Giving circles and other forms of collective giving have grown significantly in visibility and popularity over the past 15 years. Often started by donors, they are widely understood to be highly flexible, democratic, do-it-yourself vehicles for giving.
Collective Giving Research Group
Wait.. What’s a giving circle??? A giving circle is a group of people who pool their charitable donations and decide together where to give their money. And they’re sweeping the nation.
In November, I was fortunate to attend the first ever Giving Circles Network Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was made possible by funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and it was such a treat to be in a room for 2 days with people who are dedicated to making an impact with their donations.
See, giving circles aren’t like other types of charity. It’s not about foundations. It’s not about fancy dinners or galas. It’s not about how many zeroes you can write on a check.
Giving circles are about magnifying our resources, our voices, and our impact by coming together. The truth is that it’s hard to make good donations. It takes time to research and knowledge to evaluate charities. But in a giving circle, we share that work, so that you can make better donations in less time. And it’s hard to make a big impact on a charity when giving alone. I can only make a $25 or a $100 donation. But in a giving circle, we pool our donations, so that you can be part of a $1,000 or a $10,000 gift. That’s a much bigger impact.
In a nut shell, giving circles make donating easier, more powerful, more collaborative, and accessible to anyone. It’s democratizing philanthropy.
At the conference, I learned that The Collective Giving Research Group just released a new study that documents that the number of giving circles has more than tripled in the last 10 years and that giving circles exist in every single state. They identified 1,313 giving circles who collectively donated more than $30.1 million in 2016 alone.
At the conference, I met the leaders of 19 giving circle networks. Some of these organizations were organized around identity. The Amplifier Network is focused on Jewish Values. The Community Investment Network guides African Americans to the supply side of philanthropy. The Latino Giving Circle Network currently has 15 Giving Circles across the state of California and has donated $710,700 to Latino-led organizations. And some giving circles were organized around gender. There’s Dining for Women, 100 Women Who Care, and the Women’s Collective Giving Grantmakers Network.
And then, there were our giving circles. Change Gangs is one of the few giving circles that is entirely virtual which means it’s accessible to YOU!
If you’re interested in being part of this new movement…
If you’re interested in making a big impact on pet charities, or veteran’s charities, or ending poverty…
If you feel like your donation is too small to make a difference…
If you wonder what happens to your donation after you make it…
If you are you too busy to research a charity before you donate or not sure how to even do that…
Check out http://changegangs.com/. I would love to welcome you to our community.