Fitting a Giving Circle Into a Fundraising Square
Yesterday’s Washington Post had a nifty piece on a group of 25 D.C.-area women who have banded together to form a kind of informal foundation, the African American Women’s Giving Circle.
… [T]hey pool their charitable dollars, debate their passions and award grants. Like a book club, they meet monthly — at their homes, in offices and even during yoga classes held in parks. …
Some members are lawyers, consultants and business owners. One recently lost her job as a real estate loan counselor, yet she still gives. Most contribute $2,500 a year; some give as much as $10,000, and others as little as $1,000. Together, they share a voice in championing their causes.
The story positions the women’s group as part of a trend that has seen hundreds of such giving circles form across the country over the last few years. The big question for fundraisers, of course, is how to reach such newfangled philanthropists. Many of these groups are about something more than donating money; they bring together people with common interests and passions, people who want to be part of a collective effort that is more impactful than they are as individuals. So outreach to them cannot focus simply on the power of giving; it must emphasize that their support somehow fosters the togetherness they seek as a group. | 501(c)
Many of these groups are about something more than donating money; they bring together people with common interests and passions, people who want to be part of a collective effort that is more impactful than they are as individuals. So outreach to them cannot focus simply on the power of giving; it must emphasize that their support somehow fosters the togetherness they seek as a group.