About Our Chapter

NCL, Inc., Saratoga-Los Gatos Chapter is a group of mothers and daughters who have come together in a commitment to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences.
Members shall reside in or have a daughter who goes to school in the cities of Saratoga-Los Gatos, Monte Sereno or Campbell when they enter the organization. Like all NCL, Inc. Chapters, Saratoga-Los Gatos aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together.

Our chapter was founded in 1988 by a group of 14 community orientated ladies who wanted to give back to the Saratoga-Los Gatos community in a shared experience with their daughters. Today we are a group of over 300 current and sustaining members who provide hands-on volunteer service for more than 20 local philanthropies and contribute over 6,000 hours to our local community each year.

Our vision & values lie firmly in The NCL Experience; a 6 year plan which incorporates three key pillars: Community Service, Leadership Development, and Cultural Enrichment. Our goals are carried out through the commitments and partnerships between our mothers and daughters.

The most rewarding aspects of NCL are the shared mother daughter experiences and the friendships established during the six years. Long-lasting friendships and memories are built through the outstanding work done in the community and participation in social and cultural events.

Join Our Chapter

Interested in joining our chapter? Membership opportunities are dependent on chapter openings.

Please complete the Membership Inquiry Form so we can contact you directly. If you know a current chapter member, feel free to reach out to them as well to learn about getting started.

Membership Inquiry Form

For any questions regarding Membership, requests for transfers or assistance with connecting as a Sustainer, email us.

The history of National Charity League, Inc. can be traced back to 1925 when a small group of women in Los Angeles, interested in philanthropic work, met together and called themselves The Charity League. They worked quietly, doing Red Cross work, making layettes and assembling and delivering food baskets to the needy at holiday time. A few daughters met with their mothers to help; one of these daughters was the future Mrs. Paul William Lawrence, considered the founder of National Charity League.  

 

National Charity League, Inc. now has over 290 chapters in 32 states with 200,000 members and alumnae. Each year, NCL, Inc. members from coast to coast volunteer over 2.7 million volunteer hours in their communities. All chapters embrace the mission, vision and core values of NCL, Inc.

We hope that you will become part of our chapter and instill the following values in your daughter:

 

• Strengthening the mother-daughter bond
• Empowering women with the skills and confidence to mentor and lead
• Inspiring a legacy of social awareness and compassion
• Providing depth of support in local communities
• Honoring a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion
• Modeling integrity, graciousness and excellence

 

Community Service

We understand and serve communities in partnership with local and national nonprofits. Each NCL, Inc. chapter promotes social awareness by considering the local community’s needs and selecting appropriate non-profit organizations to support through different volunteer activities.

We work with the following philanthropies:

• Alzheimer’s Association
• American Cancer Society of Los Gatos (Discovery Shop+Events)
• American Heart Association
• American Red Cross
• Animal Assisted Happiness
• Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative (BAWSI)
• Book Go Round Store (BGR Store)
• Disaster Response
• Family Supportive Housing (FSH)
• House of Hope
• Loaves & Fishes
• Montalvo Arts Center
• Nike Animal Rescue (NARF)
• Operation Care & Comfort (OCC) of San Jose
• Operation Gratitude
• Princess Project Silicon Valley
• Sacred Heart Community Services
• Saratoga Library
• Saratoga Library Paperback Book Sales (Library)
• Special Olympics Northern California
• Sunday Friends
• The Kindness Campaign
• The Villas of Saratoga (Formerly known as Our Lady of Fatima Skilled Nursing Facility)
• Veggielution

Leadership Development

We build capable, courageous leaders through opportunities to learn, reflect and develop. Our leaders become successful in their education, career and communities by learning the necessary skills during their NCL experience.

Examples of skills developed include:

• Confidence
• Consensus building
• Team building
• Conflict resolution
• Event planning
• Parliamentary procedure

Our Chapter Board of Directors:

• President: Sue Sweet
• President Elect: Carla Engelbrecht
• Secretary: Heather Lancelot
• Treasurer: Beata Seddon
  Diana Grubbs
• Parliamentarian: Monika Rich
• Vice President Communications: Carolina Guerra-Torres
• Vice President Membership: Caroline Zamansky
• Vice President Philanthropy: Lisa Tulee
• Vice President New Members: Kristi Pearce-Percy
• Vice President Ticktockers: Meghan Bakota
• Vice President Chapter Engagement and Inclusion: Jen Haen

Leadership is another important NCL programming pillar. Opportunities are give to our members to solve problem, build teams, garner consensus, plan events and learn parliamentary procedure to develop as leaders.

 

Members hold a leadership role each year

 

Activities may include:

 

Team building, stress management, life skills, conflict resolution, leadership skills 

 

 

Cultural Experiences

We preserve National Charity League traditions and core values, while appreciating the growth that comes from connecting with different communities and cultures. We continually strive to build stronger ties with our communities and the individuals within them. It is through this understanding that we grow and develop broader worldviews that will shape and support our lives.

• Traditions – We celebrate the richness of our history through traditions that honor the past while serving the future.
• Values – We embrace values that make us strong as an organization of mother-daughter leaders.
• Community Connections – We build connections through experiences that impact our communities.
• Etiquette – We encourage and mentor kind, respectful and gracious social conduct.

NCL embraces and cultivates values, traditional and community connections. Each grade level has a cultural focus. Activities may include: art of etiquette, creating a positive culture, performing arts, building relationships, cultivating graciousness and empathy. Etiquette is built into the program and incorporated into the Tea event each year.