings and in the voting process. We want this to be a dynamic, growing community and actively seek new members to make us stronger and increase our impact.

Q

When and where will we gather?

We will officially gather four times a year: our launch party, the announcement of three finalist organizations and voting kick-off, meeting the partner organization, and a volunteer opportunity. Dates and locations will be shared via email invitations and social media.

Q

How can we contribute to Bloom events?

We ask that our members make a tax-deductible gift of $25 each year to support Bloom’s programming. This gift helps us provide meaningful content, communications and throw great parties! You can make your membership gift at the same time you make your gift for grantmaking.

Q

Is Bloom a non profit organization?

Not yet! As of right now, Bloom is an informal organization utilizing NGCF’s platform. There may be a time in the not-too-distant future when Bloom does become a 501(c)(3) organization. Stay tuned as we grow.