Giving Circles
Description
Jassmin Poyaoan:
"A giving circle refers to a group of individuals who gather regularly, pool their money, and democratically choose to gift their pooled funds to an organization, enterprise, or individual outside of the circle.
Giving circles have emerged in the last decade as a popular method of philanthropy. In 2011, there existed up to 800 documented giving circles in America and a 2009 study estimated that giving circles collectively grant about $100 million a year." (http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-lending-circles-create-community-resilience)
Example
Devata Giving Circle
"The Devata Giving Circle (DGC) is a non-profit organization comprised of Cambodian-American women who joined together to raise funds for organizations working to advance the leadership and human rights of Cambodian women and girls. DGC is run by an executive council of 8-11 Cambodian-American women who meet monthly, engage in fundraising, and determine who will receive one of the circle’s annual grants.
Each member of the executive council can identify potential grantees and invite them to submit a proposal. Once proposals are submitted, members democratically select grantees through anonymous vote." (http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-lending-circles-create-community-resilience?)
More Information
- The rise of Giving Circles is described in a new report recently published by the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, a Washington, D.C., group. The report, Giving Together: A National Scan of Giving Circles and Shared Giving. is available at http://www.givingforum.org/givingcircles/