“In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us.” - Flora Edwards
I read that a "Giving Circle" is a cross between a book club and an investment group. That is a pretty good definition...Giving Circles are quickly gaining in popularity as a way for individuals to manage and pool their resources to increase their philanthropic impact. Giving circles can be small and informal, like a group of friends getting together for dinner to pool their resources to support causes of their choosing, or they can be larger and highly organized groups requiring a larger donation and greater participation:
“Marsha Wallace, a labor and delivery nurse in Greenville, SC, often volunteered at a health care clinic and donated to local charities, but she felt that she wasn’t doing enough. So three years ago she invited some friends to a potluck dinner. They were asked to bring an appetizer, a main course or a dessert—and their checkbooks.
More than 25 women attended, and they contributed $760 to Women for Women International, a nonprofit organization based in Washington that helps female war survivors. The dinner group gave itself a name, Dining for Women, and agreed to meet monthly, with each member donating the $30 she would have spent at a restaurant. (Eventually, Ms. Wallace scrapped the minimum donation because she worried that some women could not afford to attend.)
Now, every month, the donations, usually amounting to $400 to $500, are given to a variety of international nonprofit groups that help women and children. The club has grown to 115 members, with perhaps 15 or 20 showing up at each meeting. It has contributed a total of $19,000 to various charities, including the American Leprosy Missions and Habitat for Humanity. Donations have paid for two years of nursing school for an East African woman and started a $1,400 medical fund in Ethiopia.”
-Kristina Shevory, “Giving: When Charity Begins In a Circle of Friends,” New York Time, October 9, 2005
Giving circles are a fairly new concept in philanthropy where small groups make a big difference. The idea is that if you already have a group that gets together on a regular basis, why not do something to give back in the process? If you don't already have a group getting together... You Can Start One!! A small donation of $10, $20 or $50 at a meeting of a small group of people can add up quickly and turn a small individual donation into a large result.
Click on the resources below to learn more about Giving Circles and how you can start or participate in one:
Giving Circles FAQ's
Giving Circles Knowledge Center
So, how about it? Does a Giving Circle sound interesting to you? Get together with your family and friends and make a difference in the causes that you care about!
Sources: About.com
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