This past winter, Sea Pines resident Mike Bruce, his brother Beau, and friend Terry Millard, along with their wives, were gathered around the firepit at Spanish Wells Club when this very topic came up. It didn’t take advanced math skills to conclude that if they pooled their money, it would go much further.
“We can give $100 to an organization, and they are thankful. But for us to turn around and give $10,000 is much more impactful. To me, that’s the key,” Bruce said. So, he and his cohorts decided to do just that by forming a chapter of the 100 Who Care Alliance (100whocarealliance.org). Born under the starry sky was 100 Men Who Care Hilton Head Island, starting with three enthusiastic founders.
Truth be told, it was the ladies who sparked the idea, and Bruce is quick to give them credit. His wife Brenda, who is chairman of the Hunger Coalition, whose signature program is Backpack Buddies of Hilton Head, was preparing a video for a presentation to be made to the 100+ Women Who Care Hilton Head Island and needed some help processing it. Bruce stepped in to assist with the technical details and, a few days later, learned that Backpack Buddies was awarded the funds (over $15,000) from the local women’s group.
After hearing about the process, Bruce said, “I was quite impressed that a group of people could come together and have that kind of impact in an hour meeting as opposed to endless committee meetings and fundraisers, etc. I thought, we [the men] can do this.”
Bruce did some research and then went on to send a note to a few trusted friends including local ophthalmologist Ken Gleitsmann and Realtor Rob Reichel. “I explained to them how it works, and the immediate response was, ‘Yes, let’s do it.’”
Founded on a concept from the 100 Who Care Alliance, according to Bruce, they already have the mechanism and the process. “We don’t have to form another organization and a board of directors or pay a filing fee with the state in order to collect the funds and distribute them,” he said.
This seemed to resonate with the men, many of whom are still working and were equally happy to learn that there would be no silent auctions, wrapping paper sales, or dinner dances to organize and attend.
The next week, Bruce and Gleitsmann played in a tennis round robin at Spanish Wells, and the pro there introduced the concept to the group. Eighty percent of the guys participating said yes, they wanted to join in.
“It’s the easiest selling job I’ve ever had,” Bruce joked. “I originally thought if we got five or 10 guys and all put in $100, it would be a good thing and we could send it to a local group. In the first 30 days, we had 20-25 people interested, meaning we could have a significant impact on local organizations.”
News has continued to spread, and enthusiasm continues to build. 100 Men Who Care Hilton Head Island met officially for the first time in April with a whopping 70 participants. The hybrid event, with the option to attend live or virtually, took place at the Spanish Wells Club, thanks to their generous donation of space for the quarterly meetings to come.
How it works
Prior to the meeting, members nominate charities of interest out of which three are randomly chosen to be considered for the donation. Each of the three non-profits is pitched by a member in a brief, time-limited presentation, after which the membership votes to award the money to one organization.
The charter is clear that an individual who is a member must present the charity for consideration, as opposed to a representative from the organization, Bruce explained. “We can get the sales pitch any day of the week. We want the men to talk about what they think is important in the community and why. I think it’s a lot more meaningful.”
No checks are exchanged at the meeting. Members register/pledge online by providing banking or credit card information. A week before the meeting, they get charged and the money goes into the giving pool. “We don’t even see their information. I only see their name, email and phone number,” Bruce said. The funds are processed by Grapevine, a free platform that facilitates donations through a 501(c)3 DAF (Donor-Advised Fund), making the quarterly transaction simple and secure. “Using a DAF maximizes the money going to the local organizations and minimizes the work to collect the funds,” Bruce explained.
Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) was the recipient of the funds collected at the inaugural meeting of 100 Men Who Care Hilton Head Island. A check for $7,000 was proudly presented to the non-profit clinic that currently serves 10,000 active patients who would not otherwise have access to medical care. A representative will be invited to the next meeting to share how the money will be used.
“Sometimes it seems like a cold, hard world,” Bruce’s brother Beau said. “But we have a lot of giving, caring people on Hilton Head and many deserving charities.”
The men emphasized the educational value of the process. “It’s an education for me to learn where a need is on the island. It’s not just another list,” Gleitsmann said.
“It makes you feel more a part of your community when you are aware. So many people think of charities as large organizations like the American Cancer Society. But there are so many grassroots charities. Those are the ones that impact small communities like this,” Brenda Bruce said.
“We’re trying to be as broad as we can and get exposure to a wide range of charities,” Millard added. “[Collective giving] enables us to help charities and startup organizations with a significant amount of money so that they can deliver services to the community.”
100 Men Who Care Hilton Head Island also provides a chance to network with like-minded men with a variety of business backgrounds and social interests—perhaps meet your next golf or tennis buddy, form a new alliance, or simply make a friend. (The venue will open 30 minutes in advance of the meeting for members and potential members to mix and mingle.) The meeting itself is structured to be completed within an hour.
“That’s the whole point of it. You can come, get it done and move on. And if you want to stay and visit for a bit, that’s okay, too,” Bruce said. Meetings take place four times a year, and members are asked to commit to a year of giving.
Where else would you get this much bang for $100 bucks and an hour of your time?
Join the Giving Circle
If you are interested in joining this dynamic group, check out their website at 100menwhocarehhi.com and consider attending their next meeting:
Date: Thursday, July 8
Time: 5 p.m.
Place: Spanish Wells Club
More information: Mike Bruce (404) 660-3121 or mike@100menwhocarehhi.com.
