How We Bloom
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How does Bloom work?
At its core, Bloom is a giving circle. We’re 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.
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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 nonprofit organization in the Atlanta community.
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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.
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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:
- 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
- Have an active Board of Directors with at least four members
- Be a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity (Check Charity Navigator or Guidestar to confirm)
Nominating Bloom Members (and/or members of their households) must not be employed by or serve on the candidate organization’s board.
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Who can join Bloom?
We welcome women of all ages and walks of life to join our community. 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.
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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.
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How can we contribute to Bloom Gatherings?
We ask that our Members make a small, tax-deductible gift each year to support Bloom’s programming. Membership Gifts are set by each Branch. This gift helps us provide meaningful content, and communications, and throw great parties! You can make your membership gift at the same time you make your gift for grantmaking.
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Is Bloom a nonprofit organization?
Not yet! As of right now, Bloom is an informal organization using the North Georgia Community Foundation’s (NGCF’s) platform. There may be a time in the not-too-distant future when Bloom does become an official 501(c)(3) organization. Stay tuned as we grow!
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What if I have my own donor-advised fund?
Great! You can easily make your grant to Bloom through the North Georgia Community Foundation (NGCF) by directing it to your Bloom Branch's unique fund. And thank you!