About
In 2016, the Power of Many’s founder, Katie Reints, gathered a room of women who each pledged $50 to support a cause selected through group consensus, with all funds donated accordingly. The concept was simple. Collectively, the group could generate a more significant impact than any one person could do alone. Over time, through this quarterly giving initiative alongside expanded fundraising and outreach efforts, it became evident that the scope of need exceeded what the established group structure could effectively address.
The initially group, Power of 50, gained momentum through the Aplington-Parkersburg community. The group grew….and grew, expanding beyond our community to other areas of Iowa through word of mouth and our home base, the greatest thing on Facebook, The Power of Many Facebook group. The Facebook group allowed the structure of the group to morph into one that can help with time-sensitive and urgent requests (called “gives” in the group) that couldn’t wait until quarterly meetings and/or were smaller in monetary scale for donations. With a Facebook group that continued to grow daily, “gives” could be brought to the group and members could choose when they donate. The concept is still simple. Collectively, the group’s impact still exceeds expectations even with far more volume of gives than when the group initially started.
A turning point for Power of 50 was when it formed a partnership with Kaden’s Kloset, a local 501(c)3 that allowed Power of 50 to become tax-deductible! That partnership and mentorship from Kaden’s Kloset, gave Katie the push (and confidence) she needed to form our own 501(c)3 non-profit.
With the paperwork underway, it was time to change the name. Power of 50 made sense back in 2016 but with a Facebook group of over 800 people and no donation amount requirements, the name needed to match what the group had grown too. Many has a simple meaning. Many: A large number of. The concept of this group is still simple. Many people working together make light work and the Power of Many means we get to help a lot of people because after all, the happiest people are the givers.
