Tips for Girlfriends

Making retirement contributions: a smart strategy for giving and tax savings

Did you know you could designate part of your retirement funds directly to ninety-nine girlfriends? 

Individuals who are 73 or older must withdraw required minimum distributions (RMDs) from traditional IRAs and certain retirement accounts. These withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income, which can increase your tax bill and push you into a higher bracket. However, you can turn this obligation into an advantage by donating your RMDs directly to a nonprofit through a qualified charitable distribution.

A qualified charitable distribution transfers directly from your IRA to an eligible nonprofit like ninety-nine girlfriends. When done correctly, this transfer counts toward your RMD but is not included in your taxable income, helps you support causes you care about, and may prevent impacts to your Medicare premiums. If you intend to use this strategy, speak with a financial advisor or tax professional to ensure it’s executed properly and fits your broader retirement plan. 

How to volunteer with your Girlfriends

Interested in sharing your skills or learning new ones through volunteering? Be sure your profile in the member directory lists your interests so we know to reach out to you. Look for opportunities in the Member Updates where we ask for help. Or email us and we will schedule a call or a chat over coffee to learn more about your skills and interests. Volunteering with ninety-nine girlfriends is joyful and rewarding. You’re already making a difference with your membership contribution. Double the impact by bringing your skills to the circle!

Trust-based philanthropy: It's how we roll

We practice trust-based philanthropy in our grantmaking. That means we center the needs of nonprofits and the communities they serve, and we intentionally reduce the paperwork, reporting, and bureaucracy that often come with grants. Rather than closely monitoring our grantees, we focus on being supportive partners. This means we do not require detailed plans for exactly how funds will be used, and we keep both the application and reporting process as simple as possible.

We’ll be sharing more about trust-based philanthropy and how it guides our work throughout the year. To learn more, here’s a short three-minute video, along with an additional resource.

Why do we have Meet the Finalists watch parties?

Once upon a time, we held an annual in-person Meet the Finalists event. The finalists did live pitches onstage, sharing why they should receive an Impact Award. Many Girlfriends loved this event, until the finalists told us it made them feel like they were performing and it wasn’t equitable. Gulp. We took this learning and changed how we did things. We began paying for finalists to make pitch videos so they could use those videos for our event and other purposes. Once again, we didn’t have it quite right. We had chosen an amazing professional to work with them, but it wasn’t necessarily how they wanted to work or when it worked for them. Once again, we adjusted based on what we’d learned.

Fast forward to now: We ask finalists to create videos that follow certain guidelines (amount of time, a few prompts they can consider) and submit it to us by the deadline. Then we take these videos and put them together in a watch list. Girlfriends volunteer to host you in their homes to watch the videos together. This is Meet the Finalists 2025.

FAQs about the event:

Q: Can I just watch the videos on my own?

A: Absolutely. The watch parties enable you to connect with your Girlfriends but the videos are the same whether you watch them alone or together.

Q: How do I get the link?

A: The link will be emailed and texted to everyone a few days before the watch parties.

Q: Do I have to watch the videos to know how to vote?

A: No. Our voter’s guide gives you information from the organizations and grant review teams, and if you prefer that to the videos, you can vote based on the guide. We encourage you to watch the videos to hear directly from the finalists why they think you should choose them.. 

Q: Can I watch the videos more than once?

A: Definitely. They are available for you to watch as many times as you like.

Q: Can I reach out to the finalists with questions?

A: Please don’t. Use the resources we have shared with you to make your decisions. 


We support our volunteers—with free Tech Training

Did you know that volunteering on one of our teams or committees means you gain access to free tech training? It’s true. We use Google Drive, Google Calendar, Zoom, and MembershipWorks in our daily work, but we don’t exclude you from volunteering if you don’t have those skills – we help you learn them! 

Contact Tammy to take advantage of this perk of being a Girlfriend.

Get ready to vote!

As a member of ninety-nine girlfriends, you get to vote for our Impact Awards. Your vote matters, and we want to make it easy (and fun) to get informed before you cast your ballot.

  • Meet the Finalists Together: On Thursday, October 9, Girlfriends across Portland will host Meet the Finalists watch parties. These gatherings are a great chance to connect with Girlfriends while streaming the finalist videos. These parties are always popular, so register early!

  • Your Voter Toolkit: That same day, you’ll receive an email with two key resources including the Meet the Finalists Playlist. You can watch it on your own if you can’t make a party.                                                                                      Furthermore, you'll receive the Official Voters Guide. The guide is packed with finalist websites, facts, and statements from our grant review teams about why these organizations rose to the top.

  • Mark Your Calendar: Voting opens the evening of October 9 and closes just before midnight on October 19. Make sure to set aside time to review, reflect, and cast your ballot.

Join us at the price that works for you

One of the ways we embed equity into our operations is to offer a sliding scale to paid events:

  • Member + Help Another: for people who want to pay it forward and do a bit more          

  • Member (I could use a little help): for those who’d like financial assistance

  • Member or Fellow: tickets for members and Fellows

"Create inclusion with simple mindfulness that others might have a different reality from your own." — Patti Digh

Get more out of your membership and VOLUNTEER!

Ninety-nine girlfriends is totally volunteer run, thanks to your generosity. You will connect with other Girlfriends and benefit from giving back when you volunteer. Our volunteer needs range from leadership positions to one-time tasks. Whether you have 30 hours or 30 minutes to spare and bring professional experience or want to grow your skills in a new area, your help means we can help more of our community members!

How to sponsor a member

Do you have a friend or family member who would like to join ninety-nine girlfriends but whose funds are a little tight? Would you like to give the gift of membership? It has never been easier to become a member sponsor. Simply go to the Donate or Sponsor page on our website, choose the “Full Sponsored Membership” option, and provide the sponsee’s contact information, selected membership level ($300, $600, $1200, $1800, or $2500), and form of payment. If you have any questions or need some help, contact us.  

How your membership contribution makes a difference

Women join ninety-nine girlfriends by making a tax-deductible contribution to our nonprofit by Wednesday, April 30. Did you know that ninety percent of that contribution goes directly to our grant pool and the other 10% fuels our all-volunteer giving circle (insurance, event expenses, accountants, etc.)? We budget wisely and we get stuff done. 

Matching funds are a bonus!

We are so grateful to the companies who provide matching funds for their employees and to those of you who direct these to ninety-nine girlfriends. We use these funds to enhance our grantmaking and more. We encourage you to ask your company about their matching policy. Please note that employer matching funds are a wonderful addition to a membership contribution which must first be paid by an individual or a sponsor. You can read more here.  

Link to past tips

Choose your contribution level and even customize it

$300, $600, $1,200, $1,800, $2,500? When you join us, you can choose a level that feels personally meaningful and aligns with your ability to give. Every contribution grows our collective pool for grants, connects our community, and amplifies our impact. If you wish to contribute an amount between the listed levels, you can make an additional donation at this link. Every dollar strengthens our mission to fund local nonprofits doing transformative work. Renew your membership today.

Spread the Love: Amplify the Power of Ninety-Nine Girlfriends on Social Media

Craft a social media post to share why you’re a Girlfriend!

Promoting ninety-nine girlfriends on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook isn't just about spreading the word—it's about amplifying the impact of our mission. Your shares and posts are working! Since May, we've seen increases in our social media follows by 5% (LinkedIn), Instagram (3%) and Facebook (1%).

When you like, comment and share our content, you help to build a stronger community of supporters who believe in the power of collective giving. Each interaction increases our visibility, reaching more potential members and partners. You also send a powerful message that you stand with us in creating positive change. Every like, comment, and share isn't just a click—it's a step toward making a meaningful difference.

Extend Your Girlfriend Network Beyond the Portland Area

As a member, you have access to lots of virtual learning and networking opportunities through Philanos, a national giving circle network that includes nearly 100 similar organizations. Attend a monthly learning webinar or jump into an informal affinity group to meet other women engaged in membership, communications, grantmaking, or operations. If you have questions, you can reach out to Michelle, one of our Girlfriends who’s on the Philanos board.