Bemidji women’s giving group prepares for $10,000 fundraiser evening

A one-hour giving night that has already delivered $14,000 to Village of Hope and $17,000 to the Boys & Girls Club is heading back to Bemidji with another $10,000 target, and the next round could move that kind of money to a local nonprofit before most people finish dinner.

100+ Women Who Care Bemidji is set to gather Thursday, April 30, at South Shore Hotel, formerly the Hampton Inn, at 1019 Paul Bunyan Dr. S. in Bemidji. The evening will start with a social hour at 5 p.m., followed by the fundraiser from 6 to 7 p.m., a format built around quick decisions and pooled giving rather than a long campaign or a large fundraising infrastructure.

The math is what makes the model stand out. When roughly 100 women each give $100, the group can generate $10,000 in a single hour. Bemidji’s version has already cleared that bar more than once, showing that a small individual pledge can turn into a sizable local grant almost immediately. More than 160 women attended a recent spring fundraiser, and the group has said it plans to hold two events each year, keeping the donor base active without asking people to commit to a formal membership.

That speed matters in a county where nonprofits compete for attention, volunteers and unrestricted dollars. Village of Hope, which is marking its 40th anniversary in 2026 after becoming a nonprofit entity in 1986, is one example of the kind of organization that can benefit when a roomful of donors concentrate their giving in one place. Northwoods Battered Women’s Shelter, which primarily serves Beltrami and Cass counties, is another reminder of how regional service providers often rely on a mix of community support and steady local visibility.

The venue itself is built for the task. South Shore Hotel says it has 3,800 square feet of meeting space, enough room for a fundraiser that depends on turnout, conversation and fast-moving participation. The group’s website describes 100+ Women Who Care Bemidji as a women-led fundraising event for area nonprofits during one-hour events, and says anyone can participate with no membership required.

For Bemidji, that has turned a single evening into a repeatable civic habit: a predictable hour on the calendar that can send four-figure or five-figure checks into the local nonprofit sector almost as soon as the room reaches capacity.